Pubdate: Sat, 03 May 2008 Source: Observer, The (CN ON) Copyright: 2008, OSPREY Media Group Inc. Contact: http://www.theobserver.ca Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/1676 Author: A.M. Park DRUG DEALERS THREATEN RIGHTS, NOT THE POLICE Sir: This is in response to the recent court ruling on using dogs for random searches in our high schools. What has our legal system come to? If no drugs had been found during this search, I could see Justice Mark Hornblower being concerned about student rights. But the bottom line is drugs were found in a student's backpack, and not an amount for personal use only. We are talking 10 bags of marijuana and 10 magic mushrooms. Jonathan Lisus, lawyer for the Canadian Civil Liberties Association, stated, "We have to ask ourselves a fundamental question: What kind of environment do we want to set in our schools? Do we want an environment with police and sniffer dogs?" I would think the answer to that should be, we want an environment that is safe for our children to attend without having drug dealers sitting beside them in their classroom. Does he actually believe that is not an infringement on students' rights? The so-called random search was the result of a longstanding invitation from school officials. Have you now taken away the rights of school teachers, principals and the board of education for trying to give our children the right to attend drug-free schools? What kind of message does this give our young adults now, knowing that it doesn't matter if you do something illegal? Get a lawyer on your side and you'll walk away in some precedent-setting case. Does this ruling also allow them to not stop at RIDE program checks, which are randomly set up? How are they any different? You are stopped on the side of the road that you just happened to be driving down, questioned and, if suspected of anything, forced to exit your vehicle and undergo roadside testing for alcohol and a search of your vehicle. Where do you draw the line on teaching our youth right from wrong? Maybe next time, the police should call ahead and make an appointment for their search, which could be part of the morning announcements, and all the dealers could leave the building with their drugs before the search begins. Justice for all. A.M. Park, Sarnia - --- MAP posted-by: Derek