The discussion going on about this subject is facinating.
Maybe we should take ten deep breaths, roll our eyes back and then tackle
this issue from another perspective.
 
The museum community is loaded with professionals who are very good at
researching subjects.  Lets turn them on to the topic of manditory drug testing.
Who knows, maybe we'll end-up with a great traveling exhibition on the right
to privacy.
 
Lets build our beach one grain of sand at a time.
 
My suggestion would be to start with existing case law on the subject.  From
there we can develop our POV's.  In following the discussion thus far,
sometimes I think we are letting our hearts get the best of our heads.
 
Each of us can think of one group or individual who should be subject to
manditory drug testing.  How can that be?  Are we being fair?  Are we "right?"
Is it legal when my neighbor, the train engineer, has to be tested and I
don't even though I may be an independent truck driver who drives 100,000
miles a year?
 
There are legal tests to help us with our arguments.  Because we are a
society based on the rule of law, sometimes these tests work against our
personal points of view.  That's a price we pay for agreeing to live in a
society with a high degree of personal freedom that sometimes gets out of
control.
 
My personal point of view on the subject is, I'm against manditory drug
testing except...?  For me the devil is in the ellipsis.  I never know when
someone else is putting my name or group after the word "except."
Consequently, enlightened self-interest has me reading case law sometimes to
find out how others got singled out for "special treatment."
 
Our system of juris prudence does a pretty good job of not being arbitrary
and capricious.  Thankfully, we also rely heavily on the concept of due process.
If we focus our researchers on the subject of manditory drug testing, we
should be able to take care of the "ellipsis" in our midst.
 
Hey, how's that for a privacy right exhibition title..."Ellipsis In Our Midst"
Sorry, a little museum humor...very little?
 
Rich Jones
Shasta Natural Science Association
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