 [61] TALK.POLITICS.DRUGS (1:375/48)  TALK.POLITICS.DRUGS 
 Msg  : #5175 [236]                                                             
 From : Kenneth L. Beal Jr.                 1:2613/335      Mon 08 Aug 94 04:03 
 To   : All                                                                     
 Subj : What Legalized Drugs Would Be Like                                      

From: fnord@satelnet.org (Kenneth L. Beal Jr.)
Organization: SatelNET

This is a follow-up to a previous post I sent.  It's not completely on
topic, but it references previous data (my sister), so I figured I'd post
it anyway.  Some of you may be interested.  And it's good anecdotal
evidence, and helps to calm me as well.

My sister went for a physical a short while ago (a week or two), and
while she was there my mom figured it would be a good time to spring the
drug test on her -- since it had been more than a month since the school
(Pingree, South Hamilton, MA) sent her (my sister) to a therapist who
recommended drug testing (i.e. my mom's smart enough to give my sister
enough time to chill things out).

She took it okay, nobody went into the rest room with her, and my family
went to Maine the following weekend (to see relatives; I'd like to get up
there someday too, but I'm stuck in S. Florida for now until the bills
magically get paid off ;-)  ).  When they got back, the doctor called and
said the container had leaked on its way to the lab, and they needed
another specimen.  By then, my sister had already partied, and told my mom.

I convinced my mom that sending my sister right back would be a VERY BAD
THING, since it would be on a record and even though she's 15, it might
still adversely affect her future (politics, security clearance, etc).
So they're going to wait a month before sending her back.  (Anyone
knowing anything about this, one way or the other, please respond/reply:
I'd like to be able to tell my parents conclusively.)

This greatly upsets me.  I'd like my sister to grow up knowing that
PERFORMANCE is the issue, not whether you enjoy yourself or not.  If she
can get straight As (or meet her deadlines), then it doesn't matter
whether she smokes pot on the weekends, or whether she's tripping on acid
at the office -- as long as she gets the job done in the timeframe
specified, what does it matter?  (Mary: please answer the previous question.)

I DON'T want her to grow up thinking "drugs are bad"; rather, I want her
to grow up thinking, "I have to provide value to people who are willing
to provide value to me."  In other words, get the job done on time.  And
if possible, do more than the "meets minimum" requirements.  That will
impress the boss and get you a raise.  Weekends, or even evenings, are
yours to do with what you want.  Some I spend honing my coding skills;
others I blow typing shit into the Net.  I should spend more on the
former, but it's good to see what kind of people are out there, and it's
also good to get my libertarian memes heard; a kind of "representation
without taxation."

At any rate, I hope you all sleep well at night.  Mary included.  I worry
somewhat, myself, since a few of my neighbors smoke pot (I can smell it
through the windows every other night), and I envision a repeated "wrong
number no-knock search" such as the one that happened in Boston recently,
and claimed the life of that retired Minister.  But with enough beer, I
can get to sleep okay.  ;-)
--
Kenneth L. Beal, Jr.                                       fnord@satelnet.org
"Vicky, I don't want an adversarial relationship ... so don't f*ck with me."
-- I speak only for the mass of blood and gristle which responds to "Ken?" --

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