:: Event Horizon ::

:: Wednesday, July 03, 2002 ::

Loose Lips Can Sink Ships -- Again
The National Security Agency has updated the World War II "Loose Lips Sink Ships" campaign, commissioning a series of public service print ads by the Trahan, Burden & Charles, Baltimore ad agency. The new print campaign uses dramatic patriotic art of military personnel at work along with cautionary captions warning of the need to protect information during the war on terrorism. As an Army brat, I'd have to say that my favorite is the Army poster. I wonder if they will bring back victory gardens, dramatically narrated "news from the front" before movies, and war bonds?

:: Joel 2:29 PM [+] ::
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Court OKs Random Drug Tests in Schools
There was an important court ruling last week. No, I don't mean the Pledge of Allegiance ruling, that no longer has the force of law after the judge placed his ruling on hold. And no, I don't mean the school voucher ruling, which is not about religion but about access to private schools (many of which happen to be religious, but not all), and private schools have always been part of the life of our country. I'm talking about the ruling allowing random drug tests in schools. What is really astonishing about this ruling is that the Supreme Court Justices ruled that, "schools' interest in ridding their campuses of drugs outweighs students' right to privacy, allowing the broadest drug testing yet of young people whom authorities have no particular reason to suspect of wrongdoing." In other words, the Court ruled that random drugs tests are allowed without probable cause, without a warrant, without so much as a suspicion of criminal activity. I wonder what happened to the Fourth Amendment's prohibition against unreasonable search? What could be more unreasonable than to assert that the state authority can test whomever they want just because they feel like it? I'm extremely worried about the long-term implications of this ruling. Would a generation of students raised under these rules be more likely to assent to similar violations of civil liberties in the workplace? After all, if schools have an overriding interest in a drug free environment, can't the same be said for the modern workplace? What about airports and train stations? I think history may well record that of the three major court rulings last week, this one was by far the most significant for the future of liberty in the United States.

:: Joel 2:23 PM [+] ::
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