Pubdate: Thu, 09 Nov 2006
Source: Lincoln News Messenger (CA)
Copyright: 2006 Gold Country Media
Contact:  http://www.lincolnnewsmessenger.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/4342
Author: D.E. Kern

OUR STUDENTS NEED ACTIVISTS, NOT OSTRICHES

It's official; I spend too much time working with adults. I made that 
realization this week when something - call it fate or the News 
Messenger's assignment board - brought me in contact with students at 
four local schools.

The plan was to visit and gather information for our story on student 
leadership. With Election Day coming up, I was to take a closer look 
at how the democratic process is applied on campus.

But I learned a heckuva lot more.

You see, this past week students in the Western Placer Unified School 
District celebrated Red Ribbon Week, five days dedicated to the 
concept of living drug free.

I had heard about the event previously, but it wasn't until I arrived 
at Glen Edwards Middle School that I received a succinct definition 
courtesy of Heather Phelps, a student in Lorie Wrightman's leadership 
class. Later, Red Ribbon Week came up again as I chatted with Mason 
Humes, president of the Student Council at Foskett Ranch Elementary School.

Something was abundantly clear: Our kids are open to the message that 
drugs damage or kill those who abuse them, those close to abusers and 
many of the fine men and women trying to stop the abuse.

But still a question lingered. How good of a job are we, as adults, 
doing of delivering the anti-drug message?

I think the biggest difference between adults and kids is that we 
older folks, and note that I'm including myself here, tend to favor 
what I call the ostrich pose. We have our heads in the sand when it 
comes to some of the biggest issues in life, choosing instead to 
waste our time worrying about what's in the driveway, what's in the 
bank and what's on our personal agendas.

We look at stuff such as Red Ribbon Week and dub it as "nice" or 
"good work," but we choose not to really get involved.

Instead, we take about 10 seconds to express our opinion on the 
schools' efforts and move on.

But who do we think we're kidding?

No school system is equipped to deal with the daunting task of 
fighting drugs alone, and it certainly cannot be done in one week, no 
matter how well marketed and well promoted. Those efforts are a nice 
start, but little more. Why? Because with students and a handful of 
well-intentioned teachers leading the way, there is a danger Red 
Ribbon Week will become little more than a series of themed dress-up 
days (i.e. Put a Cap on Drugs).

So what to do? Certainly not what several Twelve Bridges Middle 
School parents did when they posted diatribes at 
http://www.mytwelvebridges.com regarding that school's approach to 
Red Ribbon Week.

Tell me, what good does that do? Did Twelve Bridges do everything 
right? My guess is probably not. And guess what? Probably no other 
school in the country did either. Neither did GEMS, Foskett Ranch, 
First Street Elementary nor Lincoln High School. But I visited all 
those schools this week and I can tell you their kids at least had a 
clue, which is more than I can say for most parents.

Drug education begins at home. And it must continue in the community 
with the help of pastors, police officers, politicians, coaches, 
neighbors and even newspaper people. Of course the schools have a 
place in the process too. But it's a shame when we make their place an island.

One neighbor working to ensure that isn't the case is Phillip Dudley, 
general secretary of our local branch of Narcotics Anonymous. I took 
time for lunch with Phil this week because, well, like me, he only 
acts like an adult 60 percent of the time. But he's deadly serious 
about his work to stop the proliferation of drugs and get meaningful 
help to those devastated by addiction.

To this end, he's constantly thinking about new ways to help: 
meetings, school assemblies, recreational activities ... You name it, 
Phil will try it.

Phil tells me he's already found some great partners, namely the 
First Baptist and Emmaus churches here in Lincoln. But he needs many more.

I think it's high time some of us ditch the ostrich pose; there's too 
much to do and too little time.
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MAP posted-by: Elaine