D.A.R.E. Graduation

Okay, I'm not such a hippie I'd say it's great for kids to take drugs. But I went to Em's D.A.R.E. graduation today, and I'm troubled.

First off, the whole Fifth Grade graduated. You can't tell me there wasn't at least one mouthy kid who should have failed this course. Even in my day, there was a kid (who later shot himself in a Deer Hunter re-enactment) who would have tried to get the D.A.R.E. officer high.



For the record, I am not in favor of Em experimenting with narcotics. But the things they say in D.A.R.E. are so ridiculous as to be counterproductive.

One of the 'winning essays' talked about cigarettes, saying that they are 'practically impossible' to quit. Well, I quit them eleven years ago, addictive personality and all. What are we saying, if you cave once, you might as well light up and shrug it off as impossible to quit??

More importantly, what happens when a kid is told all drugs, from chewing gum to cocaine is instant death, and they see their peers smoking, drinking, blowing a J, etc., and then a friend says, 'no really, this Krylon huffing is the shit,' why is the kid to believe you weren't full of shit across the board?

Also, they started off with a 'video' that consisted of a band made up of cops. Aviator sunglasses, uniform blouses, etc.

Thing is, when I was in Fifth Grade, presented with a clear-cut choice between drugs and sobriety with this band illustrating sobriety, I wouldn't be able to find dope fast enough. I'd take it just to distance myself from this transparent authoritarian shit.

But what generational equivalents do we have? Duck & Cover? Or should we go back to the message I got in grade school, that the U.S. and Soviet high commanders both had their fingers over a button they were just itching to push, any second now, we're all toast?




In any case, Em went across the stage so fast, she was a blur.