Leadership in Peril

by Richard Zaldivar

Due to the budget cutbacks ordered by Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, a social marketing campaign targeting Latinas and gay men around crystal meth addiction is losing funding. But it’s more than that: Los Angeles County is in great need of leaders taking a united stand against these issues.

Budget cutbacks are a reality in government and social funded programs. This is not new. What is more disturbing is the lack of outcry from community leaders and the silence from our community about meth use. This, at times, leads me to believe the work we do in the community is meaningless.

Two years ago, several community-based organizations came together to form the Act Now Against Meth Coalition. The collaborative effort gathered more than 10,000 signatures from a cross-section of the community and presented them to the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors. After 18 months of meetings with various government leaders and representatives, some funds were identified and allocated for treatment and prevention. The end result of many hard months of work was an allocation of $1.7 million for meth treatment and prevention.

But what is upsetting to me is the lack of presence from our community in our fight against meth. Each one of us has been impacted directly or indirectly by meth addiction. But what are we doing as a community to address this issue? Where are all of our leaders who usually fight for equality? Silence has long dictated their response.

At a men’s group I facilitate, the issue of the White Party and drug use came up. Comments made were: “We know it goes on, but it’s a business.” And, “I know some of the promoters; they are really concerned. But their hands are tied.” This is the underlying issue—silence and no action!

I am not against people having a good time; I am against a community that chooses to ignore a moral responsibility to lead on issues that are controversial.

We know too well what happens when we are discriminated against. AIDS cut the lives of many of our brothers and sisters early on. There is a great contradiction from a community that promotes equal rights when it comes to same-sex marriage and gays in the military, but deems it bourgeois to ignore the fact that two out of three gay men who use meth in Los Angeles County become HIV-positive.

I know I may raise your ire; but that is not my intent. I am only stating that there is a great need for leaders—leaders who are bold in word and action.

Start by responding to the proposed budget cutbacks when the hearings start for 2008-09. If you want to be a leader but do not know how to get involved and make change in your community, I invite you to get active in our grassroots Act Now Against Meth campaign. For more information, visit www.thewalllasmemorias.org.

Richard Zaldivar is the Founder of the Wall Las Memorias Project.