Pubdate: Wed, 06 Feb 2002
Source: Bucks County Courier Times (PA)
Copyright: 2002 Calkins Newspapers. Inc.
Contact: http://www.phillyburbs.com/feedback/content_cti.shtml
Website: http://www.phillyburbs.com/couriertimes/index.shtml
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/1026
Author: Richard Johns

WHAT ABOUT THE RIGHT TO DRUG-FREE SCHOOLS, SAFE HIGHWAYS?

Checkpoints are intended to deter drunk driving, not to harass people 
and violate their rights.

Regarding the guest opinion from Hope Cunningham of Middletown, who 
felt "stripped of her rights" when stopped at a sobriety checkpoint.

Checkpoints are intended to deter drunk driving, not to harass people 
and violate their rights. They are conducted in areas where 
statistics show a high number of DUIs or accidents. Thousands of 
motorists are stopped every year in these checkpoints and they are 
normally grateful that the police are doing their best to keep the 
roads safe.

If a driver hasn't been drinking, a checkpoint will take up about one 
minute. Operating a motor vehicle is a privilege, not a right. If 
time is so precious that one can't tolerate some inconvenience from 
time to time, then hand in the license and walk.

Now Cunningham is taking her bleeding heart to the drug dog search 
forum. The sad part is, she's using her daughter as an excuse. If she 
wants to teach her daughter anything, perhaps she should start with 
respect and obedience - two things she may know little about judging 
from the way she turned her back on the school board and broke their 
grievance protocol.

Drug dogs are the least-intrusive way to conduct a search. Students 
are in their classroom while they are conducted, so how does this 
affect them? If a student has nothing to hide, he or she has no 
reason to fear these searches, and the majority of students welcome 
them. Students' rights? What about the right to learn in a drug-free 
environment!

If a drug dog finds one bag of dope or prevents students from 
bringing it on school grounds, it might prevent just one overdose or 
drug- related tragedy. If it can save just one student's life then it 
is worth it.

Instead of sitting around crying about our rights, why don't we sit 
our children down and explain to them that a little inconvenience can 
prevent a lifetime of sadness?

Richard Johns Bensalem
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MAP posted-by: Josh