WHAT'S A GUY GOTTA DO TO GET A DEBATE AROUND HERE?

In the past two months SSDP has brought the HEA Aid Elimination
Penalty back into the national spotlight with a Congressional
scale-back of the law and two federal lawsuits. In an effort to
jumpstart a national debate on this very important issue, SSDP has
reached out to some of the law's biggest proponents, offering to
debate them on national television and college campuses.

Apparently our opponents on this issue are too chicken to defend
their position in a one-on-one debate. We first reached out to
Students Taking Action Not Drugs ( http://www.standnow.com ), a
"grassroots" movement of students who support current drug war
policies (presumably the same students who remind their professors to
collect class homework assignments). It turns out that STAND is
nothing more than a front group for the Drug Free America Foundation
( www.dfaf.org/stand.php ), as it appears that no students are
actually involved in the organization (surprise!).

In response to my e-mail offering to debate STAND's executive
director on college campuses, I received the following responses from
DFAF executive director and self-avowed prohibitionist Calvina Fay:

"We do not believe that utilizing science-based principles to educate
students about the dangers of drugs, facilitating the reduction of
drug use among 18-25 year olds, or directing young people into
treatment are debatable issues."

Calvina Fay and her non-existent STAND students aren't the only ones
without the spine to debate the repeal of the Aid Elimination
Penalty. The law's own author Mark Souder doesn't even have the guts
to defend his own law in a direct debate. SSDP not only offered to
debate Souder on the issue, we even proposed to do so on his own home
turf, Fox News.

Souder's office refused, claiming that the issue was "settled" when
Congress scaled the law back earlier this year. Considering the
amount of press garnered by our federal lawsuit challenging the
constitutionality of the penalty, I would hardly say this is a
settled issue. The American public deserves a free exchange of ideas
on this law.

What is it with these drug warriors anyway? Why are they so afraid to
defend their position when confronted by a reformer? How could a
46-year-old Congressman be so scared of a public discussion with a
27-year-old student representative? Could it be that they know we
have the truth and the facts on our side? Come on Souder, let's talk
about this like grown-ups. I promise to be civil and cordial. Just
ask my good friend and former DEA agent Bob Stutman....