Blog 5: The House I Live In

The House I live in

I am not sure I could direct and produce a film as well as Eugene Jarecki. I did not grow up in the same circumstances as the director. My family did not have the luxury of having a Nanny, but  we  did have some similarities as we were also affected by drugs.

 I understand the pain Nannie Jeter has went through. If I did direct a film such as The House I live In I do think I would bring into the people in my family who have been affected. I feel this humanizes the drug war and people do get to see the other side of the effects of drugs other than  users and drug enforcement officers.  I would want  people to see the hurt the families go through. Not everyone who does drugs has a poor upbringing, some come from very tight knit loving families.

I would bring my family in the movie and describe what we went through, drugs tore some of us apart. I would also show more of the rehab process and what rehab does for the family, not just the individual.  When you have a family member going through rehab, that family member needs their whole family to participate in the rehab process. It is not just their journey.  Our family was blessed and our family member made it through clean and sober now for 25 plus years. I believe with the support of all of us they were able to stay healthy.

Everybody seems to have their own perception of the war on drugs. I think because it personally touched my family, I see it differently. I don’t always see someone who uses drugs as a thug, sometimes it is a good person making poor decisions.  That is why when someone has a second offences I think we should focus more on mandatory rehab for them.   It makes sense than to throw a user in prison where they are getting no help.

In order to get to all sides of the drug war you need to speak with Judges, Police officers, hospitals, users and drug dealers. I think you also need to speak with people who have followed the drug war for years. Research and ask questions.