To the Editor: In Phil Valentine's weekly rant against government intervention in our lives, I'd like to ask him to join me in extending his protestations beyond the "If people want to be stupid and fat, it's their business" to "If people want to do anything that doesn't affect me, it's their business." So, along with the things that Mr. Valentine says is none of the government's business, such as telling restaurant owners they can't allow smoking, (since I can go to another restaurant) and not letting McDonalds build where they want (I don't have to eat a burger and fries), let me suggest the following for Mr. Valentine to rant about: [continues 135 words]
OK, I get it. This is about creating a safe school environment and protecting students from the scourge of drug dependency. It's about zero tolerance, or something close to it, for peddling even small quantities of drugs on or near a school campus. It's about keeping kids from making a stupid mistake that they will regret, and perhaps pay for, the rest of their lives. And it's about closing a door that could lead to more serious, even violent criminal activity down the road. [continues 646 words]
America ended Prohibition 75 years ago this past week. The ban on the sale of alcohol unleashed a crime wave, as gangsters fought over the illicit booze trade. It sure didn't stop drinking. People turned to speakeasies and bathtub gin for their daily cocktail. Prohibition -- and the violence, corruption and health hazards that followed -- lives on in its modern version, the so-called War on Drugs. Former law-enforcement officers gathered in Washington to draw the parallels. Their group, Law Enforcement Against Prohibition (LEAP), has called for nothing less than the legalization of drugs. [continues 537 words]
In the memphisflyer.com article "Marijuana Talk at Rhodes" (November 6th), it seems to me that the speaker asked the wrong question. The question should be: Should marijuana remain completely untaxed, unregulated, and controlled by criminals? Because marijuana is illegal, it is sold only by criminals. And they often offer free samples of more dangerous drugs to their marijuana customers, thus creating the so-called gateway effect. In a regulated market, this would not happen. Do Flyer readers know of anyone who has been offered a free bottle of whiskey, rum, or vodka when legally buying beer or wine? I don't either. If we regulate, control, and tax the sale and production of marijuana, we close the gateway to hard drugs. Kirk Muse Mesa, Arizona [end]
Terry Nelson worked in law enforcement for more than 30 years, serving in the U.S. Border Patrol, the U.S. Customs Service, and the Department of Homeland Security. During his career, he participated in the seizure of more than 230,000 pounds of cocaine. Nelson retired from law enforcement in 2005 and soon after joined Law Enforcement Against Prohibition (LEAP) because he believes the ongoing "War on Drugs" simply isn't working. Nelson will give a presentation tonight at 8 p.m. in the Orgill Room of Clough Hall at Rhodes College. [continues 578 words]
Just for the record, there is no scientific evidence that using marijuana impairs the ability to learn. Many straight-A students later admit to using marijuana without any reduction in their scholarship. The records of thousands of highly successful people, including presidents, who used marijuana puts the lie to "Reefer Madness" notions that marijuana injures the brain. The real danger is teaching students that lies can justify a brain-dead policy. Redford Givens California [end]
It's no secret that drugs and alcohol are used and abused on college campuses across the U.S. UTM is no exception. So what kinds of drug and alcohol problems are going on right in front of our faces? There is no way to keep a record of drug users or to calculate the amount of alcohol that is consumed on the campus over a designated period of time, but Capt. Ray Coleman of UTM's Department of Public Safety said it is still possible to draw some conclusions. [continues 305 words]
Students Try To Decide Whether Drugs And Alcohol Are Worth The Consequence In my senior year of high school, my English teacher, out of curiosity, asked our class of 30 students how many of us were planning to experiment with drugs and alcohol in college. All but one student's hand went up. With the freedom that awaits students at college, some come to school with the inclination and intention to experiment with mind-altering substances. With a few exceptions, this inclination fits naturally into many students' days. The question of if they are going to get drunk or high at some point is like asking if they are going to get dressed that day. [continues 728 words]
Group: Screening Student Athletes Against State Law The American Civil Liberties Union told the Roane County school system Wednesday that it may face a lawsuit if it doesn't end its policy of conducting random drug tests of student athletes. The ACLU sent a letter today to the school system claiming the policy is in violation of state law and that random drug testing "is proven to be ineffective in deterring drug use," a press release from the organization said. The ACLU is giving the school system 30 days to abandon the random tests before taking legal action. [continues 369 words]
Drugs may not be the root of all evil, but they're the root cause of most crime in Northeast Tennessee, according to local law enforcement. It's a conclusion that was reached by those in attendance at a closed meeting held Tuesday at the Millennium Centre in Johnson City, according to Sullivan County District Attorney Greeley Wells. The meeting, sponsored by the United States Attorney's Office, was an opportunity for local law enforcement to share public safety concerns amongst each other and with state and federal investigative agencies, Wells said Wednesday. [continues 975 words]
Isn't it strange that with all the talk over bio-fuels and ethanol, the word hemp never seems to be mentioned? Here is a plant with thousands of years history that produces over 25,000 different products, including bio-fuel and ethanol. It is also good for the soil. It has very deep roots that would regenerate the topsoil. In New Guinea, topsoil is by the foot while here it is in inches. To precious to be lost. Hemp has a miniscule amount of THC, which is in marijuana. [continues 156 words]
While On Drug Task Force, Shults Became Addict, Stole Money SEVIERVILLE - A former 4th Judicial District Drug Task Force agent who became addicted to drugs may soon end up in prison for stealing money from suspects and his agency, authorities say. Mark Victor Shults, 35, has pleaded guilty to three counts of theft over $1,000 - a felony - and is scheduled to be sentenced Aug. 5 by Sevier County Circuit Court Judge Richard Vance. Shults was a Sevier County Sheriff's Department deputy when he was assigned to work for the drug task force, comprising officers from law enforcement agencies in Sevier, Cocke, Jefferson and Grainger counties, according to Assistant District Attorney General Steve Hawkins. [continues 529 words]
Two years ago, Leigh Ann Nicholson and Nakita Meeks, both 18, attended the Governor's Tennessee Youth Drug Task Force and watched as former meth users told their stories about the drug destroying their family life. After hearing the daughter of an ex-methamphetamine user tell about how she was ripped from her home, Nicholson and Meeks decided to reach out to other children in the same situation. "It really touched me and Nakita to hear her talk about being taken away from her home with nothing and taken away from her mother that long," Nicholson said. [continues 519 words]
The director of the Fourth Judicial District's Drug Task Force issued a public apology Friday to a Seymour man who was wrongly accused of a crime, but said the man's attorney caused a delay in dismissing the charges. Task Force Director Mack Smith's two-and-a-half-page single-spaced statement includes one sentence that offers a direct explanation of how James Russell Kitts came to be misidentified as a drug dealer during an undercover operation. "The identification of James Kitts as the seller of the purchased drugs was based on information garnered from various sources, including but not limited to, Sevier County 911 records and Tennessee motor vehicle registration records," Smith wrote. His name "was not arbitrarily pulled out of a hat and there was certainly not an intentional plan or design to charge an innocent man with these crimes." [continues 344 words]
A simple apology would go a long way to helping matters in wrong-arrest case For the most part law enforcement officers try to do what's right. Sometimes, though, things go wrong. And when law enforcement makes a mistake, lives are affected. A Seymour man knows just how the wrongly accused feel. Due to what appears to have been mistaken identity from an incorrect address, James Russell Kitts was charged last month with trafficking in illegal drugs. That followed an indictment from the Sevier County Grand Jury, based on actions by U.S. marshals and local law enforcement. A grand jury can only deal with the information it is given, and in this case the jurors got information that turned out to be very, very wrong. [continues 309 words]
District Attorney General Jimmy Dunn pledged Thursday he would look into how a Seymour man wound up wrongly charged with trafficking in drugs. James Russell Kitts was arrested June 25 after U.S. Marshals and Sevier County deputies served a warrant based on a presentment issued in January. The information in that presentment - an indictment issued in secret by a Grand Jury that and sealed until the suspect is arrested - came from the Fourth Judicial District Drug Task Force, according to officials. [continues 167 words]
Social Drug Re-Emerging After Lull In Use, Drug Agent Says After a confidential informant equipped with an electronic hearing device bought several pills of the drug Ecstasy, agents with the Clarksville Police Major Crimes Unit and Tactical Unit executed a search warrant at 111 Azalea Court. Police found 150 multicolored Ecstasy pills and several pounds of marijuana, according to court documents. Ben Thomas Dowlen Jr., 31, was arrested in the August 2007 sting and charged with manufacturing, selling or possessing a controlled substance. In June, Dowlen pleaded guilty to the charges and was sentenced to 10 years. [continues 924 words]
Ecstasy Treatment Requires Getting To Root Of Cause For Use William Hobbs, drug and alcohol interventionist at Centerstone, specializes in treating meth addicts. But when he treats people who are hooked on Ecstasy, he sees similar reactions. Hobbs said the common ingredient in Ecstasy is methamphetamine, or meth. Ecstasy's formal name is methylenedioxymethamphetamine, or MDMA. It is an illegal drug that acts as a stimulant and psychedelic, producing an energizing effect. "Ecstasy is meth with other ingredients and hallucinogens in it," Hobbs said. "Many young people know about the danger of taking meth, but because not much is known about Ecstasy, and it's not known it contains meth, they try it. [continues 786 words]
Long-Term Effect Of Use Is Memory Loss Getting ready for a night on the town, a woman who was 24 years old and a group of her friends decided to try a drug they thought would help them enjoy a club party. The woman and her friends tried Ecstasy for the first time. It was 2000, and the drug was a hot commodity in California, where they lived. The woman said the first dose of Ecstasy led her into a yearlong addiction. [continues 1068 words]
Madison County Sheriff David Woolfork has requested five new officers be hired and assigned to the Metro Narcotics Unit. County commissioners sent the request for review by the county budget committee. Woolfork should get the officers, and the sooner the better. Commissioner Gary Deaton asked for the budget committee review to make certain the money is there to fund the new officers. It's a sensible request. But we would add that it is up to the budget committee to find the money for this important improvement in public safety and the community's fight against crime. [continues 293 words]
I'm writing about your recent online poll question: "Do you think marijuana should be legalized? (4-17-08). It seems to me that you asked the wrong question. The question should be: Should marijuana remain completely untaxed, unregulated and controlled by criminals? Because marijuana is now illegal, it is sold only by criminals (criminals who often sell other, much more dangerous drugs like cocaine and methamphetamine), and they often offer free samples of the more dangerous drugs to their marijuana customers. Thus the so-called "gateway effect." [continues 64 words]
Attorney Jay Fisher revealed his and others' belief that the war on drugs is eroding the rights of civilians. Fisher spoke on behalf of Law Enforcement Against Prohibition, with the term prohibition referring to the current illegal status of narcotics, from marijuana to crack cocaine and ecstasy. LEAP consists of sheriffs, constables, and cops, as well as academics such as linguist and philosopher Noam Chomsky and noted economist Milton Friedman. "The act of prohibition effectively sets up the black market which America fights against," Fisher said. "The notion of an absolute ban is a failure. The question of policy can only be debated proactively after elected officials have hashed out the current situation." [continues 501 words]
Issues of Legality Don't Deter Some Student Smokers The driver reaches for the ignition, and the engine lets out a loud roar with a clockwise turn of his right hand. It doesn't hold my ears' attention for long. The engine's noise is quickly subdued by speakers, blaring Metallica's "Master of Puppets." I have no idea where the three of us are going, but a particular destination isn't the purpose of our drive. To be blunt, the purpose of the drive-for the two men in the front seat-is to "get high." [continues 1989 words]
Methamphetamine lab seizures have fallen statewide in the last four years, and officials say many factors -- from tougher laws and better education to meth makers who are more wary -- contributed to the decline. Since 2004, when Tennessee had nearly 1,600 meth labs seized, seizures decreased to 583 in 2007, according to the Tennessee Methamphetamine Task Force. The statistics do not mean the fight against meth will wane, said Larry C. Black, commander of the Lookout Mountain Judicial Task Force serving Walker, Catoosa, Chattooga and Dade counties. [continues 704 words]
Betty Bomar began using drugs at age 11, raiding her parents' medicine cabinet to get her fix. "I remember the first time I used, I knew I was in love," she said. Her 32-year affair with drugs and alcohol included a tryst with making and abusing methamphetamine, a highly addictive stimulant that creates an energy surge for the user. When she entered treatment, she was experiencing emotional claustrophobia, she said. "I felt like if I didn't die or didn't get help, my sanity was literally going to snap and I wasn't coming back," she said. [continues 565 words]
House Committee Approves Measure That Would Affect Only Some Students NASHVILLE - Tennessee school systems could conduct random drug tests of all students involved in extracurricular activities, under legislation approved by the House Education Committee after lengthy debate on Wednesday. The U.S. Supreme Court has ruled that such random testing is permissible, but a 2007 state attorney general's opinion states that current state law prohibits it. Under present Tennessee law, a student may be tested for drugs only if there is a "reasonable individualized suspicion" that the youngster has used illegal drugs, Stephen Smith, lobbyist for the Tennessee School Boards Association, told the panel. [continues 479 words]
Alcohol and drug use on campus is on the rise, according to officials. According to the student handbook under the Student Rights and Responsibilities section, "Use, possession, or being under the influence of alcoholic beverages on University-owned property" is not permitted. Robert Ratchford, chief of campus police said the police department is currently in the middle of a drug inventory. "There is a legal process that we have to go through for drug disposal," Ratchford said in reference to the drugs that the UTC police collected last year. [continues 357 words]
Officials May Transfer More Than $100k to the Police Department to Hire 13 New Officers The Jackson City Council on Tuesday will consider transferring more than $100,000 to the police department to hire 13 new officers during the final months of this fiscal year. The budget amendments, which spring from recommendations of a city crime task force, would send five new officers to the city-county Metro Narcotics Unit. The task force recommended that unit receive an almost $1 million total boost in personnel and resources. It was the group's main proposal for attacking a drug problem city and county law enforcement officials told task force members was the biggest influence on the area's crime. [continues 1245 words]
The Jackson City Council on Tuesday will consider transferring more than $100,000 to the police department to hire 13 new officers during the final months of this fiscal year. The budget amendments, which spring from recommendations of a city crime task force, would send five new officers to the city-county Metro Narcotics Unit. The task force recommended that unit receive an almost $1 million total boost in personnel and resources. It was the group's main proposal for attacking a drug problem city and county law enforcement officials told task force members was the biggest influence on the area's crime. [continues 356 words]
You have to wonder why, when you see the statistics, the U.S. holds 750 prisoners per 100,000 citizens. You have to wonder why our rate of locking up should so far exceed the world average of some 166 per 100,000. You have to wonder why we are far ahead of Russia, which holds the distinction of having the second-highest number of imprisoned persons, per capita. Some answers come rather quickly. Back in the Nixon era, we were admonished to Get Tough on Crime. The everyday expression was "lock 'em up and throw away the key." [continues 628 words]
Oh, pot. Mary Jane. Marijuana. It has so many names, so many fans and creates so many problems. On Jan. 8, three students and two others were busted and found with over 12 pounds of marijuana. Wonder what they were doing with all of that. Would America be better off if marijuana were legal? It would certainly cut down on a lot of crime. It did with alcohol. The most infamous gangsters and mafiasos rose to power during Prohibition. Once Prohibition was repealed, bootlegging and related crimes decreased. [continues 317 words]
There has been a lot of media coverage in recent weeks about crime in Jackson and the surrounding areas. These crimes are becoming alarmingly more frequent and more violent. While re-entry programs for those who have already been incarcerated are helpful and important, our community would benefit even more from opportunities for prevention and support for adolescents who are headed down the wrong path, before they find themselves in a jail cell. Some research has found that 60 percent of juvenile offenders also are abusing drugs. Also, we know that adolescent drug use is related to recurring delinquency and is the beginning of a cycle that continues into adulthood. We also know that as many as 90 percent of those adolescents in need of treatment have not received it. In Jackson, this cycle does not have to continue. [continues 483 words]
Black Hamilton County residents are sent to prison on drug convictions 19 times more often per capita than whites, but local District Attorney Bill Cox challenged the recent study that reached the conclusion. The study, compiled by the nonprofit Justice Policy Institute, compared the nation's 200 largest counties. It stated that 97 percent of those counties sent blacks to prison more often than whites for drug-related convictions. Mr. Cox said the Justice Institute's claims are tied to a Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration study showing that in 2006 about 8.9 percent of blacks admitted to using drugs in the last month, and 8.5 percent of whites admitted to the same practices. [continues 699 words]
U.S. Rep. Bart Gordon has helped to secure $1.1 million in federal funding to help state and local officials fight methamphetamine production and abuse. "Strong state and federal laws are making an impact on meth production, but we still have too many meth labs in Tennessee," said Gordon. "Last year, Tennessee had more meth lab seizures than all but four states. Law enforcement needs better ways to detect clandestine meth labs and more resources to educate the community about the dangers of meth abuse." [continues 255 words]
More than one-half of the parents of dependent and neglected children admitted abusing alcohol and drugs, reported the Court Appointed Special Advocate of Rutherford County. Rutherford County Juvenile Court Judge Donna Scott Davenport removes about three to six children from their parents' custody each week. CASA volunteers work for the best interest of the child by making recommendations about the child's welfare to Davenport. Of 255 children served by CASA, 156 parents were identified with substance abuse problems. "Drug issues are some of our worst issues," Davenport said. "It's on the incline. We need something more intense for parents to be involved with the court than once every three months as dictated by the statute." [continues 328 words]
To the Editor: I was happy to see The Tennessean's support of legalized marijuana for medicinal purposes. Perhaps this will be the start of the end of the money pit referred to as the "war on drugs." This massive failure absorbs billions of our dollars and accomplishes nothing except to line the pockets of the producers and distributors of illegal drugs. The war on drugs has caused contempt for the sanctity of our borders. It supports corrupt governments around the world and it is generally responsible for high crime rates, murders and turf wars among those in the business and their unfortunate "customers." [continues 66 words]
To the Editor: Tennessee has such a fine bunch of representatives and lawmakers. We have them so drunk in session they can hardly walk, so enthusiastic about stuffing graft in their pockets they need more pocket space, too ashamed of the American flag to stand up for the Pledge of Allegiance and now Sherry Jones wants to sell us some weed ("Plan is to implement safe, effective program," Nov. 30). Makes me all tingly when I think about it, I suppose this is how it will work: "Try this kid, it never killed anybody, it's all natural and it will be legal soon, if Sherry Jones gets her way." So, pot is the only drug that will help sick people. No legal drugs on earth can do the trick. Well, if you buy that one, try this - pot makes you so stupid the voters in the 59th district will likely vote for old Sherry one more time. Ron Miller, Hendersonville 37075 [end]
WISE -- In spite of its fes tive name, holiday greetings were not particularly cheery for 56 individuals targeted for arrest during the latest mass drug roundup in Wise County on Monday. Law enforcement authori ties announced "Operation Holiday Cheer" as the seventh in a series of Wise County's "Street Sweeper" series to crack down on illicit drug use. Wise County Common wealth's Attorney Ron Elkins said officers with the Virginia State Police, Wise County Sheriff's Office and the police departments of Big Stone Gap, Coeburn, St. Paul, Wise and the city of Norton were taking part in the arrests of 56 indi viduals indicted by the multi-jurisdictional grand jury on a variety of drug charges. The first Street Sweeper drug roundup resulted in charges filed against nearly 50 individuals in April 2006. [continues 174 words]
Medical Marijuana Gets a Second Look Tennessee lawmakers should not only consider legislation allowing the medicinal use of marijuana, they should pass it into law. A study committee of the General Assembly recently heard testimony on the issue, where various voices from interest groups and the medical profession expressed their opinions. Rep. Sherry Jones, D-Nashville, has a draft version of a bill for consideration. Efforts to legalize the use of the drug for medical reasons should move straight ahead, and caring citizens should urge legislators to approve the legislation. [continues 328 words]
Have you ever had a friend or loved one who was being treated for cancer, and the medicine prescribed by their doctor simply did not help relieve the constant nausea or pain? Have you ever known a family member or friend in chronic pain due to bone degeneration, diabetes or neuropathy? Have you known anyone who has suffered from Crohn's disease, glaucoma, MS, convulsions, fibromyalgia, osteoporosis, severe spasms, AIDS, arthritis, epilepsy, Parkinson's or anorexia? There is a natural remedy used by many civilizations for more than 5,000 years, that was a significant part of our country's medical profession until 1937. Canada, England, Germany, the Netherlands, Spain and Israel have all concluded that, unlike many prescription drugs, this medicine provides significant medical benefits with virtually no side effect. The Medical College of Virginia in 1975 concluded this medicine is a powerful tumor fighter and has been confirmed by scientists in many other countries. This wonder drug is cannabis. You may know it as marijuana. [continues 344 words]
In 2006, the Food and Drug Administration issued a report stating that there are "no sound scientific studies supporting the medical use of marijuana ... and no data to support the safety of marijuana." The American Medical Association has recommended that marijuana be retained as a Schedule I controlled substance which is a drug that has high potential for abuse, has no currently accepted medical use, and has a lack of acceptable safety. Even former Sen. Bill Frist has weighed in on the matter, stating "based on current evidence, I believe that marijuana is a dangerous drug and that there are less dangerous medicines offering the same relief from pain and other medical symptoms." [continues 374 words]
Seventeen years ago, my 61-year-old mother died of cancer. I saw her suffer. So, for me the issue of smoking marijuana for "medicinal" purposes is not a purely clinical and impersonal issue. But compassion for the sick and dying is not the real issue. It is about allowing our compassion to be manipulated by those with a larger agenda -- legalization of marijuana and even other illegal drugs. I do not say this to cast aspersions upon my former legislative colleagues backing this bill. I don't believe they intend to encourage the general legalization of marijuana. But if we start down this road, intent does not determine our final destination. [continues 401 words]
I have a growing dislike for the phrase "drugs and alcohol." This term strengthens the notion that the two are separate entities. However, there is little difference between the two substances. According to hypno linguistics (www.hypnolinguistics.com), they both are substances that alter the mind. As a teenager, I was taught frequently about sex in school. Why shouldn't drugs and alcohol be treated the same way? As our generation has aged, we have been conditioned to buy into the dangers of drugs. [continues 695 words]
As a Christian, it is disturbing to read that a woman who uses the relatively safe God-given plant cannabis (kaneh bosm/marijuana) for glaucoma is confronted and has a child take from her ("Mother vows to fight abuse, drug charges," Nov. 5). Politicians and voters need to fix this sin, since Christ God our father, the ecologician, indicates He created all the seed-bearing plants, saying they are all good, on literally the very first page of the Bible (see Genesis 1:11-12 and 29-30). [continues 108 words]
NASHVILLE - Tennessee lawmakers heard testimony today on legalizing the medicinal use of marijuana, although the idea has failed in the General Assembly before and its future is uncertain. A bill sponsored by former state Sen. Steve Cohen, D-Memphis, was rejected by a Senate committee last year before being pushed off to a summer study committee. Members of the House Health and Human Resources Committee heard testimony on a similar bill sponsored by Rep. Sherry Jones, a Nashville Democrat. Opponents of the bill, including law enforcement and family advocates, say current research does not show that marijuana is an effective and safe drug for treating symptoms of chronic illnesses. [continues 447 words]
Prescription drug abuse is on the rise with college students and society as a whole, and online pharmacies have made prescription drugs more accessible, according to the National Institute on Drug Abuse. Ramon Ryan, a medical review officer and doctor of internal medicine, said he believes that as a whole, "Our society has become more drug oriented." Ryan said many people look to prescription drugs just to get through the day. "People will take amphetamines to stay awake all day then barbiturates at night to get to sleep," Ryan said. [continues 584 words]
If Suzette Evans lived in North Carolina, where marijuana possession is decriminalized, it's unlikely she'd have gotten more than a $50 citation when police found a pipe in her home. In Grainger County, however, like most of Tennessee, possession of a marijuana pipe can cost nearly $1,000 - and your children. Evans' 15-year-old son was taken away from her the night of Aug. 10, to remain in protective custody for 34 days. They are reunited now, after a special meeting with the Department of Children's Services, but a hearing set for Nov. 16 will determine whether Evans' medicinal use of marijuana constitutes child abuse, neglect or endangerment. [continues 773 words]
A table in front of Citizen Police Academy students was covered in drugs -- everything from Ecstasy to LSD, along with paraphernalia used to do drugs and common items people use to hide them. Agents Daryl Pace and Brad Crowe gave the students a crash course in drugs, beginning with a video of police using undercover agents to bust several sales. Crowe, who worked 12 years with the Clarksville Police Department Drug Unit, said that no matter what anybody thinks, drug use "is a problem." [continues 677 words]
Millions of people are sentenced to prison correctional facilities every year because a variety of criminal charges, but Lindsay Lohan walks away unfettered from cocaine possession due to her fame and fortune. What kind of message is this sending to society? Many celebrities over the years have used their fame and success as a way of avoiding actual consequences for their reckless behavior. Their carefree conduct and persuasive personalities have repeatedly factored over the years in various cases. Whether it's O.J. Simpson's murder trial or Hugh Grant's prostitute scandal, the justice system seems to favor these rich individuals by merely giving them a warning before patting them on the head and releasing them back into society. Both of these gentlemen and many more celebrities have been acquitted of all charges against them and set free, but the justice system finally has began to crack it's crude whip on celebrities such as Martha Stewart, Paris Hilton and most recently, Michael Vick. [continues 700 words]
Matthew Adair is to be commended for raising awareness of the Higher Education Act's denial of student loans to youth convicted of drug offenses ["Say 'No' to Cutting Student Aid," Oct. 18]. Instead of empowering at-risk students with a college degree, HEA limits career opportunities and increases the likelihood that those affected will resort to crime. Speaking of crime, convicted rapists and murders are still eligible for federal student loans. Most students outgrow their youthful indiscretions involving illicit drugs. An arrest and criminal record, on the other hand, can be life-shattering. After admitting to smoking pot (but not inhaling), former President Bill Clinton opened himself up to "soft on drugs" criticism. And thousands of Americans have paid the price in the form of shattered lives. More Americans went to prison or jail during the Clinton administration than during any past administration. [continues 101 words]
Inside Tennessee
