War on Drugs in Snowfall

The portrayal of the war on drugs as depicted in the FX series, Snowfall, offers a compelling lens through which to examine the broader implications of armed conflicts, including the US-led campaigns in Iraq, Afghanistan, and domestic law enforcement efforts. In particular, Snowfall's depiction of the crack-cocaine epidemic in 1980s Los Angeles illuminates the multifaceted impacts of such conflicts on communities, families, and individuals.

Exploring the specific episode 10, season 6 viewers gain an insight into the historical context and societal repercussions of the war on drugs. Although the war on drugs isn’t our typical way of war, a country fighting against a country. The war on drugs hasn’t had an ending, a war that has been going on for decades. This episode shows the effect that the war on drugs has on the black community. The history of the war on drugs, during the 1970s, President Richard Nixon enacted the Controlled Substance Act and the subsequent establishment of the DEA (Drug Enforcement Administration) whcih underscore the severity and persistence of this ongoing conflict. 

 The crack epidemic had a huge impact on America, specifically in big cities, with many not knowing the consequences of crack cocaine. Crack cocaine affected African-American communities heavily because it impacted incomes, families, and responsibilities. The “war” in this aspect is law enforcement versus narcotics. This war became a bigger issue when police enforcement would go into communities, and then bigger issues such as police brutality would be involved. Then, it was reinforced by Nancy Raegan in the 1980s with the ‘Say No to Drugs’ campaign. The war on drugs is still going on today, and many are still getting arrested today for drug offenses. 

In Snowfall, Franklin Saint appears with little to no prior experience of crack cocaine. After entering the industry, he rises to become one of Los Angeles, California's most well-liked young drug lords. He does this to better his family and to take them out of the hood. This particular episode depicts Saint, the main character, as being abandoned by everyone around him—either dead or imprisoned—and living alone in the house. He doesn’t end up living the rich lifestyle that he wanted; he becomes a depressed alcoholic. A comment theme behind the war on drugs in America is death, poverty, and incarceration. All things that are depicted in this episode. 

Relating this episode of ‘Snowfall’ with the episode ‘The Target’ an HBO series of ‘The Wire.’ Instead of law enforcement or detectives being on the other side of the war. In snowfall, it is the CIA behind turning South Central L. A  into the ‘war zone’, it is a tactic to change the community, to make it worse. In the end, Saint says that he called the CIA to leave him alone or he's gonna start talking. The CIA took everything from him, and then we see them take his home. 

The term "war" can mean many different things. For example, the war on drugs is not a physical conflict between armies but rather a struggle between law enforcement and widespread drug trafficking and usage. The war is still a “war” because it has two sides, but this is never-ending. In Snowfall, we see a different view and perspective, drugs being put into the black community to ruin it, to one by one get black Americans in jail or dead. They are rich for a second, but in the end, the money is gone. This show displays how the war on drugs can affect a whole community of people. Personally, I believe shows such as Snowfall are needed to show that drug dealing is fast money, it won’t bring long-term happiness, and in the end, it might leave you lonely. Drugs can ruin people’s lives and with that ruin the community. This is a major issue in the black community and Snowfall shows how the harsh reality of drugs was introduced to the black community, through the government to suppress the people. It can encourage refraining from drug usage because we want to overcome and be free from government control. It informs myself and many other African Americans about the inner workings and history of the community's war on drugs.