4TH AMENDMENT BARS UNREASONABLE SEARCHES I applaud Ben Clinger's Nov. 21 pro-drug-testing letter lambasting "the ACLU's intent to destroy the fundamental principles of the country by needless and costly suits." But, since Ben, no doubt inadvertently, forgot to mention which "fundamental principle" was being destroyed by the ACLU opposing searches without a search warrant or probable cause, I thought I'd point out the text for him: "Amendment IV: The right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, paper, and effects, against unreasonable searches and seizures, shall not be violated, and no warrants shall issue, but upon probable cause, supported by oath or affirmation, and particularly describing the place to be searched, and the persons or things to be seized." [continues 55 words]
The Grade 6 students of Mardell Miller and Paul Paterson of Grand Valley public school have completed 10 classroom hours on the DARE program. DARE stands for Drug Abuse Resistance Education. The students learned about the evils of drug and alcohol abuse, as well as the problems caused by smoking. Const. Al Buck of the OPP has been coming into the classes once a week for 10 weeks. The students have worked through a workbook and written essays about the problems caused. [continues 246 words]
The Star-Bulletin inadvertently printed the solution to the ice epidemic, buried in a story on page 10 of the Sept. 16 edition ("Pot patients peeved at Canada's proffering"). The Canadian government is growing medicinal pot and selling it, but customers complain that the dope is "disgusting." Clearly, if we abolished the free market and put our legislative leadership -- the same people who thought the van cams were a jolly good idea -- in charge of producing and distributing crystal methamphetamine, people all over the state will start jonesing rather than buy the resulting shoddily made, overpriced ice. Jim Henshaw Kailua [end]
Let's be clear about what Sen. Robert Bunda, Governor Lingle and city prosecutor Peter Carlisle are all trying to foist upon us (Star-Bulletin, Jan 16): They are proposing that certain U.S. citizens be subjected to drug testing without their consent, without probable cause, without a shred of evidence that they're using drugs. What if a student vehemently refuses to be tested? What punishment will that student get for standing up for his civil rights? And does anyone seriously believe that if this usurpation of the civil rights of minors is successful, that some ambitious politician won't then propose doing it to adults -- for our own collective good, of course? Jim Henshaw Kailua [end]
Jim Henshaw, Kailua Note: The Advertiser received nearly 200 responses from readers to its series on marijuana eradication efforts. The series is posted at: Part One: http://www.mapinc.org/drugnews/v00.n444.a01.html Part Two: http://www.mapinc.org/drugnews/v00.n442.a05.html Part Three: http://www.mapinc.org/drugnews/v00.n447.a06.html Part Four: http://www.mapinc.org/drugnews/v00/n453/a07.html [end]
