Pubdate: Fri, 27 Oct 2000
Source: Idaho State Journal (ID)
Copyright: 2000 Idaho State Journal
Contact:  PO Box 431, Pocatello ID 83204
Fax: 208-233-8007
Website: http://www.journalnet.com/
Author: Sean McCoy
Related:  http://www.mapinc.org/drugnews/v00/n784/a04.html

A LEVEL PLAYING FIELD

Should a student's past history with drugs be considered when determining 
whether or not the student receives financial aid? Let me answer this 
questions with a few of my own:

Why do rapists, murderers, and thieves qualify for student loans, and 
someone who was busted smoking a joint does not?

Why does the government want to penalize people-TWICE- for one mistake. 
Does double jeopardy sound familiar?

Does the student who abuses Valium, Phentramine, tobacco, alcohol, or some 
other legal drug get penalized for their "problem" or is it just the ones 
who caught with the illegal drugs?

If every student who ever used drugs was denied, would there be any 
students left at our educational institutions?

A list of prominent people who admitted to using "drugs" at least once.

Vice President Al Gore

Texas Gov. George W. Bush

Carl Sagan

George Washington (grew hemp for both industry and medicine) Other likely 
users?

Your neighbor who owns the successful business down the street. One of your 
child's favorite teachers. (However, this doesn't mean the teacher pushes 
drugs upon the student!)

Half of the people eating at your local fast-food place. The judge who just 
sentenced you for marijuana possession.

I could go on for hours or days with this list of people who could have 
been denied a chance to go to school because of past "indiscretions." Our 
world would look much different if they had been persecuted like today's 
students are.

Is this type of treatment really fair to the American people? We have 
already segregated over a quarter of our population by declaring a "War on 
Drugs," so do we need to continually treat those who possibly made a 
"mistake" by taking "drugs" worse than those who molest your daughter? 
Minimum sentencing guidelines and legislation like this make this last 
statement a cold reality.

If I ever get in trouble for anything, I hope I keep it something simple 
and harmless like armed robbery, rape or murder. Obviously they are much 
less dangerous to society than is a drug user.

Sean McCoy, Pocatello
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