So all the bad stuff aside... isn't it a good thing that they are doing "something' to get drugs out of schools? I mean if an student with autism can get weed, it's gotta be everywhere...
How does this help get drugs out of schools? It has the potential to ruin the lives of the kids arrested, and will make absolutely no difference to the amount of drugs available at the school. Doing something for the sake of doing something means nothing. Confiscate the drugs and put them thru an educational course about the dangers of that evil weed, if we really feel it necessary to intervene.
So all the bad stuff aside... isn't it a good thing that they are doing "something' to get drugs out of schools? I mean if an student with autism can get weed, it's gotta be everywhere...
How does this help get drugs out of schools? It has the potential to ruin the lives of the kids arrested, and will make absolutely no difference to the amount of drugs available at the school. Doing something for the sake of doing something means nothing. Confiscate the drugs and put them thru an educational course about the dangers of that evil weed, if we really feel it necessary to intervene.
It's highly doubtful the kid will receive anything other than what you already describe.
Kids busted for dope in our area are suspended for a few days, made to go to counselling, and do not have lifelong records that will ruin their lives.
The schools cannot turn a blind eye to drug activities within it. There has to be an element of authority over drug usage and their has to be consequences as well- an active and aware presence that essentially places limits on usage.
Whether right or wrong, the system is very lenient for kids and their dope smoking.
expulsion... of the 22 kids arrested only jesse was not kicked out of that school (school district?) student loan... none of the kids will ever get a student loan public housing... if low income parents need a lower priced place to rent they are shit out of luck future jobs... shit out of luck (not all jobs will turn them away) harder to get into colleges... you little fucking doper
Earlier this year Rolling Stone did a good expose on this. It is clear to me that Jesse was screwed. The deputy DA wanted him to spend a month in jail waiting for his trial. The school district expelled him. All because he had reluctantly participated in this sting thinking he finally had a friend - and he wanted to help his new friend. It is a disgusting use of police. Slapping an autistic kid with 2 felony charges, the arrest, the jail, the expulsion, the regression of his mental illness. All for a tiny amount of weed. All to make the asshole DAs, cops and school admins feel like they were doing something. As Drown Out said above: "Doing something for the sake of doing something means nothing." It certainly means nothing in the war on drugs. It unfortunately means a lot of devastation to a young kid with a mental illness.
expulsion... of the 22 kids arrested only jesse was not kicked out of that school (school district?) student loan... none of the kids will ever get a student loan public housing... if low income parents need a lower priced place to rent they are shit out of luck future jobs... shit out of luck (not all jobs will turn them away) harder to get into colleges... you little fucking doper
some things these folks have stated
This can't be right?
Minor suspension... fair enough. As for the rest... wtf?
If this is accurate... then it is heavy handed to say the least. Rapists get off easier for gawds sakes.
Trust me when I say this is not what happens where I live.
"jesse was taught how to buy & sell dope... (by the scumbag task force of riverside county sheriff department) ...jesse had to leave the campus to score some dope, he couldn't find it at the campus, that tells you right there there is no reason for them to be on that campus" - los angels police department deputy chief stephen m. downing (first hand experience in narcotic enforcement since president nixon announced war on drugs)
So all the bad stuff aside... isn't it a good thing that they are doing "something' to get drugs out of schools? I mean if an student with autism can get weed, it's gotta be everywhere...
How does this help get drugs out of schools? It has the potential to ruin the lives of the kids arrested, and will make absolutely no difference to the amount of drugs available at the school. Doing something for the sake of doing something means nothing. Confiscate the drugs and put them thru an educational course about the dangers of that evil weed, if we really feel it necessary to intervene.
It's highly doubtful the kid will receive anything other than what you already describe.
Kids busted for dope in our area are suspended for a few days, made to go to counselling, and do not have lifelong records that will ruin their lives.
The schools cannot turn a blind eye to drug activities within it. There has to be an element of authority over drug usage and their has to be consequences as well- an active and aware presence that essentially places limits on usage.
Whether right or wrong, the system is very lenient for kids and their dope smoking.
I was talking about the story in the OP, not your district. If this does/did end up with a slap on the wrist, it's because of public outrage at the story - not because that's the normal way minor drug busts are handled in schools in most parts of the US. If these kids are found guilty of a federal offense, their lives will be altered, if not ruined, by the record. They lose their ability to travel, they will have trouble finding employment, they will be denied loans for education, and their families will be denied any kind of public assistance they may need. This is how the downward spiral into a life of crime starts – by limiting opportunity for those caught with drugs….not with their use. The autistic kid was the only one not expelled over the busts (again, likely because of public perception). If you don’t know the consequences to this ‘element of authority’, then you are downplaying this out of ignorance to the laws. Why does there have to be an element of authority and consequence? For deterrence? Or do you honestly think these busts make a difference to anyone but the kids busted?
expulsion... of the 22 kids arrested only jesse was not kicked out of that school (school district?) student loan... none of the kids will ever get a student loan public housing... if low income parents need a lower priced place to rent they are shit out of luck future jobs... shit out of luck (not all jobs will turn them away) harder to get into colleges... you little fucking doper
some things these folks have stated
This can't be right?
Minor suspension... fair enough. As for the rest... wtf?
If this is accurate... then it is heavy handed to say the least. Rapists get off easier for gawds sakes.
Trust me when I say this is not what happens where I live.
you are canadian, canada is good! this is a nazi stormtroopers operation down here in the states
by the way, the school system allowed the sheriff department to review/look over each student's file. this is how the drug task force targeted special needs students.... FACT
Earlier this year Rolling Stone did a good expose on this. It is clear to me that Jesse was screwed. The deputy DA wanted him to spend a month in jail waiting for his trial. The school district expelled him. All because he had reluctantly participated in this sting thinking he finally had a friend - and he wanted to help his new friend. It is a disgusting use of police. Slapping an autistic kid with 2 felony charges, the arrest, the jail, the expulsion, the regression of his mental illness. All for a tiny amount of weed. All to make the asshole DAs, cops and school admins feel like they were doing something. As Drown Out said above: "Doing something for the sake of doing something means nothing." It certainly means nothing in the war on drugs. It unfortunately means a lot of devastation to a young kid with a mental illness.
The entire time reading the piece, the question I kept asking to myself was: is there nothing more pressing for the police department that they had to, essentially, invent something to investigate?
I spoke to the need for policing drug activities in school... but in no way was I speaking to doing so on this level.
So all the bad stuff aside... isn't it a good thing that they are doing "something' to get drugs out of schools? I mean if an student with autism can get weed, it's gotta be everywhere...
How does this help get drugs out of schools? It has the potential to ruin the lives of the kids arrested, and will make absolutely no difference to the amount of drugs available at the school. Doing something for the sake of doing something means nothing. Confiscate the drugs and put them thru an educational course about the dangers of that evil weed, if we really feel it necessary to intervene.
It's highly doubtful the kid will receive anything other than what you already describe.
Kids busted for dope in our area are suspended for a few days, made to go to counselling, and do not have lifelong records that will ruin their lives.
The schools cannot turn a blind eye to drug activities within it. There has to be an element of authority over drug usage and their has to be consequences as well- an active and aware presence that essentially places limits on usage.
Whether right or wrong, the system is very lenient for kids and their dope smoking.
I was talking about the story in the OP, not your district. If this does/did end up with a slap on the wrist, it's because of public outrage at the story - not because that's the normal way minor drug busts are handled in schools in most parts of the US. If these kids are found guilty of a federal offense, their lives will be altered, if not ruined, by the record. They lose their ability to travel, they will have trouble finding employment, they will be denied loans for education, and their families will be denied any kind of public assistance they may need. This is how the downward spiral into a life of crime starts – by limiting opportunity for those caught with drugs….not with their use. The autistic kid was the only one not expelled over the busts (again, likely because of public perception). If you don’t know the consequences to this ‘element of authority’, then you are downplaying this out of ignorance to the laws. Why does there have to be an element of authority and consequence? For deterrence? Or do you honestly think these busts make a difference to anyone but the kids busted?
Firstly... let me say that I am strongly opposed to the militant tactics and heavy-handed disciplinary approach evident in such scenarios. It's ridiculous and hardly kid-friendly to say the least. Schools are places where kids are prone to error and as such, schools are a place where we should strive to help kids grow through their mistakes- not condemn them for making them.
As for your last two questions... I have already explained that drugs have no place in schools; however, I am a realist in understanding they are going to find themselves there. Given the reality, schools need to establish their position regarding the usage and have mechanisms in place that 'curb' drug activity.
Whether you think so or not... tolerating drug use in schools is not healthy. So... when kids are 'caught' using drugs or selling drugs... consequences follow such actions. These consequences are minor (usually a small suspension and mandatory drug counselling). The idea is to keep the kids in school and support them with any problems they might have (at least make them aware of the side effects associated with extended drug use).
If the schools turn a blind eye to drug activity... the culture of the school will erode quickly. There needs to be a distinct line. If kids want to get high... then skip out and go get high, but keep the drugs out of the school. The kids that are not interested in drugs do not need their learning environment compromised with such behaviours, nor do they need their teachers and administrators busy dealing with such activities when they should be focused on delivering lessons.
I could share many stories with you based on my experiences as a teacher in a high school. Many of them would detail young grade 8 girls becoming attracted to older males who introduce them to drugs. While their peers were attending classes, many of these girls were skipping classes to get high and... well, you know what. Some girls rebounded and made out okay. Others did not fare so well. But regardless, what a nightmare for parents and child.
The school has a responsibility to keep kids safe. If the school and drug and alcohol policies can help even a small minority of students 'hang in there' before succumbing to temptation as they are prone to do... then I call these policies a success and I support them.
the sheriff & police departments get big funds from the federal government (the two largest being: edward byrne memorial justice assistance program (jag) & community oriented police services (cops)) by how many folks are arrested & convicted among other information needed to apply for funding..
law enforcement therefore makes more arrests & more convictions... i would say that lawyers & judges, the entire system is in-cahoots with their county law enforcement agencies, so on & so forth
so it's not a shock to anyone that a public defender will get you screwed. the judges want their buddies, the lawyers, paid... the judges want paid. a public defender is fucking worthless
Thirty - I have no problem with any of that....though I'm not sure about how compromised the learning environment is by drug use... Not to condone drugs in schools, or downplay it....but unless people are hotboxing your classrooms, blowing rails on their desktops, impaired to the point of disrupting the class, or getting rowdy (I know any time I went to school high, I kept my shit as low key as possible lol). If none of this is happening, then maybe a phone call to the parents, some education, and a little tlc is all we should be doing about it. We always say we don't want teachers used as babysitters, and that they should be able to focus on teaching....so maybe we should stop interjecting ourselves in their personal choices and their personal/social issues, from a position of authority, unless it is having a negative affect on others. Intervening from the position of a friend is another story...I think it would be great for a teacher or counsellor to get invovled on a personal level, without just going to a rulebook and saying 'you're high....says here you get a three day suspension'. But I know that's unrealistic to expect as well.
The stories of the young girls you mention are way too common - I've seen it happen myself...I have a daughter going into her last year of elementary school this year, so believe me, I worry about this stuff and don't take it lightly. But she is her own person, and I can't always be there to tell her right from wrong...I can only offer guidance and support. I see cracking whips over drugs as a mistake. Reality tells us we can't stop people who want to use drugs from using them.... We can only encourage people not to, reduce the harm done, and educate them about safe, responsible use, in hopes that they won't abuse them. Obviously, the systems you're talking about are light years ahead of the zero tolerance bullshit many parts of the US employ.
this is a bit off topic but this is something interesting (to me anyway). kinesthetic learning. these drug task force circus clowns could have been all over me for my presciption drug medication 'ritalin' for adhd/add. schools are lightyears behind as most schools are still the old fashioned bullshit classrooms. i gotta move about & the teachers generally sounded like the peanuts teacher. in school i had to take my crazy pills in the nurse's office; just get up out of my chair, walk to the nurse's office & get my drug. i still did miserably in nearly all my school work
did you all know that something like 60% of all adult cocaine addicts (in the u.s. anyway) have adhd/add & when they were young in school they took ritalin? i read this in a book my doctor had me read. it took me one month to finally read 1/3 - 1/2 of the book
fuck!
i've always felt & i've always stated that the school systems, counselors & school psychlogists helped in creating my bullshit. (no i was never into cocaine, but many other toys).
http://youtu.be/R9JEQ1CzoB0 here, bette fetter, explains what a young chadwick is all about a quick amazing fact about one of my college math professors is she used to let me do my tests in a room by myself at the white board... holy shit! can you imagine being able to move around, not trapped at a desk forced to be quiet?
we need better schools for kids like how i was, how i still am. do this & i guarantee kids will get better grades, enjoy school more & fewer kids will find themselves using substances
Thirty - I have no problem with any of that....though I'm not sure about how compromised the learning environment is by drug use... Not to condone drugs in schools, or downplay it....but unless people are hotboxing your classrooms, blowing rails on their desktops, impaired to the point of disrupting the class, or getting rowdy (I know any time I went to school high, I kept my shit as low key as possible lol). If none of this is happening, then maybe a phone call to the parents, some education, and a little tlc is all we should be doing about it. We always say we don't want teachers used as babysitters, and that they should be able to focus on teaching....so maybe we should stop interjecting ourselves in their personal choices and their personal/social issues, from a position of authority, unless it is having a negative affect on others. Intervening from the position of a friend is another story...I think it would be great for a teacher or counsellor to get invovled on a personal level, without just going to a rulebook and saying 'you're high....says here you get a three day suspension'. But I know that's unrealistic to expect as well.
The stories of the young girls you mention are way too common - I've seen it happen myself...I have a daughter going into her last year of elementary school this year, so believe me, I worry about this stuff and don't take it lightly. But she is her own person, and I can't always be there to tell her right from wrong...I can only offer guidance and support. I see cracking whips over drugs as a mistake. Reality tells us we can't stop people who want to use drugs from using them.... We can only encourage people not to, reduce the harm done, and educate them about safe, responsible use, in hopes that they won't abuse them. Obviously, the systems you're talking about are light years ahead of the zero tolerance bullshit many parts of the US employ.
It interferes in the learning environment when users are distracted by it. Instead of focusing on trigonometry and ecosystems... some kids are focused on meeting at long break to get high... or leaving school at long break because they are high. Drugs are disruptive- there is no question about this. Schools must make policies that promote the learning environment- not policies that show leniency towards drug use within it.
With that said... I would hardly call the drug and alcohol policies in Canada 'cracking the whip' on drug usage. I see them as acknowledging the reality of the situation and balancing it with some direction and expectation. Many times, there are the 'side deals' you speak of where a kid is afforded a break given the circumstances. A kid only goes before the school board and risks moving schools after multiple offences.
Young females are the main characters in the worst stories we know of, but young males fall into the drug trap as well. Many boys, maybe awkward or socially disadvantaged, fall into the very accommodating and accepting drug ring- establishing themselves as users instead of students. This scenario, played out very often, is hardly one that we could suggest as beneficial to these kids. I can relate many stories of boys getting into drugs and things getting bad from there.
Remember folks... the drug users who maintained balance and perspective have done okay. Many who contribute to these pages with eloquent dialogue have histories (past and/or current) with drug usage. Things worked out okay for them; however, for every 'success story' there is another story that I think some people lose perspective of- the story where the user didn't turn out so well. To make my point, I would refer to On The Farm (Stevie Cameron's well written book on Robert Picton). The prostitutes Picton preyed on weren't always prostitutes. They were once bright-eyed young girls with hope for the future. The common theme with the overwhelming majority of these victims was drug use that eventually led to prostitution. And, in most of the cases detailed in that account, the women got hooked on drugs while with a man who liked drugs... who then prostituted them out to be able to purchase drugs... and then left the woman hooked on drugs and comfortable in a lifestyle of prostitution.
There are various sound studies that link heavy pot smoking to various undesirable brain changes, not to mention schizophrenia later in life.
While these studies are subjects of debate, with the human brain being so significant and in its developmental stages in school... it also justifies the need to condemn its use in schools.
There is no perfect solution and I get the fact that kids will get dope and smoke dope if they want to, but at a very minimum and at least to provide some measure of context... I think it is wise to assume a front that does not condone its use.
tobacco alcohol gateway drugs that are very real, very legal & in our fucking faces
both are deadly, both will ruin your life & so on today a company can & does take urine tests or maybe it is blood tests looking for nicotine & if found you are not hired.
where's the riverside county sheriff's department drug task force?
tobacco alcohol gateway drugs that are very real, very legal & in our fucking faces
both are deadly, both will ruin your life & so on today a company can & does take urine tests or maybe it is blood tests looking for nicotine & if found you are not hired.
where's the riverside county sheriff's department drug task force?
Good points.
The alcohol and tobacco lobbyists don't wish to have those pointed out though.
Thirty - yes, some users would be more easily distracted. Others would be more focused. With weed, it's very subjective. Obviously, I am talking mostly about weed here. I don't think anyone wants a 16 year old doing coke or any other drug. The disruption i was talking about was to the rest of the class.....sure, if someone is slacking, it can influence others. But for the most part I think these kids are distracting/disrupting no one but themselves. As you acknowledge - if people want to smoke it, they will. The question is how to deal with it. I think it's more constructive to have a more dialogue-based approach than an authoritative one....harm reduction over punishment, just like with the legal system. We need to teach these kids and help them, not just give them lines to cross and punish them when they do (not that that is what you're suggesting, just saying). Of course, i'm being vague and I realize there will always be rules.... To the rest of your post....not sure why you're bringing the slippery slope/gateway argument into this, unless it's to support some form of prohibitionist stance....but again - an individual's ability to use responsibly is subjective, and you acknowledge that. It goes without saying that some people don't do well with drugs.
But for the most part I think these kids are distracting/disrupting no one but themselves.
Except for the part where teacher evaluations and raises are tied to their students performance. And school money from the government is tied to school performance and graduation rate. You can't just let kids fail because they want to or are doing drugs, you have to try to do something to get the kids to learn and pass state mandated tests. If they want to sign themselves out of school when they're old enough fine, but 99% don't because then they lose the ability to be social at school, or get kicked out of home, etc.
Wouldn't it be funny if the world ended in 2010, with lots of fire?
But for the most part I think these kids are distracting/disrupting no one but themselves.
Except for the part where teacher evaluations and raises are tied to their students performance. And school money from the government is tied to school performance and graduation rate. You can't just let kids fail because they want to or are doing drugs, you have to try to do something to get the kids to learn and pass state mandated tests. If they want to sign themselves out of school when they're old enough fine, but 99% don't because then they lose the ability to be social at school, or get kicked out of home, etc.
There are some major assumptions here though. I'm not convinced that drug or alcohol use in high school affects performance. I think that some people using them perform poorly, but I also think that most of them would perform poorly either way (addicts excluded). I'm just going off of my own experiences. At least in the 90s I'd say that 80% of my high school's student body used drugs and/or alcohol, including most of the honour roll students (which I was on, and holy shit, I smoked a lot of weed, drank a ton of booze, and even dropped shitloads of acid). Most of them did just fine in school. Yes, most of the problem kids also did drugs and/or drank, but they were also lazy, some had criminal tendencies, and were, often, pretty fucking dim.
Post edited by PJ_Soul on
With all its sham, drudgery, and broken dreams, it is still a beautiful world. Be careful. Strive to be happy. ~ Desiderata
But for the most part I think these kids are distracting/disrupting no one but themselves.
Except for the part where teacher evaluations and raises are tied to their students performance. And school money from the government is tied to school performance and graduation rate. You can't just let kids fail because they want to or are doing drugs, you have to try to do something to get the kids to learn and pass state mandated tests. If they want to sign themselves out of school when they're old enough fine, but 99% don't because then they lose the ability to be social at school, or get kicked out of home, etc.
There are some major assumption here though. I'm not convinced that drug or alcohol use in high school affects performance. I think that some people use them perform poorly, but I also think that most of them would perform poorly either way (addicts excluded). I'm just going off of my own experiences. At least in the 90s I'd say that 80% of my high school's student body used drugs and/or alcohol, including most of the honour roll students (which I was on, and holy shit, I smoked a lot of weed, drank a ton of booze, and even dropped shitloads of acid). Most of them did just fine in school. Yes, most of the problem kids also did drugs and/or drank, but they were also lazy, some had criminal tendencies, and were, often, pretty fucking dim.
I agree with all you said. But when the student is high or drunk or carrying at school that's a different ball game and needs to be dealt with.It becomes another obstacle for the teacher's and the school on top of everything else (which there is a lot of).
Wouldn't it be funny if the world ended in 2010, with lots of fire?
There are some major assumption here though. I'm not convinced that drug or alcohol use in high school affects performance. I think that some people use them perform poorly, but I also think that most of them would perform poorly either way (addicts excluded). I'm just going off of my own experiences. At least in the 90s I'd say that 80% of my high school's student body used drugs and/or alcohol, including most of the honour roll students (which I was on, and holy shit, I smoked a lot of weed, drank a ton of booze, and even dropped shitloads of acid). Most of them did just fine in school. Yes, most of the problem kids also did drugs and/or drank, but they were also lazy, some had criminal tendencies, and were, often, pretty fucking dim.
I'd agree with this - and minus the liquor and acid, sounds a lot like me and my friends.
Hell, we'd get stoned every morning before school, and I had French first period! Aced it too
In the 80s everyone was stoned,smelled like pot from the wake and bake,and we skipped class to surf,get high,have sex and eat Taco Viva(good times in deed).We were all good students and had all the parents/parent fooled.and with the exception of a few,we all came out as professionals,Successful Buisness people and leaders in community.Kinda scary really now that I think about it.
Truth be told, one of three suspensions I got during junior & high school was one for smoking a J with my buddies in the boys' room. The assistant principal walked in right after I hit it. I tossed it in a toilet, and the AP plucked it out, looked at me and said "Aha!"
I may or may not have exhaled in his face.
Still, I wasn't a bad kid, had good relationships with my favorite teachers, and made mostly A's.
But for the most part I think these kids are distracting/disrupting no one but themselves.
Except for the part where teacher evaluations and raises are tied to their students performance. And school money from the government is tied to school performance and graduation rate. You can't just let kids fail because they want to or are doing drugs, you have to try to do something to get the kids to learn and pass state mandated tests. If they want to sign themselves out of school when they're old enough fine, but 99% don't because then they lose the ability to be social at school, or get kicked out of home, etc.
There are some major assumption here though. I'm not convinced that drug or alcohol use in high school affects performance. I think that some people use them perform poorly, but I also think that most of them would perform poorly either way (addicts excluded). I'm just going off of my own experiences. At least in the 90s I'd say that 80% of my high school's student body used drugs and/or alcohol, including most of the honour roll students (which I was on, and holy shit, I smoked a lot of weed, drank a ton of booze, and even dropped shitloads of acid). Most of them did just fine in school. Yes, most of the problem kids also did drugs and/or drank, but they were also lazy, some had criminal tendencies, and were, often, pretty fucking dim.
I agree with all you said. But when the student is high or drunk or carrying at school that's a different ball game and needs to be dealt with.It becomes another obstacle for the teacher's and the school on top of everything else (which there is a lot of).
Yeah, maybe.... I dunno. When I was high in class, I wasn't a disturbance at all, so....
With all its sham, drudgery, and broken dreams, it is still a beautiful world. Be careful. Strive to be happy. ~ Desiderata
In the 80s everyone was stoned,smelled like pot from the wake and bake,and we skipped class to surf,get high,have sex and eat Taco Viva(good times in deed).We were all good students and had all the parents/parent fooled.and with the exception of a few,we all came out as professionals,Successful Buisness people and leaders in community.Kinda scary really now that I think about it.
Yep. Same with us in the 90s. With the exception of the losers with criminal/violent tendencies or low IQs or horrible life circumstances or whatever (ie, factors not related directly to drug use), the stoners and partiers turned out as well as most people.
With all its sham, drudgery, and broken dreams, it is still a beautiful world. Be careful. Strive to be happy. ~ Desiderata
Comments
Kids busted for dope in our area are suspended for a few days, made to go to counselling, and do not have lifelong records that will ruin their lives.
The schools cannot turn a blind eye to drug activities within it. There has to be an element of authority over drug usage and their has to be consequences as well- an active and aware presence that essentially places limits on usage.
Whether right or wrong, the system is very lenient for kids and their dope smoking.
"Hear me, my chiefs!
I am tired; my heart is
sick and sad. From where
the sun stands I will fight
no more forever."
Chief Joseph - Nez Perce
You'd be right. I read the links that (I think?) Unsung offered.
Can you tell me what I missed?
student loan... none of the kids will ever get a student loan
public housing... if low income parents need a lower priced place to rent they are shit out of luck
future jobs... shit out of luck (not all jobs will turn them away)
harder to get into colleges... you little fucking doper
some things these folks have stated
"Hear me, my chiefs!
I am tired; my heart is
sick and sad. From where
the sun stands I will fight
no more forever."
Chief Joseph - Nez Perce
Here's a link to the article. It is a maddening, but well done piece: http://www.rollingstone.com/culture/news/the-entrapment-of-jesse-snodgrass-20140226
Minor suspension... fair enough. As for the rest... wtf?
If this is accurate... then it is heavy handed to say the least. Rapists get off easier for gawds sakes.
Trust me when I say this is not what happens where I live.
...jesse had to leave the campus to score some dope, he couldn't find it at the campus, that tells you right there there is no reason for them to be on that campus" - los angels police department deputy chief stephen m. downing (first hand experience in narcotic enforcement since president nixon announced war on drugs)
"Hear me, my chiefs!
I am tired; my heart is
sick and sad. From where
the sun stands I will fight
no more forever."
Chief Joseph - Nez Perce
Why does there have to be an element of authority and consequence? For deterrence? Or do you honestly think these busts make a difference to anyone but the kids busted?
this is a nazi stormtroopers operation down here in the states
by the way, the school system allowed the sheriff department to review/look over each student's file. this is how the drug task force targeted special needs students.... FACT
"Hear me, my chiefs!
I am tired; my heart is
sick and sad. From where
the sun stands I will fight
no more forever."
Chief Joseph - Nez Perce
The entire time reading the piece, the question I kept asking to myself was: is there nothing more pressing for the police department that they had to, essentially, invent something to investigate?
I spoke to the need for policing drug activities in school... but in no way was I speaking to doing so on this level.
As for your last two questions... I have already explained that drugs have no place in schools; however, I am a realist in understanding they are going to find themselves there. Given the reality, schools need to establish their position regarding the usage and have mechanisms in place that 'curb' drug activity.
Whether you think so or not... tolerating drug use in schools is not healthy. So... when kids are 'caught' using drugs or selling drugs... consequences follow such actions. These consequences are minor (usually a small suspension and mandatory drug counselling). The idea is to keep the kids in school and support them with any problems they might have (at least make them aware of the side effects associated with extended drug use).
If the schools turn a blind eye to drug activity... the culture of the school will erode quickly. There needs to be a distinct line. If kids want to get high... then skip out and go get high, but keep the drugs out of the school. The kids that are not interested in drugs do not need their learning environment compromised with such behaviours, nor do they need their teachers and administrators busy dealing with such activities when they should be focused on delivering lessons.
I could share many stories with you based on my experiences as a teacher in a high school. Many of them would detail young grade 8 girls becoming attracted to older males who introduce them to drugs. While their peers were attending classes, many of these girls were skipping classes to get high and... well, you know what. Some girls rebounded and made out okay. Others did not fare so well. But regardless, what a nightmare for parents and child.
The school has a responsibility to keep kids safe. If the school and drug and alcohol policies can help even a small minority of students 'hang in there' before succumbing to temptation as they are prone to do... then I call these policies a success and I support them.
law enforcement therefore makes more arrests & more convictions... i would say that lawyers & judges, the entire system is in-cahoots with their county law enforcement agencies, so on & so forth
money money MONEY
"Hear me, my chiefs!
I am tired; my heart is
sick and sad. From where
the sun stands I will fight
no more forever."
Chief Joseph - Nez Perce
"Hear me, my chiefs!
I am tired; my heart is
sick and sad. From where
the sun stands I will fight
no more forever."
Chief Joseph - Nez Perce
Not to condone drugs in schools, or downplay it....but unless people are hotboxing your classrooms, blowing rails on their desktops, impaired to the point of disrupting the class, or getting rowdy (I know any time I went to school high, I kept my shit as low key as possible lol). If none of this is happening, then maybe a phone call to the parents, some education, and a little tlc is all we should be doing about it.
We always say we don't want teachers used as babysitters, and that they should be able to focus on teaching....so maybe we should stop interjecting ourselves in their personal choices and their personal/social issues, from a position of authority, unless it is having a negative affect on others. Intervening from the position of a friend is another story...I think it would be great for a teacher or counsellor to get invovled on a personal level, without just going to a rulebook and saying 'you're high....says here you get a three day suspension'. But I know that's unrealistic to expect as well.
The stories of the young girls you mention are way too common - I've seen it happen myself...I have a daughter going into her last year of elementary school this year, so believe me, I worry about this stuff and don't take it lightly. But she is her own person, and I can't always be there to tell her right from wrong...I can only offer guidance and support. I see cracking whips over drugs as a mistake. Reality tells us we can't stop people who want to use drugs from using them.... We can only encourage people not to, reduce the harm done, and educate them about safe, responsible use, in hopes that they won't abuse them. Obviously, the systems you're talking about are light years ahead of the zero tolerance bullshit many parts of the US employ.
did you all know that something like 60% of all adult cocaine addicts (in the u.s. anyway) have adhd/add & when they were young in school they took ritalin? i read this in a book my doctor had me read. it took me one month to finally read 1/3 - 1/2 of the book
fuck!
i've always felt & i've always stated that the school systems, counselors & school psychlogists helped in creating my bullshit. (no i was never into cocaine, but many other toys).
here, bette fetter, explains what a young chadwick is all about
a quick amazing fact about one of my college math professors is she used to let me do my tests in a room by myself at the white board... holy shit! can you imagine being able to move around, not trapped at a desk forced to be quiet?
we need better schools for kids like how i was, how i still am. do this & i guarantee kids will get better grades, enjoy school more & fewer kids will find themselves using substances
yep, one hyperactive little bastard
"Hear me, my chiefs!
I am tired; my heart is
sick and sad. From where
the sun stands I will fight
no more forever."
Chief Joseph - Nez Perce
With that said... I would hardly call the drug and alcohol policies in Canada 'cracking the whip' on drug usage. I see them as acknowledging the reality of the situation and balancing it with some direction and expectation. Many times, there are the 'side deals' you speak of where a kid is afforded a break given the circumstances. A kid only goes before the school board and risks moving schools after multiple offences.
Young females are the main characters in the worst stories we know of, but young males fall into the drug trap as well. Many boys, maybe awkward or socially disadvantaged, fall into the very accommodating and accepting drug ring- establishing themselves as users instead of students. This scenario, played out very often, is hardly one that we could suggest as beneficial to these kids. I can relate many stories of boys getting into drugs and things getting bad from there.
Remember folks... the drug users who maintained balance and perspective have done okay. Many who contribute to these pages with eloquent dialogue have histories (past and/or current) with drug usage. Things worked out okay for them; however, for every 'success story' there is another story that I think some people lose perspective of- the story where the user didn't turn out so well. To make my point, I would refer to On The Farm (Stevie Cameron's well written book on Robert Picton). The prostitutes Picton preyed on weren't always prostitutes. They were once bright-eyed young girls with hope for the future. The common theme with the overwhelming majority of these victims was drug use that eventually led to prostitution. And, in most of the cases detailed in that account, the women got hooked on drugs while with a man who liked drugs... who then prostituted them out to be able to purchase drugs... and then left the woman hooked on drugs and comfortable in a lifestyle of prostitution.
Not everyone does well with drugs.
While these studies are subjects of debate, with the human brain being so significant and in its developmental stages in school... it also justifies the need to condemn its use in schools.
There is no perfect solution and I get the fact that kids will get dope and smoke dope if they want to, but at a very minimum and at least to provide some measure of context... I think it is wise to assume a front that does not condone its use.
alcohol
gateway drugs that are very real, very legal & in our fucking faces
both are deadly, both will ruin your life & so on
today a company can & does take urine tests or maybe it is blood tests looking for nicotine & if found you are not hired.
where's the riverside county sheriff's department drug task force?
"Hear me, my chiefs!
I am tired; my heart is
sick and sad. From where
the sun stands I will fight
no more forever."
Chief Joseph - Nez Perce
The alcohol and tobacco lobbyists don't wish to have those pointed out though.
As you acknowledge - if people want to smoke it, they will. The question is how to deal with it. I think it's more constructive to have a more dialogue-based approach than an authoritative one....harm reduction over punishment, just like with the legal system. We need to teach these kids and help them, not just give them lines to cross and punish them when they do (not that that is what you're suggesting, just saying). Of course, i'm being vague and I realize there will always be rules....
To the rest of your post....not sure why you're bringing the slippery slope/gateway argument into this, unless it's to support some form of prohibitionist stance....but again - an individual's ability to use responsibly is subjective, and you acknowledge that. It goes without saying that some people don't do well with drugs.
Hell, we'd get stoned every morning before school, and I had French first period! Aced it too
I may or may not have exhaled in his face.
Still, I wasn't a bad kid, had good relationships with my favorite teachers, and made mostly A's.