Your View

Advice to others

First of all, I would like to thank the editor and all the staff at the Standard Democrat for printing my story, "Beating the Habit."

My name is Randy Hall and I am currently serving seven years in the Missouri Department of Corrections for possession of chemicals. Like I said before, I am not trying to condone my actions on Jan. 24, 2001, nor do I condone the actions taken by my parole officer on Jan. 16, 2001. I was in very bad shape, both mentally and physically, due to my alcohol and drug addiction. So I went to my parole officer for help that day, but instead of helping me, he chose to allow me to remain at liberty in the same drug-infested environment, knowing that I could not restrain myself from using alcohol and drugs.

Since the tragic events on Sept. 11, I have grown to realize that no one is guaranteed another day, hour, minute or even another second on this earth. No one has the right to take or even gamble with our lives. And that is exactly what my parole officer did! He gambled my life and the lives of others against an entire week of drug and alcohol abuse. Believe me, life is way too short and the stakes are much too high for such a gamble. No one has the right to gamble with our lives, not even a parole officer!

If society lets his actions go unreprimanded, it gives him the right to gamble with our lives or the lives of your children, just as he did with mine. I guess I was lucky. I wound up in prison instead of the morgue. The next person may not be so lucky. You must ask yourselves, are you willing to take this risk? Are your lives or the lives of your children worth the gamble?

I would like to express my condolences to the families of everyone who lost a loved one due to the tragic events on Sept. 11, 2001.

For your support, write to Randy W. Hall #304998 6A/111, South Central Correctional Center, 225 West Hwy. 32, Licking, Mo. 65542

Sincerely,

Randy W. Hall