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Reason First: Colombian artists transform Pablo Escobar’s hippos and excesses into art

What should become of the cocaine hippos?

By Skyler SaundersPublished 2 months ago 3 min read
Reason First: Colombian artists transform Pablo Escobar’s hippos and excesses into art
Photo by Sachin Mittal on Unsplash

It seems like Escobar’s hippos have made the news again. This time, the focus is on artists who have revolutionized the way the hippos have been depicted in art.

These painters have illustrated works that feature the dung that produces psychedelic mushrooms. The irony is that the late owner of their ancestors provided a stimulant and the mushroomers depress.

Though not art, photographs still adorn the walls displaying the hippos. The whole showcase is in support of anti-narcotic operations. They, however, almost seem to highlight the trade.

This is the reason why all scheduled drugs and narcotics should be legalized in the Americas and elsewhere.

What this would bring is a strength of character for all parties involved, from politicians to pushers.

In a world where most people bristle at the thought of decriminalizing and unfettering the literal shackles against those caught up in the drug game.

For the hippos to continue to be a point of fascination, there is a strong correlation to the amount of excess and luxury related to the cocaine-chic lifestyle championed by Pablo Escobar.

The transcendence of artists depicting the hippos shows how the people become apparent. There is a way for the artists to broadcast to the world in a creative fashion the nature of the hippos, down to the hallucinogenic mushrooms found in their eliminations.

What draws a great deal of attention is the fact Escobar wanted to flaunt his wealth on one level and actually endear himself with these animals.

As it stands, there should be a legal system against the manufacture, production, sale, and consumption of large quantities of drugs.

One day, all of that should be reversed.

It should be up to the individual to decide what they want to do to create an empire of drug-dealing or drug-using.

To consider the ugliness and weakness of the abysmal War on Drugs, it should be said that the hippos symbolize the truth of why drugs must be liberated. They should not be taxed based on income but only on consumption.

Drugs should be seen as a way for rehab centers to pop up on every street corner and provide for people who want to sell or buy the substances.

All of the hippos represent the ideal that you can be a billionaire and fly in from the United States African animals and live your life until your tragic end.

This should be a reminder to the idea that the drug sphere is wrought with the start of force. The bloody trail that snakes through the timeline of the trafficking of scheduled substances is a result of the illegal issue.

Once these hippos become a way for people to see how whimsical the drug struggle has been, the people might have a different opinion on the reality of the drug-dealing world.

As the United States federal government looks to combat “narco-terrorists,” it is pertinent to never lose sight that there is no rational reason to deny people the high demand for making and engaging in drugs.

The whole point of the hippo exhibition ought to spark dialogue within the conception of the story of how politicians have no absolute, earthly reason for stopping the flow of drugs.

It is clear that the problem is still a reminder that these hippopotamuses are mammals who have learned to adapt to an environment foreign to their natural habitat.

The removal of these mammals from a place that would be better suited to do so should give anyone the notion of how to best care for them.

Every hippo ought to be shown affection and care because they had nothing to do with the drugs. They just got caught up in the hype.

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Skyler Saunders

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