SCHOOLS SHOULDN'T BE AGENTS OF THE POLICE

Re: Dogs for Drug Free Schools (Star, March 3)

There are a number of disturbing aspects to this article, not the
least of which is Tanya Mickey's dishonesty in claiming she wants to
keep drugs out of her child's school, when what she really means is
she wants to keep illegal drugs out of school.

She seems to have no problem with the plethora of drugs and
carcinogens contained in the junk food sold in schools, or with the
presence of legal pharmaceutical drugs.

So, just for openers, what she's really saying is that she wants
school authorities to act as agents of the police in enforcing
arbitrary drug laws.

If we can step back from our drug hysteria for a moment, we may be
able to recall that almost all drugs are legal.

Of the few arbitrarily designated as "illegal," many are not drugs
per se, but naturally occurring substances, such as marijuana, peyote,
and magic mushrooms, swept up in the war on some drugs due to the
government's determination to suppress anything that may increase the
difficulty of controlling mass populations. That's even if it entails
violating the right to freedom of religion.

Another disturbing feature, aside from the fact that Ms. Mickey thinks
one parent should be allowed to control school policies, is her
apparent ignorance of the fact that random warrantless searches
constitute a violation of the right to security of person guaranteed
under the Charter of Rights and Freedoms.

Or, alternatively, her belief that her personal concerns or desires
should take precedence over those protected rights.

I'm also concerned about the possibility of individual citizens
controlling school policies simply because they're wealthy.

Suppose Ms. Mickey (and others) can really afford to contribute $800
to purchase a police dog. That raises disturbing questions about
political influence.

One has to wonder whether it wouldn't be of greater benefit to society
to use that money to feed the hungry, clothe the naked, heal the sick,
provide shelter for the homeless, or reduce class sizes - rather than
using it to assist police officers in creating a police state
environment in your child's school.

Ms. Mickey's suggested policy can only encourage the already
widespread belief among teenagers that schools are primarily prisons
for children, a perception that is not conducive to quality education.

I wonder what our country would be like if people like Ms. Mickey were
more worried about whether a child went to school hungry than whether
that child has a joint in his/her locker.

George Kosinski,

Gibsons, BC