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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To not feel any sympathy for drug-smuggling women?

592 replies

DarceyBissell · 12/08/2013 17:42

Just that really. Two young women facing 25 years in a Peruvian jail for trying to smuggle 11kg of cocaine. Saw they described as 'vulnerable' in one paper. Hardly. Greedy and stupid though.

OP posts:
LadyMilfordHaven · 13/08/2013 14:01

No family? NONE? How?

KellyElly · 13/08/2013 14:05

No nancy the only person I hurt was myself. There is a butterfly effect ANYONE who has anything to do with the drugs industry is hurting more people than themselves. If it weren't for users there wouldn't be a drugs industry because there would be noone to sell to would there. I am saying this as someone who has taken drugs btw. You and me are not blameless victims either.

Arnie123 · 13/08/2013 14:06

I was severely abused and so cut all contact. I gave my dad a chance to have supervised access to my son when he was born and he threatened to put him in the road and let him crawl in the traffic. Truly evil people

BlueButton3 · 13/08/2013 14:07

I feel sorry for them in the sense that they face such harsh punishment. At the same time, I think they're stupid and I hate drugs.

noddyholder · 13/08/2013 14:08

This is all about the fact that its class a drugs and not the disease of addiction itself. There are plenty of addicts of other substances food alcohol gambling etc whose lives are also a mess and people getting destroyed around them too. Coke is just another 'fix'. These girls were probably spun an almighty yarn and saw £ signs.

Arnie123 · 13/08/2013 14:08

Oh and to add I got addicted to drugs when I was severely ill with bipolar and my judgement was impaired and so I feel no guilt for what I did as I was ill. Ironic really the people who do not want to judge these girls are very quick to judge me

noddyholder · 13/08/2013 14:11

Considering what you have been through Arnie you don't sound very compassionate. Tbh your parents sound more criminal than these girls for how they treated you

Arnie123 · 13/08/2013 14:12

My parents are more criminal than these people

treaclesoda · 13/08/2013 14:13

But Arnie, you're being very quick to judge them

KellyElly · 13/08/2013 14:13

Arnie123 I'm not judging you but you seem very quick to judge these girls. I also took a lot of drugs because of a very troubled life. Maybe that's why I'm not so quick to judge these girls without knowing their back story. I'm just surprised you are with everything else you're saying. Do you judge the farmers in Afghanistan growing poppy fields which get used to make opium or do you judge the cartels making billions?

SpecialAgentCuntSnake · 13/08/2013 14:14

Noticed that too Arnie. Hmm

I think prison conditions are a different argument to sentencing. I agree with harsh penalties for drug smuggling/dealing, as I hope it will deter greedy morons like these two who will be simpered upon as angelic little girls for the rest of their lives >boak< But I do not agree with those sort of prison conditions.

General question: If the young women are found to have done essentially out of greed/stupidity/thought they could get away with it, would you feel as bothered if their sentence was lighter, or is it the sentence at all?

I'm just genuinely confused because I think different people have different reasons for not being okay with this, and I guess I just want to know what the majority bugbear is.

SauceForTheGander · 13/08/2013 14:15

Kelly - it came to me a bit late that anyone paying for drugs was as guilty as the dealers. You do hurt people, entire communities in fact. Years ago there was a documentary about legislators who lived in fear of their lives in Columbia as they attempted to stop the drug's trade. Brave woman who lived apart from her family so she didnt endanger them. And the money I handed over was going god knows where and for god knows what. I felt ashamed of the casual acceptance of weekend drug taking and would never take it ever. I actually feel more anger towards the show offy 20 / 30 something's getting hammered on coke and feeding the supply than these gullible girls.

If this was any other product no one would touch it because of its unethical supply chain. But cos it's a bit of coke and a but of a laugh as if then the user forgets or ignores the misery behind it.

SpecialAgentCuntSnake · 13/08/2013 14:16

Why would a former drug addict have compassion for two people absconding responsibility for bringing the amount of drug into the country that will cause death? Confused

I'm not a recovering addict so I wouldn't know, but to me it seems logical.

Arnie123 · 13/08/2013 14:17

And can you imagine what would happen if they escaped jail? Every man and his dog would be hopping in the next flight to Peru

Nancy66 · 13/08/2013 14:17

Arnie - you've got yourself clean, well done.

I don't think anybody is judging you, just making observations and comparisons. You, like it or not, were part of the multi billion pound drug industry.

I thought a big part of rehab was 'owning' your actions and taking responsibility for the choices you made.

noddyholder · 13/08/2013 14:18

We ignore the misery behind a lot of things cheap food and clothes for starters

treaclesoda · 13/08/2013 14:19

Sauce that's an interesting point. I remember at school getting the standard health education on the dangers of drugs, which was of course important. But looking back, teenagers are often very idealistic and want to right the wrongs of the world. If they had taught us all about the misery that the international drugs trade causes to vulnerable communities in the drug producing countries, I think it would have had much more impact than 'drugs can cause mental health problems' because of course, teenagers are invincible and don't think that hypothetical health problems will happen to them.

noddyholder · 13/08/2013 14:19

I agree nancy playing the victim card is not the result of a successful rehab

SpecialAgentCuntSnake · 13/08/2013 14:20

If this was any other product no one would touch it because of its unethical supply chain. But cos it's a bit of coke and a but of a laugh as if then the user forgets or ignores the misery behind it.

Surely these 'gullible girls' are even more responsible with this argument due to sheer amount they were bringing in?

Gullible kids take drugs too, so do kids perfectly aware of the risks.

I guess from what I know about these ladies lives, given coercion I sincerely disbelieve they were Bambi eyed and innocent.

They didn't think they would get caught. They were stupid and greedy. I personally feel empathy because of the prison conditions... They are not humane. No one speaks their language and their families are a world away. They must be terrified.

I don't feel sorry for their sentencing though.

SauceForTheGander · 13/08/2013 14:21

Yes Noddy we do. I think the misery behind drug taking has it's own special horrors. I suppose because of the illegality.

Though I'm not in favour or legalising.

Arnie123 · 13/08/2013 14:21

Well that shows how little you understand about rehab. I was ill when I started drugs and I am not going to feel any shame or guilt

KellyElly · 13/08/2013 14:22

I thought a big part of rehab was 'owning' your actions and taking responsibility for the choices you made.

noddyholder · 13/08/2013 14:22

My dp has been in recovery 23 years and my brother 12 and neither of them foster blame and completely own their addictions and choices.

SpecialAgentCuntSnake · 13/08/2013 14:23

Ignore Arnie, it's passive agressive we're-not-judging-you-but-actually-we-are.

Victim card? FFS.

KellyElly · 13/08/2013 14:23

Taking responsibility is not about having to feel guilt or shame.