Letters policy
We welcome letters, but please include your full name, address and a daytime
telephone number. We edit all letters for libel, length and clarity.
Send letters to: Letters, Illinois Times. P.O. Box 5256. Springfield, Illinois
62705. Fax: (217) 753-3958. E-mail: editor@illinoistimes.com
COMMON SENSE ON DRUG USE
President Bush’s plan to pour millions into schools for drug-testing
programs, as indicated in his State of the Union address, represents the latest
attempt to limit civil liberties and personal freedom in favor of an ever-growing
desire for more security. Drug testing is a violation of a student’s Fourth
Amendment right against search and seizure, and is done in response to an over-hyped,
exaggerated drug problem. For example, one of the more sinister illegal drugs,
methamphetamines, is actually responsible for fewer deaths per year than caffeine
(approximately 500 methamphetamine deaths per year according to the Office of
National Drug Control Policy). Also, many individuals who are not addicts get
caught up in the negative consequences inherent in drug testing.
Among the affected are the non-problematic casual users of drugs, the vast
majority of individuals who choose to experiment with drugs. Testing positive
destroys the will of these individuals, forcing them out of extracurricular
activities and throwing them into rehab programs where they’re labeled as addicts.
Even proponents of drug testing concede at least a one-percent rate of false
positives. Students who may have never used drugs can fall victim to this unfortunate
statistic and have their relationships with parents, teachers, and peers undermined
with no way of being able to defend themselves against inaccurate test results.
Although it is unfortunate that many people fall into addiction, reaction
to it must be balanced with common sense so that other people’s rights are not
taken away solely for the sake of those who become addicted. Many liberals have
long supported measures to offer treatment rather than jail time for drug offenders
(when they are caught, as opposed to random searches). Perhaps Mr. Bush should
take this stance if he truly cares for addicts, instead of going on a fishing
expedition.
Seth Bohlen
Springfield
A NEW WAY TO REDUCE WASTE
Freecycling has arrived in Springfield, courtesy of the Abraham Lincoln
Unitarian Universalist Congregation (ALUUC). Freecycling is a nationwide project
created to reduce waste by connecting individuals who are throwing away goods
with others who are seeking them. Currently 188 cities and more than 20,000
people around the country are participating in the project. The Illinois cities
of Alton, Champaign-Urbana, Chicago and Naperville have Freecycling groups,
and now it is available in Springfield.
Through a Yahoo! Groups message board, any member of the community with access
to a computer can post a note about an item that they’d like to give away, or
an item they are seeking. All items posted must be free, and no SPAM will be
tolerated. The message board is monitored by the ALUUC Green Sanctuary Committee.
The Web address for the Springfield board is: groups.yahoo.com/group/freecyclespfldil/.
The national project web address is www.freecycle.org.
Individuals, schools, businesses and not-for-profit agencies are encouraged
to take advantage of the Freecycle Springfield IL project. Most Americans generate
about a ton of trash per year. Here locally, we generate about seven pounds
per person per day, above the national average of five pounds per person per
day. This total includes all residential, commercial and construction/ demolition
waste.
Questions about the Freecycle Springfield IL project may be sent to: freecyclespfldil@aol.com,
or call the ALUUC at 217-585-9550.
Tracy Owens
Moderator, Freecycle Springfield IL
DUCK AND COVER
Richard Stone’s letter was downright scary [“Come home, Reagan Democrats,”
Jan. 22]. “Invasion,” “war” — there’s a difference, Richard.
Anne E. Logue
Springfield
NO TIME FOR A CHANGE
President Bush has done a great job and still has a job to do. We
must still stand together to fight the war on terror. Changing the leadership
at this time leaves our dedicated armed forces hanging. They need to finish
their job with 100 percent support from us as a nation.
As a Navy veteran, I can tell you that support for your President is very
important. That is something U.S. Sen. John Kerry seems to forget. He came home
and fought to end support for Vietnam. He got what he wanted — and most vets
from the end of that war will tell you they received no thanks. Let’s not make
any more mistakes: Vote for your President and thank a veteran for a job well
done.
Marc Fletcher
Paris, Ill.
This article appears in Jan 29 – Feb 4, 2004.
