LUCKY US

To The Editors:

How lucky we are to have Kenny Cannon and his dog Pita sniffing out drug use
among workers and students ("A Man, A Dog, and a Stoned Employee" by Sam
Boykin, August 15). I wonder if Cannon would be so enthusiastic about
setting Pita on the trail of a corporate CEO or a high school administrator,
if an employee or student suspected their
erratic behavior may be caused by drug use.

Does a recently laid-off worker who thinks the CEO of his company was stoned
while making job cuts have a chance to hire Mr. Cannon to prove his case?
Will a student wondering why his classes have doubled in size while being
forced to use outdated textbooks have the opportunity for Pita to challenge
his principal's sobriety? Of course not.

Mr. Cannon claims to provide a fool-proof means of ensuring the safety of
our workplaces and schools. But his dog's nose can definitely spark a false
drug positive, and the cheap chemical spot testing kits he uses have been
proven scientifically unreliable. Cannon says that he was once a law
enforcement officer. It is obvious he's either forgotten, or is ignoring his
training relating to the constitutionality of unwarranted searches in his
quest to build his business. In the fear-crazed world of the War on Drugs,
being accused means being guilty, and deserving of immediate punishment
without option of appeal. Cannon's sanctimonious claim that "the average
hard-working American citizen has no problem with it at all" is a lie. This
hardworking American has a very big problem with it, and so do many others.

Michael A. Clark, Charlotte