Pubdate: Wed, 20 Feb 2002 Source: Mountain Xpress (NC) Copyright: 2002 Mountain Xpress Contact: http://www.mapinc.org/media/941 Website: http://www.mountainx.com/ Author: K.A. McCoy Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/youth.htm (Youth) SCHOOL DRUG SEARCHES ARE GOING TOO FAR My son came home and told me they had the "drug dogs" in school today. I asked him if this was the first time and he said, no, they do this every month or so. I was appalled. This is middle school! One minute we teach our children about their civil rights and then in the next minute show them that they don't mean crap. Yes, drugs in school are a problem, but they are not new. There were plenty of drugs in school when I was there, 30-plus years ago. Are we going in the right direction? When my child can be searched without legal - or better yet, parental - supervision, we're headed for trouble. A menstruating girl can't take a Midol or a student take an aspirin for a simple headache without fear of suspension. Any prescribed medication has to be dispensed from the office. Heck, they get detention now for a fart. Something's wrong with this picture. I am not condoning drug use by any means, but to [quote] my father's favorite phrase, "There's a difference between scratching your butt and tearing it all to pieces." Well, guess what, friends and neighbors? Hitler even knew to go to the children first. Are we slowly becoming a police state and silently convincing our children this is OK? Next, it will be you and I, and by then it will be too late, because our kids will be in charge. When are we, as parents, going to start taking responsibility for teaching our children about life and quit expecting someone else to do it for us? Leave scholastics to the schools, and expect them to teach something besides attitude. Everything else should be taken care of at home! The "Powers that Be" have enough control already. K.A. McCoy Horse Shoe - --- MAP posted-by: Doc-Hawk