News (Media Awareness Project) - US GA: LTE: 'Rights' Are Secondary To Schools' Problems |
| Title: | US GA: LTE: 'Rights' Are Secondary To Schools' Problems |
| Published On: | 2002-03-30 |
| Source: | Athens Banner-Herald (GA) |
| Fetched On: | 2008-01-24 14:10:07 |
'RIGHTS' ARE SECONDARY TO SCHOOLS' PROBLEMS
I wanted to comment on the March 20 Athens Banner-Herald opinion written by
Brian Kennedy, a student at Oconee County High School concerning the "high
school lock down" drug search.
Let it be known that most, if not all, public high schools do, in fact, have parents of high schoolers sign locker search waivers on behalf of their children upon enrollment, or the right for faculty/police to search is implied upon issuance of their locker/locks. This gives police, principals and other faculty members the right to search student lockers and their persons for drugs, weapons and other contraband with little or no notice.
I cannot understand how people can gripe about their "Fourth Amendment rights" being violated without considering this: Did our schools have drug problems back when the Fourth Amendment was written? Were our forefathers' children killing each other in the classroom? Were our teachers being threatened by students? No! The truth is, those crimes are occurring frequently now in our nation. If that's not cause to keep our schools tightly monitored and searched, I don't know what is! Our Constitution was written with life, liberty and
prosperity in mind, not with drug-infested schools, and drug-pushing students in mind!
One last thought: You can look back to the 1970s and 1980s when we were at our height of a drug problem as a nation -- especially in our schools -- and check school policies, which will show the "search" policies were either very lax or non-existent. In that time, school drug deals were frequent, as well as kids on a "bad acid trip" jumping out of windows or even killing teachers.
I wonder how the families affected by school violence feel about the "violated amendment rights." I am sure if a bullet passed through one of my family member's head in third period, or if my child got hooked on a drug at school, I would not be questioning whether or not my "rights" were violated! I would instead be questioning why have school/police/faculty etc. let it come to this.
Michael Fugett
Watkinsville
I wanted to comment on the March 20 Athens Banner-Herald opinion written by
Brian Kennedy, a student at Oconee County High School concerning the "high
school lock down" drug search.
Let it be known that most, if not all, public high schools do, in fact, have parents of high schoolers sign locker search waivers on behalf of their children upon enrollment, or the right for faculty/police to search is implied upon issuance of their locker/locks. This gives police, principals and other faculty members the right to search student lockers and their persons for drugs, weapons and other contraband with little or no notice.
I cannot understand how people can gripe about their "Fourth Amendment rights" being violated without considering this: Did our schools have drug problems back when the Fourth Amendment was written? Were our forefathers' children killing each other in the classroom? Were our teachers being threatened by students? No! The truth is, those crimes are occurring frequently now in our nation. If that's not cause to keep our schools tightly monitored and searched, I don't know what is! Our Constitution was written with life, liberty and
prosperity in mind, not with drug-infested schools, and drug-pushing students in mind!
One last thought: You can look back to the 1970s and 1980s when we were at our height of a drug problem as a nation -- especially in our schools -- and check school policies, which will show the "search" policies were either very lax or non-existent. In that time, school drug deals were frequent, as well as kids on a "bad acid trip" jumping out of windows or even killing teachers.
I wonder how the families affected by school violence feel about the "violated amendment rights." I am sure if a bullet passed through one of my family member's head in third period, or if my child got hooked on a drug at school, I would not be questioning whether or not my "rights" were violated! I would instead be questioning why have school/police/faculty etc. let it come to this.
Michael Fugett
Watkinsville
Member Comments |
No member comments available...
