I am writing in response to the opinion, "Professor, Students Arrested on Drug Charges," in the Feb. 4 issue. The writer states, "Behavior Was Inappropriate but Is Mainly a Personal Matter." In the "real" world, the use of illegal drugs is certainly not a personal matter. I say this because you are drug tested in order to get and keep a lot of jobs - even low paying, entry-level jobs such as gas station attendant or a worker in a nursing home. If entry level, low-paying jobs won't hire a person because of the use of illegal drugs, the standard apply to a person in the professional world.
I don't wish to point the finger at anyone. I am merely interested in pointing out the double standard and hypocrisy of the world we live in. Also, the prisons in the United States are filled with poor people who committed petty drug crimes and couldn't afford a good lawyer to get the drug charges dropped. I'm sure many of these people would settle for a tarnished reputation.
Photo: Courtesy of Laron Fomby
