Columns

The 1890s were the beginning of a new and difficult chapter in Arkansas History.

Illicit fentanyl poisoning is now the leading cause of death for adults aged 18-49 – more than cancer, car accidents, and heart disease. Only a few milligrams of the drug, about the size of the tip of a pencil, can be lethal. With thousands and thousands of pounds of deadly drugs pouring across our border and infiltrating our communities, this epidemic has grown and evolved into a full-blown health and national security crisis.The drug is easier to produce than cocaine or heroin and can be sold for 100 times more than it costs to produce. Since small doses are incredibly potent (50-200 times more than morphine), it makes it easier for criminals, drug cartels, and foreign adversaries to smuggle the deadly drug into our communities.

“Tell it to the Marines” was a popular recruiting slogan during World War I. Throughout the long, distinguished history of the US Marine Corps, courage, determination, and love of country have always been at the heart of their training. One Arkansas native, John H. Pruitt, one of the most decorated Marines of World War I, showed this to the world when he became one of the few men to ever earn two Congressional Medals of Honor.