Pubdate: Mon, 19 May 2008
Source: Daily Press, The (CN ON)
Copyright: 2008 Daily Press (CN ON)
Contact:  http://www.timminspress.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/1001
Author: Russell Barth
Referenced: http://www.mapinc.org/drugnews/v08/n478/a02.html

NEW LAWS ABOUT RANDOM DRUG SEARCHES MAKE SENSE

RE: Banning random drug searches at schools doesn't make
sense:

Kaileigh Russell is a perfect example of how fear-mongering and
balderdash are still incredibly effective in blinding people to the
facts.

Law abiding citizens should not have to live in a police state just
because of some quasi-moralistic ideologies held by a minority.

Junk food will kill many times more Canadians than all illegal drugs
combined.

Here is how it works with this new court ruling: If word gets around
school that Stoner Joe is also a dealer (and it will get around, it
always does), then the principal can call in the sniffer to target
Stoner Joe.

Good!

He was a nuisance, and anyone dumb enough to be getting stoned at
school, or bringing their drugs to school, deserves everything he gets.

But if Mikey and Jill and Tom get caught in the process, they should
not be charged, as they weren't causing any problems and drew no
attention to themselves.

Kids should not be using drugs, nor should they have them at school,
but sweeping the whole school tells them that they are all suspects,
and worse yet, property!

Slaves, pets, prisoners, whatever you want to call it, the message is
clear: You have no rights. We own you.

This hard-lined strategy will cause even the good kids to be resentful
of authority, and that will cause meandering rebellion. Then more kids
will get into trouble and be kicked out of school. Then there will be
more crime.

Then we will need even more cops, courts and jails. Is this the Canada
you want for your kids? A U.S.-style war on dumb kids?

All of this is happening because just like alcohol prohibition in the
last century drug prohibition has made drugs of all kinds easier for
kids to access than a decent education.

Maybe, instead of building more jails, eroding more rights, and
punishing kids for our culture's mistakes, we should be spending more
money on education and health care.

And maybe, if we regulated drugs and taxed them, we'd have enough
money to make kids smart and healthy and well-adjusted enough to wait
until they were adults, and then use those regulated drugs wisely.

For those keen on educating kids about drugs, without all the spin and
hyperbole of the "standard" education programs, check out the
Educators For Sensible Drug Policy website at www.efsdp.org/ or the
Canadian Students For Sensible Drug Policy website at
www.cssdp-ecprd.ca.

Russell Barth, Federal Medical Marijuana License Holder

Ottawa
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MAP posted-by: Larry Seguin