By Michael Motes

Armed with what he calls a document “more important than the Magna Carta,’ Ken Krautter dropped by the BULLETIN office recently to fill us in on the latest developments in his “Stop Drugs at the Source” campaign.

In case you’ve missed the billboards around town, the numerous newspaper articles and Krautter’s frequent radio-television appearances, here is some background information on Krautter and his campaign: Last August, Krautter approached Fr. Joe Sanches, an assistant pastor at Sacred Heart Church, with the idea of holding a meeting of Sacred

Heart Parishioners who were concerned about the drug problem in Atlanta. From the initial meeting in the basement at Sacred Heart grew the “Stop Drugs at the Source” campaign.

One of the early phases of the campaign was a petition addressed to Gov. Jimmy Carter which read: “Stop drugs at the source! Please request a joint FBI-GBI investigation into the link between officials at all levels of government and organized crime which constitutes the source of drugs that are killing our children.”

Mimeographed copies of the petition have been distributed by individuals, church and civic groups and Krautter throughout the city and state and now more than 15,000 signed petitions have been received by the governor.

The link between organized crime and drugs is unavoidable, according to Krautter, a 31-year-old CPA who received 13 write-in votes in the last gubernatorial campaign.

“Drugs are a problem because they are easily available to everyone,” Krautter says in a printed outline of his campaign to abolish them. The availability of drugs stems from two factors, he explains: (1) The major force behind the SOURCE and distribution of illegal narcotics is organized crime, and (2) Organized crime could not exist much less flourish without the link with the public officials at all levels of government.

One of the biggest boosts to Krautter’s campaign came last week when he secured the signatures of members of the Georgia Senate and House of Representatives on a giant-sized resolution calling for not only people throughout the State but throughout the nation to express their concern about the problem of illegal drugs by signing a “Stop Drugs at the Source” petition.

Krautter’s desire is to obtain one million signatures from Georgians and one hundred million nation-wide. If his goals are reached, “The government, by law, must respond and the source of drugs will be stopped,” he says.

Support for Krautter’s campaign has been favorable throughout the city. Dr. Martin Luther King, Sr. distributed 10,000 copies of the petition in his church and other related organizations. Former television newsman turned politician, Hal Suit, was featured speaker at the kick-off rally last fall and said at the time that drugs are “Atlanta’s major crime problem.”

Atlanta Vice Mayor Maynard Jackson wrote to Krautter shortly after the campaign began: “Your campaign to find those in government who may protect or otherwise enhance the operations of dope pushers, suppliers, etc., deserves the widespread and enthusiastic support of every man, woman and child in the state of Georgia.”

Since his campaign is well off the ground in Georgia, Krautter has planned a benefit show to raise funds to spread “Stop Drugs at the Source” across the country. Scheduled for next May and hopefully to be headlined by Sonny and Cher, the show will be held in Atlanta Stadium and is expected to raise over one hundred thousand dollars to be donated to a worthy organization.

In the metropolitan Atlanta area, copies of the petitions to Gov. Carter can be picked up at all Shoney’s, Pot O’ Gold and Magic Market stores.

“If anyone really wants to stop drugs at the source, they’ve got to ask for it. That is the purpose of the entire campaign and I sincerely hope that what we’ve begun here in Georgia will spread throughout the country,” said Krautter.