DRUG TESTING POLICY WRONG

I pen this letter minutes after reading Thursday's edition of the Lake City
Reporter story covering the proposed (or should I say certain, since the
school board has yet to seriously consider parent opinions prior to making
a change in policy) policy change concerning random drug testing for students.

I am extremely distressed about this and am appalled that this is even a
consideration. We as parents have got to stop the government intrusion in
our lives, homes, schools and places of employment. Our children are not
prisoners.

They are not convicted criminals and they are not under probable cause suspect.

I understand from the article that the students who refuse or whose parents
refuse will be suspended from driving on campus and from extracurricular
activities. It is entirely unacceptable to me that my children will find
detriment because I (or they) refuse to be intruded upon in this manner
that is completely uncalled for. I ask the public: Does your employer
conduct random drug testing without probable cause? Are you asked to give
up saliva, urine, blood or hair samples for no reason just because you show
up to work every day? Are the teachers, school board members and
administrative staff going to be subjected to the same random testing?
(Let's face it. We know some of you are using alcohol, tobacco and drugs
and we know this because there have been teachers reprimanded, barely, and
fired, seldom).If not, they should not be allowed to rape our children of
their dignity, privacy and bodily fluids.

What we should consider in this scenario is what will be next. What else
will we tolerate or allow to happen to our children because we are too lazy
to go to a school board meeting and express an opinion?

What else will happen behind our backs because we are too wrapped up in
prime time television garble to worry about our children and their right to
privacy and respect.

I will close with two other points that must be mentioned.

First, Tony Buzzella is right on target in realizing that he is the only
CCSB member who has children in the school system and therefore has a
direct interest in this issue.

The other CCSB members will not be negatively affected by their decision
except by our voters.

Please keep this in mind at polling time. Second, it's interesting that the
six Columbia Q&A responses that were printed in this same issue of the Lake
City Reporter, were all pro drug testing, and note that three of these are
not from Lake City. I wonder how long it took the newspaper to find six
people who agreed with this issue.

I implore the parents of students in this county to attend the public
meeting on this issue at 7 p.m. Oct. 8. Whether you agree or disagree, make
your voice heard and make it known that we will not sit back and allow the
government to abuse our children.

Remember, let he who is without a vice cast the first specimen.