There has been considerable soul searching and abstract
political thought on this list about the Mandatory Drug Testing
issue, some of which (as noted by one respondant) has strayed
away from the museum topic.
 
I just want to suggest one motive (not yet posted) for museums
to initiate drug testing.  As a population group drug users
have a higher incidence of AIDS and positive HIV tests.  Health
insurance companies have been known to try to drop such high
risk individuals -- even as they are making medical claims.  It
would seem too calculating and mean and obviously
unconstitutional -- there would be much to much opposition --
to terminate all HIV positive individuals or to test for them.
By picking on a high incidence group -- drug users -- nearly
the same results can be achieved -- without the moral
indignation of the majority of museum personnel.
 
This is just an hypothesis, but it seems to make sense in the
light of no clear motive coming out of such institutions
initiating such tests.
______________________________________
Robert A. Baron
Museum Computer Consultant
P.O. Box 93, Larchmont, NY 10538
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