Pubdate: Wed, 17 Mar 2004
Source: Post-Crescent, The (Appleton,  WI)
Copyright: 2004 The Post-Crescent
Contact:  http://www.wisinfo.com/postcrescent/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/1443
Author: Dave Kendall

DRUG DOGS IN SCHOOL REFLECT REAL WORLD

Editor, The Post-Crescent:

Something smells a little foul over in Kaukauna lately and it's not
the paper mill this time. It seems that the thought of drug-sniffing
dogs used at the high school will violate the kids' rights and
possibly humiliate them. Oh, gee, when did Kaukauna secede from the
human race? I guess I missed it.

Last time I checked, the rest of us are subjected to random scans on a
daily basis. It's part of life, no matter your age, political or
religious persuasion or level of affluence. If you obey the laws to
the letter of intent or violate on a regular basis, we are all treated
equally.

Who hasn't been subjected to a police officer lurking in the shadows
pointing a radar gun at us while we are driving? At work, many of us
never know when we will be called upon to supply a sample of urine for
a random drug test. Try flying on an airplane or going to a Packer
game and not getting scanned and body-searched. Every time you leave a
store, the merchants cheerfully thank you for shopping and then reward
you with a full body scan. Hidden cameras are just about everywhere.

One astute official argued that if they found drugs in a locker or
car, it might embarrass the student in front of his peers. Think of
the trauma to that poor person's psyche. Logic dictates that perhaps
catching drug use at the front end of a problem might just nip a more
serious and long-term problem in the bud.

Evidently, Kaukauna has decided to live life on the honor system and
shelter its youth from reality. Oh, that's right; people from Kaukauna
never smell anything, either.

Dave Kendall,

Appleton
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MAP posted-by: Larry Seguin