Pubdate: Sat, 18 Jun 2005
Source: Virginia Gazette, The (Williamsburg, VA)
Copyright: 2005 The Virginia Gazette
Contact:  http://www.vagazette.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/3760
Author: Mary Vause
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/testing.htm (Drug Testing)
Cited: Studenst for Sensible Drug Policy - www.DAREgeneration.com

NATIONAL AUDIENCE FOR TESTING

WILLIAMSBURG - The local grassroots movement for random student drug testing
received national recognition Thursday morning when Christine Bottles
appeared on Fox News.

Bottles, a rising senior at Jamestown High, is co-chair of a student
pro-testing task force. Her four minutes of fame on the major television
news network proved to be a lesson in sound-bite politics.

It all began when Bottles' student organization picketed a WJC School Board
meeting on May 25 to express support for random student drug testing. The
Associated Press ran a story on it, which was picked up by the right-leaning
Washington Times based in DC. Fox News producers perused the article and had
enough interest to set up a one-on-one interview.

Bottles made plans to travel to Richmond for the interview, but Fox
rescheduled twice, including once for developments in the Michael Jackson
trial. After having two of her final exams rescheduled, Bottles finally
arrived to the Richmond newsroom Thursday morning for her interview, which
would air between 10:30 and 11 am.

Cameras began rolling, and Bottles suddenly learned that it was not a
one-on-one interview as planned. She was debating against 23-year-old
Scarlett Swerdlow, executive director of a non-profit, anti-testing
organization in DC called Students for a Sensible Drug Policy.

"In some ways I did feel intimidated because I was speaking against a
University of California-Berkeley graduate with a BA in history," admitted
Bottles. After  searching Swerdlow's name on the Internet, Bottles learned
that "In high school, [Swerdlow] was an undefeated member of the debate and
speech team in her county."

Swerdlow said that she has appeared on national television "five to ten
times" and in national print media too many times to count. Nonetheless,
Bottles held her own in the four-minute debate.

Dee McHenry, co-chair of the parental pro-testing task force was proud of
Bottles' performance. "Despite the fact that the producers neglected to tell
Christine that she would be debating a seasoned professional, she admirably
rose to the occasion and represented our division with dignity, conviction,
and clarity."

Questions lobbed at Bottles during the debate included:

* Why do you care if other students are taking drugs?

* Are there ways for kids to cheat or beat the tests?

* What about having parents make sure that kids are clean?

McHenry pointed out internet sources showing Swerdlow's past connection to
marijuana decriminalization groups. However, Swerdlow was adamant that
Students for a Sensible Drug Policy encapsulates many viewpoints and does
not take a stance on drug legalization.

"As a spokesperson, for the organization, what I stand for is ensuring that
students have access to education about drugs and drug policy," said
Swerdlow. She referenced a federal law that denies student financial aid to
former convicted drug users as an example of drug policy that is detrimental
to young people.

Swerdlow argued that there was not sufficient evidence of deterrence to
merit drug testing, and that "we shouldn't ask taxpayers to foot the bill
for something that doesn't work."

Bottles questioned the reliability of the study Swerdlow referenced. She
also thought that the taxpayer argument was insincere.

"I felt that [the anti-testing] arguments have shifted from in the past,"
she said. "It had been all about rights, but since the Supreme Court has
decided that drug testing is not inconstitutional anymore, our opponents
have had to turn to different arguments."

Despite the stressful interview, Bottles felt energized by the experience.
"I could definitely see myself doing something like this in the future," she
said.

Bottles pointed out the irony that seven months of grassroots activism had
been boiled down to only a few minutes of commentary on television.

McHenry lamented this "sound-bite culture."

"Facts get so easily obscured when incomplete portions of a complex issue
get aired," McHenry said. "At the end of the day, very few people really get
to hear the rest of the story." 
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MAP posted-by: Josh