D.A.R.E. to keep your kids off drugs!

Hello all, I'm back! I know it's been a while. It started out that I was just taking a little break, then when I was ready to come back nothing seemed important enough to post about. Then it just got ridiculous, I'd been away so long I just had no idea where to start. So, I guess, lets start with yesterday. :)

Yesterday my daughter Erica came home from school with a permission slip for D.A.R.E. I thought she knew better. Turned out she did. She had told her teacher, Ms. Anderson, that she would not be participating in D.A.R.E., that as a parent, I just do not approve. Ms. Anderson then requested that Erica bring home the permission slip so that I could list my objections on the back. That was a new one. As most of you know, I have three children, Erica being the youngest, and have not allowed them to participate in this fine tax dollar funded program. My reason? Propaganda should never take the place of good parenting.

D.A.R.E., and other programs like it, have a great goal, who wants a drug addicted youth? The problem is that they attempt to attain that goal in an ends justifies the means fashion. They use half truths and inflated statistics to scare children away from drugs. I prefer another way, honesty. I respect my children and their intelligence. I know that to partake, or not, is a decision they will make for themselves. I myself chose not to even though some of my friends did. My choice was made because of the honest information given to me by my father, and the observation of my mother, coupled with the desire to end up nothing like her. It had nothing whatsoever to do with PR campaigns and catchy slogans. In truth, by the time I was making that particular decision, those things had become a joke. In this way, my 16 and 14 year old sons have attested that nothing has changed.

Erica has pleaded with me, professing the fun they have, while she is allowed to do nothing. I told her that 'Hitler Youth' had fun too. She complained that the other kids will tease her. This I felt bad for, as sad as it is, it does happen to be true. In fact last year, it wasn't just the kids, the office staff was mean to her thinking that she was in there because she was being punished and had been bad enough that she was not allowed to participate (don't worry, I set them straight, Erica received her apology first thing the next morning). After school, teachers, other children, and even the officer running the program singled her out wanting to know why. When she told them, the adults didn't seem to understand, and the other kids thought she was weird. It's my belief that the real reason she wants to participate is she wants to avoid all of that. I do feel for her, I just don't think it's the way to go.

Oh well, I told her that if she has problems after school with it this year, she needs to tell them that she doesn't have the time, she has to run home and light the crack pipe for her mommy. I wonder if I should write that on the back of the permission slip?