There's a new sheriff in town. He's taking on the prescription pill epidemic and he's gonna need some help. So let's saddle up!
Our new Pinellas County Sheriff, Bob Gualtieri, when asked by the St. Pete Times "What do you see as the biggest issues facing our community and your agency?" Gualtieri answered in two words: "Prescription pills."
He went on to say that prescription pills represent the "No. 1 public safety issue we face." I find that a little surprising and more than a little scary. If asked the same question, I wouldn't have had a good answer. I would have had to guess and would probably have guessed wrong.
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So our biggest public safety issue is prescription pills? OK. So what can the average Pinellas County citizen actually do about this? The Sheriff answered his question in two words. I'll answer my own in one: PRAY.
Over 90 percent of Americans believe in a higher power. I would imagine that number holds true for us here in Pinellas County. So, maybe it's time to call on this higher power for some help. Prayer takes a lot of different forms and transcends religious doctrines and creeds. You don't have to be a church-goer to pray. Anybody can pray and most of us do when the chips are down.
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To me, prayer is mainly about listening. Listening quietly and humbly to that higher power, even if we're not quite sure what or where it is. The Bible offers plenty of prayers. One of my favorites is Psalm 46, verse 10, "Be still, and know that I am God... " This humble acknowledgement of a higher power is, all by itself, a powerful prayer. It doesn't describe God, although the previous nine verses help with that. It doen't ask God to do His job. It doesn't involve any ritual or ceremony. It can be prayed quietly anywhere, anytime.
This kind of humble quiet prayer has had a calming effect in the midst of crisis for thousands of years. When the human mind is humbled and calmed, the power of clear thinking takes the field, and solutions which may have been hidden in the fog of fear or cynicism can be seen and utilized.
So Sheriff Gualtieri, thanks for taking on the challenge. We'll saddle up and ride with you. We'll be praying and listening for divine guidance on this prescription pill challenge. Together we can find solutions, safety... and freedom.
