WHAT WILL BE NEXT?

There have been many recent letters demanding that teachers be held to
some sort of "higher standard" and be deprived of their livelihood for
petty offenses. The only higher standard applicable to teachers should
be that they inspire learning in their students. Yet this is seldom
measured let alone addressed.

If it can be shown that the teachers at Kula were selling marijuana to
their students, or bragging to them about growing the stuff, or even
being lousy teachers they should have been summarily fired or strung
up in the village square. But there was never any indication that
growing a garden of plants had any effect on their effectiveness as
educators.

And who defines legal vs. illegal drugs? Should a teacher who gets
rip-roaring drunk on a Saturday evening be fired? How about a teacher
taking any number of psychoactive medications that create altered
states often more disorienting than marijuana. What about people who
guzzle espressos or colas all day until their nerves become totally
zingy. I do not condone the teachers who planted a marijuana farm --
growing pot is illegal and should be treated as any other misdemeanor
regardless of the grower's profession. But to take away their
livelihood sounds like cruel and unusual punishment.

The entire concept of random drug or sobriety testing is clearly
unconstitutional. The fourth amendment reads:

The right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers,
and effects, against unreasonable searches and seizures, shall not be
violated, and no warrants shall issue, but upon probable cause,
supported by oath or affirmation, and particularly describing the
place to be searched, and the persons or things to be seized.

I agree with the teachers who resisted the drug-testing requirement.
At one time we used the concept of innocent until proven guilty. With
the advent of random testing, we have changed to guilty until proven
innocent. If we continue to give away our rights one by one, what will
be next?

STAN GODES

Hanalei