Dare to Run 5K

Greetings from Lebanon Chapter of Eastern Star!

As you may already know, our community and country are in the midst of a crisis that is tearing apart families, morally bankrupting our society and leaving us in a gravely weakened state of military readiness.  The crisis of which is I speak is already here – the drug abuse problem. 

Ohio is in bad shape!

Ohio is ranked second in the country for deaths due to drug abuse reported by the CDC. According to a recent study stated by The Columbus Dispatch, Ohio led the nation in opioid overdose deaths: One in 14 of all opioid overdose deaths and one in 9 of all heroin-related deaths in the U.S. occurred in Ohio.  According to official reports, nearly 700,000 Ohio residents aged 12 and up abuse substances each year.

According to the Ohio Department of Health, heroin abuse is quickly gaining ground in Ohio, and may even soon surpass the abuse of opioid-based prescription drugs.  Additionally, this creates the added problem of drug trafficking, with heroin imported from Mexico being a specifically widespread problem in Ohio. These compound the negative effects of illegal substance abuse, leading to an increase in the number of violent crimes as well.

Our National Security is at Risk

Let’s consider the toll in national security terms. Between 1975 and 2015, an estimated 3,450 Americans died in terrorist attacks; in 2016, drug overdoses killed roughly 64,000 Americans, more than during the entire Vietnam War. The majority of these overdose deaths were linked to opiates.

If opioids are a national security problem, then what is the national security solution? A new war on drugs will not succeed any more than a war on loneliness. Complex societal and economic problems are not resolved with a militant response. The “fight” should be reserved for law enforcement and intelligence professionals developing counter-drug strategies. We should continue to combat the importation and production of dangerous drugs, especially highly lethal analogues such as fentanyl. Meanwhile, everyday Americans should view ourselves not as an army but a homefront, providing essential support to those in need. We should adopt the homefront mentality, in which everyone shares responsibility for our national well-being and can contribute in a meaningful way.

A Call to Arms

Just as in previous fights for our way of life, we can do something.  After a friend of a Lebanon Eastern Star couple died from a drug overdose (the kid was in his teens), we decided to do something about it!  That’s when the “Dare to Run” idea was born.

Our goal is simple – hold a publicly held run that is designed to:

Raise funds for local schools and the police department to provide educational programs to children
Increase awareness of the drug problem by promoting our cause in local papers, on-line and via media outlets
Promote our organization by being seen as a cause for good in the community
 

The Dare to Run event is a 5k walk/run and is currently scheduled to start at 8:30am on May 12, 2018.  The venue is Armco Park located just outside Lebanon, Ohio on State Route 741.