Friends who use

You have to read this morning's article on Page 1 of the Northwest Herald about the drug dealer who was sentenced to 18 years in the slammer for selling heroin that killed a McHenry woman last March 3.

But don't waste time on the felon's story. Count the number of times that "friend" was used in the article.

Laura Johnson died after a friend drove her and two others to Chicago and bought heroin from the guy who got convicted. The driver, according to the Northwest Herald, used Johnson's money for the drug buy.

Some "friend", eh? And then they come to the Woodstock "area" to party (OK, so where?), and "a friend" found Johnson "cold and blue" (does that mean dead?) at 4:00AM.

I'll tell you - everyone of those "friends" mentioned in the article needed to be named. Was it the same "friend" who drove her to Chicago and spent her money on heroin who found her at 4:00AM?

The only "friend" identified in the article was Amanda Benton. From the construction of the article I really couldn't determine whether Amanda was a friend who wasn't involved in the drug purchase or party or whether she was one of the "friends" along for the ride.

Is the dealer's attorney right that the "friends" weren't tracked down and prosecuted? Does he mean that the "friend" who drove the car to Chicago, knew where to buy drugs (oh, maybe she or he just follow the billboards or the exit signs (Exit Here for Herion) on the Dan Ryan; right?), did the deal with Johnson's money, and shot her up (if that's what you do with heroin) wasn't prosecuted? Did that "friend" get a deal out of the State's Attorney's office?

If so, what are we running here in McHenry County? Nobody in a drug deal ought to get a "deal." OK, so cut three months off a ten-year sentence for "cooperation." It wasn't the first time, if the driver knew where to go.

Can we afford the luxury of prison time for all? Slap on the electronic anklet. Let 'em go to work and straight home. House arrest. No cable, no TV, no satellite, no alcohol, no drugs. Read, eat, sleep and clean. Or make a deal with Sheriff Arpaio in Phoenix and ship them there. He doesn't run a luxury hotel like the McHenry County Jail. I think he feeds prisoners on $2-3/day, not like the higher, local budget.

I commend Judge Prather for the stiff prison sentence for the dealer. But she ought to throw her gavel at the State's Attorney's office and demand to see the rest of the herd in front of her bench very soon! Of course, that isn't how it happens. We, the People, had better be throwing our gavels at the SAO and telling them to do their part to stop these drug dealings and deaths by harsh punishment for all involved.