STATISTICS AND PERSPECTIVE

I am neither for nor against random drug testing. I am against those that
use "junk" science and knee jerk reactions to justify laws only to expand
the power base of politicians or those in charge of something. It is wrong,
immoral in fact, to experiment with ideological uncertainties developed at
the expense of individual privacy and freedom. Unfortunately, as one writer
put it, it is this way because the voters let it be.

That rhetorical nonsense beginning "Americans should not have to put up
with." as gun destroying advocates and others use it, is as realistically
impossible as legislating zero lawlessness er-tolerance. Given the nature
of humans, it is sheer idiocy to believe that laws will stop behavior. Laws
only define what is right or wrong and what is punishable, always after the
fact. Laws, as it is plain to see, do not solve problems, some only create
them.

The U. S. Supreme Court has ruled that schools can require drug testing of
students who wish to enter after school activities. The ACLU has protested,
rightly pointing out that testing in the absence of a reason is contrary to
a citizen's constitutional rights.

It makes sense to me that creating a permissible atmosphere for the
incursion of privacy of anyone, whether a callow youth or an aspiring
athlete, leads only to power and control by the administrator. It bothers
me to think that most of these "lawful threats" only create an extra weapon
for those who need excuses for their actions and does nothing to correct
the problem.

Statistics are often quoted to prove that invasion of privacy is
appropriate. The problem is that statisticians, when asked to confirm their
methodology, provide results that often are contrary. In this case we need
testing for drugs because students, according the Feds, are more than half
airheads. The quote is that 50% or better of high school seniors have used
illegal drugs. How can that be? We have had an ongoing war on drugs for
over thirty years. The college campus, once the hot bed for LSD and other
drugs, now is a vague repository of all kinds of illegal drug use, or says
the various surveys. How come, then, after all these years of drug
awareness and legislation, is there an ongoing abuse of drugs, even an
increase?

From my perspective the surveys are quoted in a biased manner to support
an agenda. Was an illegal drug something that was prescribed but not
identified? Could detection of an illegal drug have been incorrect? Is the
system providing the advertised results? These questions are left
unanswered. Given the mischievousness of human nature drug testing will be
just another opportunity to waylay the opposition.

Respected scientific institutions such as the National Academy of Sciences
have looked at the record and found little support for most of the drug
testing industry's claims. "We have always believed drug testing of
unimpaired workers stands the presumption of innocence on its head and
violates the most fundamental privacy rights," said ACLU Executive Director
Ira Glasser. "Now we know that sacrificing these rights serves no
legitimate business purpose either."

Common sense and history confirms that the discipline of juveniles belongs
to the judgment of parents and teachers, coaches and trainers, those who
deal with the person, not some statistic. It is time to take a hard look at
the presumption of parental duties by government.

Arnie Adams is a freelance columnist who writes about current affairs. He
is retired from the US Coast Guard.