I wanna read the rest of it. Finish it
Though it may not seem that way, I do have a great interest in harm reduction. Its something that is on my mind quite often. The opposition to harm reduction that our government continuously expresses bothers me to the point that after a few minutes I have to find something to do to get it off my mind because it makes me physically ill.
I needed needles one morning several years back and I stopped at one of the walgreens that Id stopped in for U100's a million times before. There was a new lady in there, a new manager from a different store. She refused to sell me needles without a prescription. That wasnt a very bright move on her part as the pharmacy was pretty busy that day. Tbh I think thats why she chose to stall me out, so her customers could see how the new manager is working hard to curb drug use and abuse in our fair neighborhood. I stayed calm and asked why she wouldnt sell them to me and all she would say is because Im not going to, so I kept asking. I knew she would do it and she did, she lied and said it was the law. I told her that its actually not the law and Id be glad to prove it and that I was surprised that a supposedly educated person in such a position as hers was ignorant of the law. Then I started in on what a shame it would be for drug addicts to have clean needles, since that would mean less sick people and less business for her pharmacy.
I gave her a piece of my tiny mind for several minutes. I dont remember much more since thats been quite a while back. I do remember the nods of agreement from the other employees and the verbal agreements coming from the waiting area. It was all finally too much and she went to her office without saying a word and I never saw her again cause I never went back.
We have to have victories like this if we are to have any that count for anything. The background must erupt with agreement that the emperors nudity will no longer be tolerated and fascists everywhere will tremble at the name of The Vespiary as we impose good grammar and posting practices on the wicked.
I may have had some fun with that last little paragraph, but otherwise this is a true story that illustrates our biggest problem to true harm reduction. How do we genuinely try to reduce harm without being destroyed by the huge machine that insists things stay this way? I dont have a whole lot of hope that we can do it in any 'traditional' way.
