Guest Paul J. Berg Posted July 17, 2007 Posted July 17, 2007 ~ From The (Portland) Oregonian - July 17, 2007 Aaron Miller must have had an awful feeling in his stomach when a Clatsop County sheriff's deputy approached him in a public park this month and asked him, "Have you been smoking pot?" Miller said yes, which wouldn't be news except that a) he is an elementary school principal in the Vernonia School District, and b) the district argued all the way to the Supreme Court in 1995 that it had the right to test all student-athletes for illegal drug use. The court agreed. Schools Superintendent Kenneth Cox says he supports Miller, who will be disciplined but won't lose his job. Miller and Cox promise to speak publicly about the charge later, but both are waiting for Miller's court hearing next month. Other bits of context: Illegal drugs, including marijuana, are a high-profile issue in Vernonia and the surrounding area. For example, a postal carrier in Vernonia was recently arrested and charged with distributing pot from his delivery truck. Vernonia police conduct drug raids and seize marijuana. On the other hand, marijuana is legal to smoke for certain medical conditions, and it's not uncommon at many public gatherings, as well as on college campuses and in private homes. The Clatsop County district attorney has applauded Oregon's "sensible approach" to treating marijuana possession in small amounts as an offense on par with a speeding ticket. So Miller's conduct and his boss's defense of him are caught in crosscurrents about society's attitude toward recreational use of marijuana, about the way Vernonia schools view illegal drugs, about the difference between adults and minors, and between people in public employment and positions of leadership and those who are expected to serve under them. Should Miller's misdeed be shrugged off, or should it cause him to lose his job leading students and staff in the Vernonia School District? The district's rush to defend him and to say that his job is safe strikes us as the wrong impulse. How can a district that has, quite literally, made a federal case about the use of illegal drugs by students ignore the same offense by an adult who is charged with supervising them? How can anything the district says about avoiding drugs in the future be taken seriously by students, parents or staff? How can the district continue to justify its no-tolerance policy toward student-athletes who are found to take illegal drugs? An alternative approach for the district might have been to start by saying that Miller's job is in jeopardy, but no formal action will be taken until the case is finished. He might be allowed to keep his job, the district could have said, but only following an airing with all the stakeholders in public schools -- parents, students and staff. And Miller still would have to be disciplined and make a public apology. That would have muted the concerns about a double standard and kept the pressure on Miller and his bosses to set an appropriate example for the district's students. ~ Quote
Guest Sparrow 13 Posted July 17, 2007 Posted July 17, 2007 Jeez, pbj, you've really got a bug up your ass about pot and the people who smoke it, don't you? You really ought to hitch your wagon to another hobbyhorse, or get another hobby -- one which doesn't involve as much minding of other folks' business for them. I mean, really! Sparrow 13 Quote
Guest ChrisT Posted July 18, 2007 Posted July 18, 2007 On Tue, 17 Jul 2007 09:31:33 -0700, pjberg@webtv.net (Paul J. Berg) wrote: >~ >From The (Portland) Oregonian - July 17, 2007 > >Aaron Miller must have had an awful feeling in his stomach when a >Clatsop County sheriff's deputy approached him in a public park this >month and asked him, "Have you been smoking pot?" > >Miller said yes, which wouldn't be news except that a) he is an >elementary school principal in the Vernonia School District, and b) the >district argued all the way to the Supreme Court in 1995 that it had the >right to test all student-athletes for illegal drug use. The court >agreed. > >Schools Superintendent Kenneth Cox says he supports Miller, who will be >disciplined but won't lose his job. Miller and Cox promise to speak >publicly about the charge later, but both are waiting for Miller's court >hearing next month. > >Other bits of context: Illegal drugs, including marijuana, are a >high-profile issue in Vernonia and the surrounding area. For example, a >postal carrier in Vernonia was recently arrested and charged with >distributing pot from his delivery truck. Vernonia police conduct drug >raids and seize marijuana. > >On the other hand, marijuana is legal to smoke for certain medical >conditions, and it's not uncommon at many public gatherings, as well as >on college campuses and in private homes. The Clatsop County district >attorney has applauded Oregon's "sensible approach" to treating >marijuana possession in small amounts as an offense on par with a >speeding ticket. > >So Miller's conduct and his boss's defense of him are caught in >crosscurrents about society's attitude toward recreational use of >marijuana, about the way Vernonia schools view illegal drugs, about the >difference between adults and minors, and between people in public >employment and positions of leadership and those who are expected to >serve under them. Should Miller's misdeed be shrugged off, or should it >cause him to lose his job leading students and staff in the Vernonia >School District? > >The district's rush to defend him and to say that his job is safe >strikes us as the wrong impulse. > >How can a district that has, quite literally, made a federal case about >the use of illegal drugs by students ignore the same offense by an adult >who is charged with supervising them? How can anything the district says >about avoiding drugs in the future be taken seriously by students, >parents or staff? How can the district continue to justify its >no-tolerance policy toward student-athletes who are found to take >illegal drugs? > >An alternative approach for the district might have been to start by >saying that Miller's job is in jeopardy, but no formal action will be >taken until the case is finished. He might be allowed to keep his job, >the district could have said, but only following an airing with all the >stakeholders in public schools -- parents, students and staff. And >Miller still would have to be disciplined and make a public apology. > >That would have muted the concerns about a double standard and kept the >pressure on Miller and his bosses to set an appropriate example for the >district's students. > >~ Smoking pot is no worse than drinking and a lot less destructive to your body. Google some studies on it. We should be growing pot by the thousands of acres and making paper out of it. It makes some of the finest paper and cloth on earth. The declaration of independence was printed on hemp paper. The beauty of it is that it does not require all the dioxins and chemicals wood pulp does. Quote
Guest Lobby Dosser Posted July 20, 2007 Posted July 20, 2007 Don Barcode <"@@@.@@."@> wrote: > On Tue, 17 Jul 2007 09:31:33 -0700, Paul J. Berg wrote: > >> ~ >> From The (Portland) Oregonian - July 17, 2007 >> >> Aaron Miller must have had an awful feeling in his stomach when a >> Clatsop County sheriff's deputy approached him in a public park this >> month and asked him, "Have you been smoking pot?" >> >> Miller said yes, which wouldn't be news except that a) he is an >> elementary school principal in the Vernonia School District, and b) >> the district argued all the way to the Supreme Court in 1995 that it >> had the right to test all student-athletes for illegal drug use. The >> court agreed. >> >> Schools Superintendent Kenneth Cox says he supports Miller, who will >> be disciplined but won't lose his job. Miller and Cox promise to >> speak publicly about the charge later, but both are waiting for >> Miller's court hearing next month. >> >> Other bits of context: Illegal drugs, including marijuana, are a >> high-profile issue in Vernonia and the surrounding area. For example, >> a postal carrier in Vernonia was recently arrested and charged with >> distributing pot from his delivery truck. Vernonia police conduct >> drug raids and seize marijuana. >> >> On the other hand, marijuana is legal to smoke for certain medical >> conditions, and it's not uncommon at many public gatherings, as well >> as on college campuses and in private homes. The Clatsop County >> district attorney has applauded Oregon's "sensible approach" to >> treating marijuana possession in small amounts as an offense on par >> with a speeding ticket. >> >> So Miller's conduct and his boss's defense of him are caught in >> crosscurrents about society's attitude toward recreational use of >> marijuana, about the way Vernonia schools view illegal drugs, about >> the difference between adults and minors, and between people in >> public employment and positions of leadership and those who are >> expected to serve under them. Should Miller's misdeed be shrugged >> off, or should it cause him to lose his job leading students and >> staff in the Vernonia School District? >> >> The district's rush to defend him and to say that his job is safe >> strikes us as the wrong impulse. >> >> How can a district that has, quite literally, made a federal case >> about [flush] > > The headline I'd like to see is "WebTV units seized from moronic > cross-posting trolls" > > Good day. > Are you on web TV? Didn't look like it. Quote
Guest Don Barcode Posted July 20, 2007 Posted July 20, 2007 On Tue, 17 Jul 2007 09:31:33 -0700, Paul J. Berg wrote: > ~ > From The (Portland) Oregonian - July 17, 2007 > > Aaron Miller must have had an awful feeling in his stomach when a > Clatsop County sheriff's deputy approached him in a public park this > month and asked him, "Have you been smoking pot?" > > Miller said yes, which wouldn't be news except that a) he is an > elementary school principal in the Vernonia School District, and b) the > district argued all the way to the Supreme Court in 1995 that it had the > right to test all student-athletes for illegal drug use. The court > agreed. > > Schools Superintendent Kenneth Cox says he supports Miller, who will be > disciplined but won't lose his job. Miller and Cox promise to speak > publicly about the charge later, but both are waiting for Miller's court > hearing next month. > > Other bits of context: Illegal drugs, including marijuana, are a > high-profile issue in Vernonia and the surrounding area. For example, a > postal carrier in Vernonia was recently arrested and charged with > distributing pot from his delivery truck. Vernonia police conduct drug > raids and seize marijuana. > > On the other hand, marijuana is legal to smoke for certain medical > conditions, and it's not uncommon at many public gatherings, as well as > on college campuses and in private homes. The Clatsop County district > attorney has applauded Oregon's "sensible approach" to treating > marijuana possession in small amounts as an offense on par with a > speeding ticket. > > So Miller's conduct and his boss's defense of him are caught in > crosscurrents about society's attitude toward recreational use of > marijuana, about the way Vernonia schools view illegal drugs, about the > difference between adults and minors, and between people in public > employment and positions of leadership and those who are expected to > serve under them. Should Miller's misdeed be shrugged off, or should it > cause him to lose his job leading students and staff in the Vernonia > School District? > > The district's rush to defend him and to say that his job is safe > strikes us as the wrong impulse. > > How can a district that has, quite literally, made a federal case about > [flush] The headline I'd like to see is "WebTV units seized from moronic cross-posting trolls" Good day. Quote
Guest Rev. Bob 'Bob' Crispen Posted July 21, 2007 Posted July 21, 2007 The kindly Rev. overheard Lobby Dosser <lobby.dosser.mapson@verizon.net> saying on Fri 20 Jul 2007 12:14:17a: >> The headline I'd like to see is "WebTV units seized from moronic >> cross-posting trolls" >> >> Good day. >> > > Are you on web TV? Didn't look like it. Dull, Lobby. -- Rev. Bob "Bob" Crispen revbob at crispen dot org Ex Cathedra weblog: http://blog.crispen.org/ Justice works when the arbiter isn't driven by the impulses that drive the crime. Society is able to stand in judgement of a criminal when society doesn Quote
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