Pubdate: 11 May 2000 Source: Arlington Morning News (TX) Copyright: 2000 The Arlington Morning News Contact: http://arlingtonnow.com Author: Bob Ramsey Related: the original article this PUB LTE refers to may be found at http://www.mapinc.org/drugnews/v00/n624/a02.html WHY STOP AT MERELY TESTING FOR DRUGS? U.S. Rep. Joe Barton is proud that he has introduced a bill each year to require Congress members to pass drug tests. Unfortunately, requirements for representatives and senators are plainly spelled out in Article 1 of the Constitution. If Mr. Barton wishes to modify these requirements, he needs to propose a constitutional amendment. Here is the House version of such an amendment. The wording needs to be more inclusive than mere drug tests, because soon it will be possible to implant transmitters in Congress members and track their every move. Article 1, Sect. 2 paragraph 2 should be amended to read: "No person shall be a representative who shall not have attained to the age of twenty-five years, and been seven years a citizen of the United States, and who shall not, when elected, be an inhabitant of that state in which he shall be chosen and who shall not pass any tests for immoral behavior that may exist now or in the future." Surely all senators and representatives will approve this amendment so they can send the right message to our children. Bob Ramsey, Irving - --- MAP posted-by: Thunder