Dear Authorities shutting down Dark Markets (An Open Letter)

Please stop saying you're protecting people. Let's get one thing straight. You aren't. You are making things much more dangerous for everyone involved. Please stop using the deaths of two children from drug overdoses to further your agenda. Did they or someone they know procure narcotics from a dark market site? Sure. But if you think that was the only place a druggy would go for a fix than you are really rather stupid.

Besides the fact that it would take weeks for them to get the drugs, there is no way that someone hooked on something like that could wait. So they'd go to a local dealer. Besides the fact that in one of your excuses for the raid, a friend who had maybe, possibly, could have gotten that particular batch of goodies from a dark market site. And besides the fact that people (including children) die in America and around the world daily from drug overdoses that have nothing to do with online selling. How is it that you are seeing these cases and not looking to put at least some fault with the parent. I'm not saying to blame them fully, no. If a kid wants to do drugs they will find a way. But parents should watch their children. Not just let them have free range of the world. Don't monitor them like a hawk, but have an open dialog. Jesus Christ it isn't that hard.

Now as for keeping us safe. You've taken away any safety that was there. AlphaBay was safe. Hansa was safe. They were at least decently regulated and if you bought one thing you weren't going to be sent random poison that would be sure to kill you. Do you not see that? Can you not comprehend that you are doing nothing but forcing people who are already in a bad place to go deeper down the rabbit hole?!

You thought you had some good young names to throw out in your press conference. Just wait. Since you clearly want to lay their heads on the sellers from these sites go ahead. You will pile more on now that they've been forced to flee and use the remnants from a rejection pile to piece together a site to flock too.

Or even better. You have your wish. You've pulled them from using the web. Now it's back to back allies and smoke filled bars to get their next fix. Do you really think it will stop? Do you think you're taking drugs from their veins?! You've put people in a worse situation. And we all know it. We all know who's to blame. And it isn't the people that frequent the sites. It's you.