AND TESTING FOR ALL

Many thanks to Brent Biles for warning us that Washington insiders say it
is a "done deal" that the U.S. Supreme Court will uphold drug testing of
schoolchildren (June 12 column, "Drug testing students causes more harm
than good").

If Supreme Court justices believe it is acceptable to drug test secondary
school kids without suspicion, they should definitely be tested themselves,
and far more often than children.

Supreme Court justices have the final say in matters that crucially affect
the future of our citizens, even our survival as a nation. To have a
Supreme Court justice whose judgment is impaired by any substance, illegal
or not, is totally unacceptable. Justices should therefore be tested at
least as often as members of any other occupation that affects the public
safety.

In addition, the Constitution says Supreme Court justices serve "during
good behaviour." With an invisible felony like illegal drugs, the only way
to tell if a crime has been committed is to remove a part of the suspect's
body and take it to a laboratory for analysis.

If junior high kids need to be tested to see if they can continue in
extracurricular activities (or even school), justices should certainly be
tested for "good behaviour" to see if they are constitutionally eligible to
keep their jobs.

So how 'bout it, Soops? Either tell us it's nobody's business what you do
on your own time, or come to the head of the class and show us what you're
hiding under those flaccid black robes.

Bob Ramsey

Drug Policy Forum of Texas

Irving