[Mikey_1962]

The Law of Unintended Consequences in action.

Is THIS what they had in mind with the war on drugs?

Its almost as though they are saying "What have you got to hide?"

"Let us look in your bladder won't you?"

Christ Almighty.

[John Filson]

We'll put cameras on your streets, too.

[thoughtomator]

I guess you have to be that old to remember when unconstitutional searches weren't routine.

[WoofDog123]

he was lucky he wasn't taken to the hospital and tasered into compliance, as one PD did somewhere

[bwteim]

All is not lost - there is reaction against this by some parents who want him rehired.

See:

July 21, 2005, 10:06AM
Fired crossing guard gets show of support

Parents want HISD to rehire 79-year-old who was terminated for refusing drug test

By JASON SPENCER
Copyright 2005 Houston Chronicle

http://www.chron.com/cs/CDA/ssistory.mpl/metropolitan/3275476

[theDentist]

"He's the only one with loving touch. He knows you by name," said Kenneth Bonte, a student.

These days, Kenneth, that's not always a great thing. But we agree that he cares and that this should never have happpened.

[seacapn]

If they suspect he is drunk, can't they just have him blow on a breathalyzer? If he is not otherwise impaired doing his duties, then what's the point of the test?

[AxelPaulsenJr]

Hmmmm. Crossing guard, 79,

Must have been a "pop" quiz.

[Little Pig]

"If you haven't done anything wrong, you have nothing to fear".

This is exactly what the 5th amendment is supposed to prevent.

[E. Pluribus Unum]

There is no harm in treating all people (except Muslims) as potential criminals if we can save just one life.

</sarcasm>

[Cicero]

It's not entirely unreasonable to ask that people associated with school children should take random drug tests. It's important to protect children from drug dealers, as far as possible. But the whole point of random drug tests, surely, is to use a little common sense. The folks who chose him to test, and then pressed the issue, clearly had no common sense.

It's really the same with random bag checks in the NYC transportation system. It makes some sense, but not if they absolutely refuse to do elementary profiling (i.e., young males).

[goldstategop]

I understand him. For him it comes down to trust. No one in their right mind would see a 79 year old crossing guard as a habitual drug user. For the school bureaucrats, its important to make people go through a humiliating ritual to get their i's and t's crossed. Whatever happened the good old American presumption of innocence principle? The Drug Warriors have gone overboard in assuming every one who refuses to take a test must be high. The burden shouldn't be on the employee to prove he's clean, the burden should be on the government to prove he's breaking the law.

(Denny Crane: "Sometimes you can only look for answers from God and failing that... and Fox News".)

[RetiredArmy]

Light signed the form, but did not read the fine print.

At 79, he probably COULD NOT EVEN SEE THE FINE PRINT!!!

[mmercier]

Guilty or innocent, it is always best to observe ones right to remain silent. I have no problem with tests decreed due to probable cause, I have a big problem with random tests, and refuse them. Once refusal cost me a possible job, the other time I never heard anything and worked the whole job.

Drug tests by their very nature require the individual to offer evidence against ones person.

This person made the right decision, as long as he is willing to bear the consequence, otherwise he will have to give testimony for against himself in order to remain employed.

I am from Massachusetts, so I am used to this; the rest of you all better get used to the idea too, as it will soon be national policy to work for any government or private entity that deals with them.

I want to see mandatory drug tests for all elected officials and their staffers... We will have a man on mars before this though.

[Junior_G]

I've never encountered a school district policy that didn't suck. It's the glorious age of Zero Tolerance.

[Graymatter]

79 years, he should know how the world works, he should understand about impartial rules, and he should not be carrying a chip on his shoulder. Grow up!

[Republicus2001]

In related news a 5th grade student today was killed while trying to cross a busy street on the way home from school. Asked to comment, Principal Paul Bearer could only say "BUSHFAULT"

[The Grammarian]

I dislike drug tests in general, just for how invasive they are (even urinalysis).

I get to look forward to quarterly drug tests as a soldier, though (joy).

[HawaiianGecko]

 

 

	It's our litigious society that is the cause of the problem. I'm sure the school is only doing these random tests at the behest of their legal counsel. Could you imagine the problems the school district would have if a kid got injured in his cross-walk and it was found that he was high on something?  If I was the superintendent I would have pulled him into my office and tried to work it out first.

 

[sandydipper]

Bureacracy run amuck.

[coloradan]

Hey, there's no Constitutional right to own your own urine. /s