Just say no.
That message from First Lady Nancy Reagan was the basis of an advertising campaign in the 1980s and early 1990s as a part of our country’s war on drugs. The goal of the campaign was to discourage children from using drugs by offering various ways to say no. The slogan was created and championed by Mrs. Reagan during her husband's presidency.
Today? Cocaine is found near the ground floor entrance to the West Wing of the White House. My, how times have changed.
To be fair, we are now being told that the location is where staff-led tours of the White House pass through on their way into the building, and that the substance was found near where guests are asked to leave their cell phones before proceeding into the West Wing. White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre also confirmed that the area where the cocaine was discovered is “heavily traveled” and staff pass through there as well.
This isn’t a political jab, as I am confident that First Lady Jill Biden and President Biden are distraught and embarrassed by this. But the incident does leave some lingering questions.
First and foremost, how in the world did this happen? We can find Saddam Hussein holed up in an eight-foot-deep concrete bunker in Iraq, but we can’t spot cocaine users in the White House?
Second, if this was a staff member, how much of an addict does one have to be to take cocaine to the workplace?
Third, how arrogant or entitled does one have to feel to think that he or she can take cocaine inside a government building?
To be fair, I have never used cocaine, and I don’t ever intend to. As such, I don’t understand the addiction. Regardless, someone who does choose to use cocaine should not be in a high-level government position and have access to any government files or have any decision-making powers. What you do on your own time in your own home is your own business, as long as your decisions are not hurting others. But when you bring your addiction to the White House, we have a problem.
What shocks me the most is that this mystery is not yet solved. Scooby and Shaggy could have wrapped this up in 30 minutes. And if this happened in your workplace, there would be immediate action. It seems quite simple to me. Start with staff. Make a list of all who had access to the area. View the cameras to see who was actually there. Drug test them and immediately fire those who test positive for cocaine and subject them to the greatest punishment under the law. Then start working through the list of the guests who were on tours.
We are told that the Secret Service is expected to conclude its investigation early this week. Let’s hope so. Because if this isn’t happening, we should have even greater concerns.
Have a meaningful Monday, and thanks for reading.
Shane Goodman
President and Publisher
Big Green Umbrella Media
shane@dmcityview.com
515-953-4822, ext. 305
www.thedailyumbrella.com | 
