Trying something new...

[johno]

I've got a long commute and while I usually listen to AudioBooks or Audible.com content. However, I often end up listening to talk radio. I don't listen to the conservative loudmouths because it gets my blood pressure up. I have found one guy who is fairly well balanced and willing to talk both sides of the issue, without resorting to name calling.

I'm going to try posting the days topic and see what folks opinions of it are.

Today's topic: Drug Testing in Schools as a requirement to participate in activities.

A school district in Oklahoma performs random drug testing of students participating in extracurricular activities. One student refused to be tested and was booted. She appealed all the way to the US Supreme Court, which is hearing the case today.

Thoughts?

Comments

... Thoughts.

[purplkat.livejournal.com]

Hmmm. I can see why people are doing this. After all, who wants those yucky, drug-addicted kids mixing with the 'clean livin'' kids who frequently overachieve in extracurricular activities? No parent wants that.

Okay, fine. I suck and phrasing the other side of the arguement, becuase I think it's not very realistic. I know a lot of people who are school-age and doing drugs, and you know what? If they've taken the step to be going to extracurricular activities, the last thing you wanna do is drive them away like that. IMO, extracurricular activities should be for kids like this, and if the other ones wanna come, great, they can. But these are the kids who need special attention, who need someone to approve of them and help them and give them one-on-one time. So I think that, in the end, the policy will do much more harm than good. I also think that our society, which is so fond of branding people as good or bad without looking at the shades of grey in the middle, will never realize the harm it's doing.

Now, if anyone, drugs or no, starts causing a disturbance in the extracurricular activity, by all means. Kick them out. But kick them out for -that-.

Re: ... Thoughts.

[johno.livejournal.com]

Guess I don't need to post my own commentary then.

We have very similar thoughts.