Pubdate: Sat, 06 Apr 2002
Source: Ottawa Citizen (CN ON)
Copyright: 2002 The Ottawa Citizen
Contact:  http://www.canada.com/ottawa/ottawacitizen/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/326
Author: Andrew Simpson
Referenced: http://www.mapinc.org/drugnews/v02/n639/a07.html

ASININE VIEW

The argument in Francois-Michel Pellecuer's letter about Chris
Laurin's situation is so asinine as to be comical. He states that
Chris's father, Michel, "embodies a misplaced self-righteousness that
is far too common in society." It is the school principal who
displayed this two weeks ago by suspending Chris.

Even if the teen did smoke marijuana, which cannot be established, he
did not have drugs on school property. So it is not the school's
responsibility to punish him. By doing so, the high school is
substituting its judgment for that of Chris's parents and that of the
legal system.

As for Mr. Pellecuer's statement that "when authority speaks, you
listen, even if you don't agree," I think this must be one of the most
horrible messages you could possibly send to a child. People must
learn to stand up for themselves in the face of blatant abuses of
authority such as that shown by Chris's school.

Andrew Simpson,

Ottawa
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MAP posted-by: Richard Lake