🚀 go-pugleaf

On Thu, 18 Jun 1998, Isotope wrote:

> Betsy Schwartz wrote:
> > 
> > fhapgood@world.std.com (Fred Hapgood) writes:
> > 
> > >
> > > >
> > > >       June 11, 1998, Washington, D.C.:  The Senate narrowly approved an
> > > >amendment to the tobacco-control bill on Tuesday that seeks to spend $16
> > > >billion targeting and enhancing penalties against marijuana users.
> > > >Amendment 2451, spearheaded by Sen. Paul Coverdell (R-Ga.), funds state
> > > >efforts to "establish state registration programs" for convicted
> > > >marijuana sellers, drug test teenage driver's license applicants, drug
> > > >test junior high and high school students, allow law enforcement to check
> > > >motorists for the presence of marijuana metabolites, and encourage small
> > > >businesses to adopt drug-free workplace programs.  The measure also
> > 
> > Say what???
> > 
> > There are lots of things to worry about here but "test junior high and high
> > school students" really jumps out at me. What does that mean? All of them?
> > Spot tests? Suspicion-based tests? Sounds like there might be a pretty
> > massive civil rights violation in there somewhere...

Like unreasonable search and seizure, maybe?  

> The government has gone mad.

Not really.  They're just being good little dictators.  The focus on drugs
is mostly symbolic, I think-- just a foot in the door.  After all, just
think what kinds of surveillance they can pull on us if they're already
keeping tabs on our metabolites.  Also, this ignorant Putitanical drug
panic does a great job of distracting from real issues, like what the
President is selling to those old murderers in Beijing.  Don't you think
so?

"Drug-free workplace"-- that one always makes me laugh.  The last time I
saw mj in the workplace was when I was a soundman working in New Orleans
bars.  Yeah, drugs in the workplace.  Big problem.  I think we should also
address the problem of wolverines in the workplace while we're at it.
Those bastards rifle the snack machines every time.

--Scott Burright