[A Trip to Magic Mountain - An Anti-Anti-Drug Rant]
In a sense when children are introduced to the D.A.R.E. program and
other anti-drug programs, they are being taken to a fabulous
amusement park like Magic Mountain and being told that they aren't
aloud to go on any of the rides...
The big, nice, anal retentive man in the black and blue uniform
comes into the room full of helpless, open minded little children,
filling their little heads with thoughts of a spinning world, with
no cares, no problems, no stress and no pain. Then they tell them
that they aren't allowed to do all of these wonder-ful things that
are so carefree and nice because they will hurt the child, they will
"deflate the child's balloon" was one analogy that was forced upon
me when I was in D.A.R.E. Kids start to believe that smoking pot
occasionally is the same as rapeing someone or shooting heroin, that
is what I was lead to believe anyhow... and can you imagine how I
must have felt when I found out my dad smoked pot, HELL! I was only
nine years old and fresh out of the D.A.R.E. program thinking
that my dad must also be a murderer if he smoked pot!
Once this sort of information is forced upon the child, he begins to
make decisions not for him/herself but for the D.A.R.E. program, and
for the nice officer who told them what to do and what not to do,
and who to believe and who to tell if someone in your family or one
of your friends is involved with drugs.
Maybe the things these people tell the kids isn't wrong, but at
least let them make their own choices instead of forcing
stereotypes on them.
-The New Guy
(inspired by a fellow student)
