NO ROOM IN TEACHING FOR DRUG USERS, ABUSERS

Whether or not the American Civil Liberties Union succeeds in its
"trolling for teachers" publicity stunt to overturn a contract
provision for random drug testing, three points are worth
remembering:

Teaching is a calling, not a mere job -- teachers occupy a unique
position of trust and influence.

The issue is not one of privacy -- there is no such thing as a right
to teach children.

Parents and other taxpayers should reasonably be able to expect that
public schools will be drug free and especially that classroom
teachers in whose care their children are entrusted remain clean and
sober.

I applaud my fellow teachers who joined me in voting for this contract
because there is no room in the profession for dope-smoking
degenerates. If recreational drug use is that important to some, they
have no business teaching children and should move to a less-demanding
job where their peculiar habits will not endanger others.

Personally, I hope Gov. Linda Lingle remains steadfast in her
insistence that our schools remain drug free.

Thomas E. Stuart

Kapa'au, Hawai'i