Government bribes schools to require drug tests

Everyone feared the day when American public schools began subjecting every student - not just kids in extracurricular activities - to forced drug testing. I don't think it's quite here yet - except maybe in one or two districts - but it's getting closer.

And the federal government is bribing schools to do it!

Numerous schools have received a federal grant from Bush's drug czar office to subject students to random drug tests. The Record newspaper of northern New Jersey says this usually only afflicts students in athletics or school clubs, or those who drive to school, but the implication is that the program is expanding to a much larger pool of students - perhaps all.

As is always the case with right-wing gimmicks like this, the idea created a furor at first, but then it died down when people were bullied enough into going along with it.

Drugs tests aren't even fully accurate, so there's not just the groundless search and privacy issues, but also other issues surrounding due process and presumption of innocence.

When forced drug tests expand to every student, I guarantee there will be another round of court battles. So if an activist court approves that scourge too, it will be interesting to see the conflict of laws that results. In other words, if a student is barred from school for not taking a drug test, but also required to go to school under the attendance laws, which policy is going to win out? Obviously, you can't obey both.

(Source: http://www.northjersey.com/education/educationnews/Fed_grant_boosts_random_drug_tests_at_River_Dell.html)