THE WRONG WAY TO 'JUST SAY NO'

We suppose, at first blush, it could appear that University of Rhode Island
President Dr. Robert Carothers and leaders of the Student Senate are soft
on drugs.

After all, they held a joint press conference last Thursday to call for
repeal of a provision in the Higher Education Act that prohibits anyone
convicted of a drug offense from receiving any federal grants or loans for
college tuition.

Since the provision was put in place by Congress in 1998, nearly 93,000
applicants have been denied federal aid - more than half of them in the
last year alone. And there is no record of those who simply did not apply
for fear of being deemed ineligible.

As plausible as the law may appear - another way of "just saying no" to
drugs - there are some serious flaws.

First, there is no distinction made between someone convicted of possessing
a small amount of marijuana and a drug lord pandering quantities of cocaine
or heroin. Further, minorities and low-income citizens are
disproportionately impacted; they're the ones who can't afford to hire an
attorney and reach a plea-bargain.

Then there's the matter of being punished twice for the same offense. Being
convicted and sentenced on a drug charge is the legal sword that drops on
the guilty. Why also deny them of the opportunity for a college education
if they are otherwise qualified? That only discourages those who want to
improve their lives through education. Again, the impact hits low-income
people hardest - people who cannot attend college without financial aid.

A bill in the House of Representatives would repeal this unfair provision.
More than 100 institutions of higher learning and other national
organizations support repeal. To date, Congressmen Jim Langevin and Patrick
Kennedy have taken no position; a Kennedy spokesperson says the bill has no
chance of passage this session.

We hope next year finds both representatives in support of its passage.
That will take some courage; political opponents will have a field day
accusing supporters of being "soft on drugs" or even "pro drugs."

That's why it's important that Carothers and student leaders at URI have
spoken out. Carothers has worked hard to promote responsible student
behavior, initiating programs to heighten awareness of the dangers of drug
and alcohol abuse. His is a credible voice; we hope it inspires others to
follow.

Saying "no" to drugs is one thing. Saying "no" to higher education is another.