DARE NOT TO HATE

Just as many of you sit down and open this week's edition of the
Airdrie Echo, the contents of our publication will already be causing
a cyber ripple nationwide.

In our news section this week, we have coverage of the major
marijuana bust made in our community last week.

Police estimate the street value of the weed collected to top the $1
million mark.

Countless defenders of the green stuff have words like marijuana and
pot built into a Google alert, which sends an e-mail to their inbox
when either word is used in the contents of an article.

This is done with the intention of providing an opportunity to either
throw their support in favour of a pro-pot piece or come to the
defence of Mary Jane when an article is written about incidents such
as the grow operation arrest last week.

The passion and persistence of this group goes without contest - at
least in terms of noise in our letters to the editor inbox.

Believe in their smoke-blowing message or not, it's free speech and
if marijuana users are looking to make a dent in terms of
legalization, this could be an effective road.

That said, it was hard not to be taken aback when reading one of the
letters sent to us last week ( see page 9).

When reading the subject matter, 'DARE,' in our inbox, the first
assumption was that it would be from a parent or teacher discussing
the importance of the program.

In last week's edition of the Echo, we published an article about how
after almost two decades away from Airdrie schools - the initiative
meant to provide youth an awareness about the negative effects of
alcohol, cigarette and drug use has returned courtesy Airdrie's
school resource officers.

The letter, of course, came from a drug reform analyst and consultant.

"As a federally licensed medical marijuana user who is also married
to one, I consider DARE nothing less than a government-sponsored
hate-crime," the e-mailer wrote.

Comparing fact-based awareness with hopes of preventing substance
abuse among Airdrie youth is not unlike a racial slur or swastika
spray-painted on the side of a building (an actual hate crime) - now
I've heard everything.

Const. Rob Frizzell's work in Airdrie schools helping students
understand the importance of certain decisions, particularly ones
that lead to the abuse of drugs and alcohol is commendable and it
would be ridiculous to confuse his worth with anything but a benefit
to our community.