Here we are, as a society, trying to figure out how to get more kids involved in positive activities, and out of gangs, to help reduce violence in and out of schools, and were going (as usual) in the exact opposite direction we need to be going.

This will only discourage kids who might be on the fringe, teetering on the edge as it were, of falling into, or staying in with the wrong crowd, from attempting to do something good with their lives.

It's interesting that we, the most incarcerated nation per capita on the planet, with approx. 50% of those being non-violent, drug related offences, also have the highest prescription drug usage of any nation, with Tennessee leading the way.

Apparently what we're saying, is that if you pay your insurance premiums and Dr. co-pays, thereby enriching the health establishment, pharmacutical and insurance companies, it's alright to take all the drugs your insurance will keep paying for; but, if God places a substance on this planet, that needs not undergo any man-made chemical process, has proven health benefits, but is difficult to tax, we should spend $30,000 dollars/year to put the person caught using that natural substance in prison.

We have LOTS of bigger issues confronting our country. One of the biggest is an out of whack perspective on health, crime, drugs, and punishment.

Perhaps if we made eating fast food a crime, since it's contribution to obesity, high blood pressure, diabetes, heart disease, and some cancers are increasing health care costs, airfares, and gas prices to the tune of Billions of dollars, we could gain energy independence, rein in exhorbitent health care costs, and balance the national debt, all at once.

There must be dozens, if not hundreds of better ideas out there. If we continued on this strand of reasoning, shouldn't we drug test EVERY student? How many BILLIONS of dollars would school systems lose when half the student population tested positive?

I guess we can't expect our legislators to be capable of higher reasoning and rational thought - they also are the product of our school system.