JUST SAY NO TO 'JUST SAY YES'

I was discouraged to see The State News pushing for ASMSU to encourage a
change in the legislation that keeps students convicted of drug crimes from
receiving financial aid ("Just say yes," SN 1/15).

The law currently in place is there for good reason. If you do drugs, you
don' t deserve the taxpayers' money to go to college. Receiving financial
aid is a privilege, not a right. There are countless students who are in
dire need of financial aid and aren't receiving the most that they could
benefit from.

So, if the existing law was changed, not only would aid go to drug users,
some others who don' t use drugs wouldn't receive aid as a result of drug
users taking it.

Drug use in our nation is an enormous problem. The statement "America's
drug problems need to be addressed through the court system and not the
nation's public universities" is simply wrong. Anything America can do to
discourage drug use should be encouraged.

Federal funds do belong to the U.S. citizens and it is being given to those
who might not have a chance to pursue a higher education. It is being given
now to those who will make smart decisions.

In a time where consequences for poor choices are few and far between, this
law needs to stay and ASMSU should stand up for the students receiving aid
under the current system who have made the choice not to use drugs.

Brian Doyle

English freshman