Sunday, November 23, 2003
[ Sun Nov 23, 08:32:36 PM | Christian Champ | edit ]
Old Republican coyote Bob Barr on the recent SWAT team/high school incident.
Oh, and by the way, when they're not testing students for drugs, alcohol, tobacco and, I suppose pretty soon, caffeine, school officials are disciplining kids for what they're saying to friends on their personal computers, after school hours and from their homes. Or, for what they write in their diaries.
Is it really any wonder that school officials -- empowered by parents to invade students' privacy to the extent of testing them for smoking cigarettes (whether on or off school property, and regardless of whether such horrible activity takes place during school hours or not), and reading their private e-mails after school hours -- feel they're within their rights to order a SWAT raid on students?
We also should ask what all this is teaching our youngsters. That government power can properly be exercised arbitrarily? That the best reaction is an overreaction? That you raid first and ask questions later? That a pre-emptive strike is the best course of action? That we always stand by what our government does, regardless of how egregious the violation of our liberties? That measured responses and reasonable reactions are things of the past?
Then again, I guess it really doesn't matter. Because, after all, this is precisely what those same kids see their government doing on a regular basis since 9-11.
Bravo Bob...
Old Republican coyote Bob Barr on the recent SWAT team/high school incident.
Oh, and by the way, when they're not testing students for drugs, alcohol, tobacco and, I suppose pretty soon, caffeine, school officials are disciplining kids for what they're saying to friends on their personal computers, after school hours and from their homes. Or, for what they write in their diaries.
Is it really any wonder that school officials -- empowered by parents to invade students' privacy to the extent of testing them for smoking cigarettes (whether on or off school property, and regardless of whether such horrible activity takes place during school hours or not), and reading their private e-mails after school hours -- feel they're within their rights to order a SWAT raid on students?
We also should ask what all this is teaching our youngsters. That government power can properly be exercised arbitrarily? That the best reaction is an overreaction? That you raid first and ask questions later? That a pre-emptive strike is the best course of action? That we always stand by what our government does, regardless of how egregious the violation of our liberties? That measured responses and reasonable reactions are things of the past?
Then again, I guess it really doesn't matter. Because, after all, this is precisely what those same kids see their government doing on a regular basis since 9-11.
Bravo Bob...
Wednesday, November 19, 2003
Tuesday, November 04, 2003
