Education and Personal Freedoms

Posted by Connie Newbauer Feb 2, 2007

Evidently, a new test has been developed which can detect an ingredient present in your system after alcohol consumption. A New Jersey School has opened up the can of worms again labeled “personal freedom infringement,” and the entire country is debating a recent stand the NJ school board: School authorities are now saying they will test each student, every Monday morning for weekend alcohol consumption with said new test.

Consenting school board members boast the new policy will be helpful to not only school officials, but also to parents who are clueless about what their teens have been up to over the weekend.

If you will remember, the battle raged several years ago over drug testing for student athletes. Some who try justifying the latest infringement on individual freedoms, point to the testing of student athletes to lull us into complacency, To me, the two are not connected for this reason: Student athlete’s routinely sign ‘letter’s of intent’ in regards to training, etc. The one my son signed as a football player and track participant, tells the athlete he will be expelled for underage alcohol use or illegal drug use.

Athletes sign these letters willingly, enabling them to participate in the sport. To me, testing to assure adherence to the rules and regulations of participation is fair. Testing every student in a high school without cause is beginning to get too ‘big brother’ for me.

Another legislative move in the name of protecting America’s children include a proposed law by California legislature to make spanking under the age of 3 illegal.

Keep in mind I don’t promote spanking young children, but to legislate something that could be battled by parental education programs is government waste at it’s best, not to mention a step in the direction of telling us all how to parent. What's next: making it illegal for us to give sporadic chocolate treats to our children to combat obesity?

It should be of no surprise for those of us watching, that our educational reform measures, along with soaring budgets and clogged judicial systems are in part, made worse by what our lawmaker’s do…on our behalf!

What do you think? Soundoff!