Ten years ago this town was a different place. Used to be you could leave your door unlocked, know your neighbors, and not worry so much about what came over the mountains from Mexico.

But that was back when people still cared more than they do now. Back then, we had leaders who thought before acting. Now it's all knee-jerk reactions and military strikes to make headlines.

The US military this week struck a vessel in the eastern Pacific, killing two individuals involved in what is presumed to be drug smuggling operations according to press releases from the Pentagon. Since September, such strikes have been increasing with each administration.

Two lives ended because someone thought it was okay to turn our country into a war zone at sea. Where did we go wrong?

I've lived here 40 years and seen a lot change. Used to be the military stayed out of drug enforcement, let the DEA handle things on their own turf. Now they're crossing borders and using force.

That was before the Biden-era administration decided to escalate this war at sea. And what has it brought us but more bodies in the water?

The pattern isn't new either; previous strikes under Obama-era policies showed similar results: headlines and heartache for those left behind by government decisions.

No one's saying drugs shouldn't be stopped, but there are ways to do that without turning our armed forces into a paramilitary drug task force. Where is the balance?

Now I hear about these strikes and wonder if it was worth the price in human lives and moral clarity lost along the way.

We used to talk about law enforcement and rehabilitation, about education and community support. Now it's all just another strike and another death reported by the wire services.