Pubdate: Fri, 09 Mar 2007
Source: Winnipeg Free Press (CN MB)
Copyright: 2007 Winnipeg Free Press
Contact:  http://www.winnipegfreepress.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/502
Author: Jake Marks, Jr.
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/coke.htm (Cocaine)

OUTRAGEOUS STATEMENTS

I am writing this letter from inside Kelvin High School. Just outside 
the bathroom, in fact. As I write this, I see, hear, smell no 
evidence of cocaine, I have no dirty, scary drug dealers "pushing" 
cocaine or any other drug on me. I am a student in Grade 11, have 
attended Kelvin for three years, and as of this year, have not 
witnessed a single drug deal in the bathroom, the halls, or anywhere 
in Kelvin. While I know it happens, and I've heard friends and 
acquaintances talk about it, it is both outlandish and ignorant to 
assert that drugs will be forced on you in the bathrooms at Kelvin, 
as Coun. Jenny Gerbasi so profoundly stated. A little more than 
secondhand knowledge and a little less bias is required before making 
outrageous statements such as Gerbasi made.

While drugs in school are a problem, it comes nowhere near the 
magnitude of the common perception (as represented by Gerbasi) and 
the true issue is in educating our citizens on making appropriate 
choices, from drugs to life in general. That is where the change must 
be made, not in policing.

Drugs are optional -- no one will be able to "push" them on you if 
you know what you don't want.

Jake Marks, Jr.

Winnipeg
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MAP posted-by: Beth Wehrman