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Share Your Thoughts on Federal Drug Policy
Maybe you are one of the lucky ones, but nearly all of us have been in contact with at least one family whose children have fallen to the temptation to get involved with illegal drugs. Perhaps your direct - or indirect experience - can shed light for other parents on the current drug policy that bars federal financial aid from being awarded to a student who has been convicted of the use of illegal drugs. Whether you agree with the policy or not, please share your thoughts. Thank you.
This entry was posted
on Monday, February 5th, 2007 at 11:17 am and is filed under College, General, High School, Campus Life.
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May 16th, 2008 at 9:30 am
There needs to be more stringent laws governing the way colleges manage and supervise their dorms where the use of drugs and alcohol remains virtually unsupervised. And colleges should have to pay heavy fines for not providing safe, drug and alcohol free dorms. Sure the student gets punished, but what about the college? They are not inspected, do not have strict requirements to follow–they are self governing and seem to operate like island cults, free from the laws that govern the rest of society. If a parent has a question about dorm life or is concerned about their child, the college has every right to exclude that parent from having any contact with their child on campus. It is ridiculous. Why have we as a country given colleges and universities free reign to deal with our children as they see fit?
February 10th, 2007 at 3:07 pm
Dear President Boyle:
I strongly disagree with your point of view in this matter. There are to many instances in our society in which the the youth of America are allowed to get off the hook for illegal actions. I do not consider the use of illegal drugs “a relatively minor mistake” as you stated. Rewarding those who break the law is not my idea of raising our children properly. Rather than contining this direction, I submit we should hold those who break the law fully responsible.
I have worked hard to instill in my three children the difference between right and wrong. I am very proud that they have never been in trouble. Even with federal and state aid, I have gone into debt in excess of $100,000 to provide my children with the best college education possible. Where is their/my reward for being good?
I propose allocating the tax payers dollars you want to give to those who have broken the law back to those who have stayed out of trouble in the form of loan waivers, as a reward for being outstanding members our society. Than perhaps our youth will think twice before breaking the law by using illegal drugs and parents will be encouraged to be more involved in their child’s actions. Just think, we can teach our children they will be rewarded for being good. They will than teach their children the same. Now we’re addressing the root of the problem.
Illegal drug use is too serious an issue to be rewarded. Over and over we see situations where those who use illegal drugs get off with little or no penalties. Look what’s happening in the world of sports. And it starts at a young age. This cycle must end.
I realize you will not post this disagreeable response on the website.
Very truly yours,
Tim
February 7th, 2007 at 2:17 am
It is truly unfortunate for those individuals with criminal convictions for drug use, possession, or dealing when it comes to obtaining financial aid to attend institutions of higher learning. It isn’t hard to imagine the consequences of denial of financial aid. Depression, impaired social and family life, and dire financial consequences are maybe just a few of the possible miseries associated with the stigma.
How to break the spiral of this stress? Well, eliminating too much repression from external controls, that is, the ban on financial aid in this case, might be one such step toward breaking the spiral. The ban does need to be reviewed as too severe a penalty.
Other steps would include the individual’s initiative: setting responsible goals and adhering to them. seeking out allies — perhaps even a lawyer to expunge minor convictions — who can be a support group, and maybe examining one’s own internal motivation for getting involved with substances. What does it do for an individual?
No one is an island. Our internal controls and society’s external controls intermesh. And substances and their consequences will always be with us, both legal and illegal.