Kay Granger: “the poet Carl Sandburg once wrote that ``Nothing happens unless first a dream.'' Today, as we confront the issue of…”

“the poet Carl Sandburg once wrote that ``Nothing happens unless first a dream.'' Today, as we confront the issue of drugs, I urge my colleagues to dream of a nation without drugs. Imagine schools where our children are not told it is cool to be high. Imagine streets where drug pushers are nowhere to be seen. And imagine a world where the scourge of drugs has been eliminated for good forever. The issue of drugs deserves our immediate attention. In the 1990s, teenage drug use has nearly doubled. Nearly half of all 17-year-olds in our communities today say they can buy marijuana within an hour. That is not a problem. That is a crisis. The good news is that today communities all across America are beginning to dream again and families are beginning to hope again. Why? Simply because millions of American families are more determined than ever to win the war on drugs. I believe our dream of a drug-free America can become a reality if we pursue a strategy based on simple principles. First, face the reality of drugs. Principles such as empowering families to effectuate change. And principles such as protecting the victims and punishing the criminals. Mr. Speaker, the drug crisis is real and rising. But I have always believed that what is wrong with America can be cured by all that is right with America. And that's why I am so pleased to be a member of the Speaker's Task Force for a Drug Free America.”