DELAY HOLDS TOWN MEETING ON DRUGS, SCHOOL VIOLENCE

A town hall meeting hosted by U.S. Rep. Tom DeLay of Sugar Land meant to
inform parents and students about drugs and school violence turned into a
platform for political expression last Thursday, with two men escorted out
of the building by police.

The two men unfurled a sign during DeLay's opening remarks that showed a
caricature of DeLay's face in front of crossbones, labeled "the beast man
exterminator" calling him the leader of "Dick Cheney's new world order."

As police took the men from the Dulles High School Rodgers Auditorium,
several audience members began yelling "freedom of speech," and one accused
the officers of illegal action.

"That's cute," said DeLay. "We are here for the kids and you are here to be
cute."

One of the men told DeLay he had "a lot of gall speaking about bullying -
you are the biggest bully in Congress."

That was merely the beginning of an evening interspersed with questions from
concerned parents asking the speakers about drugs and safety in schools,
people advocating the legalization of marijuana and those with political
issues with DeLay himself.

Many parents, attending the meeting to get information and ask questions of
the Director of National Drug Control Policy John Walters and the
Admin-istrator of the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention
Robert Flores, asked several times to turn the focus of the meeting back to
the children.

"We were trying to have a serious discussion about serious issues concerning
our children," said DeLay.

"I think it is really unfortunate people used that as their political forum.
There are places for them to do that, and this wasn't it."

"Nothing can be done to bring Frederick Conner or Marsai Murry back, but we
need to look at the factors involved in violence toward students -
accidental or not - so we can prevent it from happening again," DeLay said.

"I believe our community can take on the challenge of drugs and violence in
our midst. Our children need to believe in their own future and believe
their lives matter."

In recent months, Fort Bend County has seen two incidents of violence that
took the lives of high school students Frederick Conner and Marsai Murry,
leaving a harsh reminder of the dangers involved when students act
violently.

In addition to those losses, a June 2004 survey of Fort Bend students in
grades 6-12 found that 11 percent of these students report taking part in
gang-related activities. Fort Bend schools have also seen steadily
increasing substance abuse among students in grades 6-12.

DeLay organized the town hall to give parents, teachers, and community
leaders an opportunity to hear what is being done to prevent the spread of
drugs and violence in schools and to discuss further ways to combat these
problems.

"As adults, we serve as role models for our youth - as parents, teachers,
family members, and community leaders," Flores said.

"We have a responsibility to help each child develop his or her unique
talents and abilities. The Department of Justice supports positive youth
development through such programs as mentoring, Boys and Girls Clubs, and
youth courts."

Walters stressed the importance of early intervention by parents and friends
whose loved ones are using drugs.

Today's marijuana is more potent than in the past, and Walters stressed that
the drug is addictive and can be just as dangerous as other drugs.

"Teen drug use is not a rite of passage - it is an 'experimentation' with a
serious disease, and it puts young people's futures at risk," Walters said.
"Research shows that teens look to their friends and parents for help when
it comes to drug problems. Parents and friends need to take action - early
action - if they suspect or know a teen is using drugs. They cannot simply
ignore the problem and hope it will go away."