President Obama, pictured here with Secretary of State Hilary Rodham Clinton at the Summit of the Americas April 14 in Cartagena, Colombia, ruled out a drug policy U-turn that some in the region want. Op-ed contributor Kristin Lewis says a viral video campaign in the style of 'Kony 2012' would 'challenge viewers to consider the international consequences of their actions.' Kevin Lamarque/Reuters
Bigger Scandal In Latin America Than US Secret Service: US Drug Hunger -- Kristin Lewis, Christian Science Monitor
The secret service prostitution scandal overshadows renewed calls at the Summit of the Americas for the US to stanch its drug consumption. A viral 'Drug Violence 2012' video (think 'Kony 2012') would help young Americans connect US drug use to violence in Central and South America.
As the drug war continues to ravage much of Mexico, other countries in Central America, and the Caribbean, the US Office of National Drug Control Policy could learn something from the controversial, yet virally popular, “Kony 2012” documentary in its fight against domestic drug use.
The success of the “Kony 2012” video, despite its various flaws, reveals an important yet absent element in the US drug prevention strategy: the need to appeal to the idealistic spirit of young Americans and connect US drug use to the increasing violence spreading through Latin America.
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My Comment: I concur. The desire and hunger that many Americans have for drugs is both appalling and catastrophic and shows no signs of abating.