DUDE, TAKE A CHILL PILL

Overzealous hunt for drugs in school distracts from important things

We all have those friends who just can't seem to get over high
school. Lately, it seems those friends have all gotten jobs with the
media - and the stories they're telling are getting a little disturbing.

There are two specific subjects that have us worried, and they're
both related to that subject that sends shivers of fear up and down
school officials' spines - drugs.

Every time we start to think that things might've changed since the
days of "Reefer Madness," we get stories like the "Bong Hits 4 Jesus"
Supreme Court case and the recent New York Times article detailing
the rising tide of schools using random drug testing.

In case you've missed what might be the funniest case ever to come
before the Supreme Court, the "Bong Hits" case revolves around high
school student Joseph Frederick, who had the brilliant idea to get on
television by holding a banner that read "Bong Hits 4 Jesus" during
the Olympic Torch's trip through his town.

School officials suspended him, arguing his actions disrupted the
school's mission, despite the fact that it occurred off campus.

Setting aside the blatant free speech issues, does the school's
reasoning even make sense? How is unfurling an attention-seeking
banner off campus more disruptive than suspending that student and
taking the case all the way to the Supreme Court?

Then there's the trend toward random drug testing. According to the
Times article, random drug testing has found a home in nearly 1,000
school districts across the United States. The testing isn't just
used on athletes - it's been authorized for use on anyone
participating in extracurricular activities.

Again, eschewing the endless debate about whether a school even has
the right to invade a students' privacy by subjecting them to urine
tests, common sense is squarely against the policies.

We always hear about how our teachers and schools need more money. We
hear about a lack of after school programs because of a shortage of
funds. And then we hear that schools and local governments are OK
with spending the money necessary to randomly drug test their students?

Are we becoming so obsessed with preventing teen drug use that we're
losing sight of what's really important?

The desire of school officials to maintain an educational atmosphere
at their high schools is admirable. But their willingness to destroy
any trust a student may have in authority by tramping all over those
students' rights is deplorable.

It's high time for all these officials to mellow, man.