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Jim and others concerned
> Sir you are correct about the follow up program, just like anything in life
>the more you do something or the more you stay on top of something, the
>better the response or a better possibility of winning over a troubled youth.

The serious academic studies clearly show that DARE does not reduce drug use by kids but actually increases it over the long term. There are plenty of competing programs that produce better results.
See "Making the Grade" from Mathea Falco
Drug Strategies
Wash DC 202-663-6090 fax.202-663-6110

Why should we do more of a program that does not work in order to attempt to get a positive reading?
Rather than try to rehabilitate DARE, lets put in programs taught by health and education professionals. The problem with DARE is this: the Drug War is a political campaign endorsed by the majority but inflicted on a peaceful American minority, the adult, responsible drug users who are harming no one, plus the taxpayers who are getting terrible results from the two-decades long, $40 billion/year police/criminal/prosecution campaign. Policemen in uniforms with guns in the classroom reinforce the wrong ideas that drug use should be illegal and should be dealt with by cops, courts and prisons.

> You have to remember the DARE program is not an enemy or some sort of evil
>satanic thing it is an attempt to help the future of America.

It is actually a campaign to
1) demonize marijuana users
2) do public relations for the multi-billion dollar police oriented campaign of unconstitutional repression against a peaceful minority
3) to destroy the Bill of Rights
4) to make a whole lot of money for police departments and lawyers.
Too many people this is immoral and evil. The fact that the groundwork is being done by honorable, likable and well-meaning cops does not make it better, it is merely the means of the deception. Finally, this deception is being perpetrated on children and their frightened parents. The science shows that DARE does not work in its stated objective but that it is primarily effective as a police public relations vehicle. This is a deceptive use of the children and their parents' trust.

>Some of the DARE material can be a bit dry and even possibly needs a little retooling;
>however, I firmly believe the material is good and like the saying goes it's the singer and not the song, that if the material is presented in the right way it does work.

The DARE message is:
"The right way to deal with drugs is to arrest people and put them in prison".
If that were not the essential message, why should a program about health be taught by police rather than educators? The "singer", in this case, is a shill, a mask for the real message of DARE's founder, Daryl Gates, who told Congress in no uncertain terms, "All casual drug users should be taken out and shot." He really said that in front of Congress, he really meant it, and that is ultimately the message of DARE. Millions of Americans disagree with this, so DARE should not be force fed to our children to support a wrong public policy by enlisting the kids in what is essentially a political struggle. You are an unknowing foot-soldier in a propaganda war being waged by the religious right wing. That makes using the children truly immoral and totally reprehensible. "Satanic" is a foolish children's fad. DARE is a cynical, intelligent propaganda campaign with helpless children as the target.

>I personally would like to know the other materials you remark about that
>would be better than DARE.

See Falco.

>As far as the Police relations issue, I find it hard to swallow that the dare
>program is unethical. I know many officers that do the program on their day
>(s) off with very little monetary compensation. However greatly rewarded
>with the wealth of knowing they tried to make a difference. I personally
>know that I have made a difference in many children's lives.

Fine, let's get rid of the DARE drug program and instead have a "We like
police" program and let the health educators tell kids about drugs.

>I can't speak for all DARE officers but I do attempt to keep in touch with my
>former students. I also play lead guitar and write public safety rock and
>roll songs about issues such as drug abuse,alcohol abuse, drinking and
>driving, peer pressure, racial equality and violence and self-esteem issues.
>We even released a CD that is a big hit in the area. Without sounding
>pretentious the program does work.

The scientists and the data tell a different story. Kids who take DARE are more likely to use drugs. Period.

No matter how nice you are, no matter how warmhearted and good you are, DARE is a propaganda campaign that supports a controversial social program which suppresses a free American minority under the disguise of a public health program. And it does this by feeding a blatantly political message to unsuspecting children. That is immoral. How would it be if the job of the nice DARE cops was to go to classrooms and tell the children that a particular religion is the correct one and that dissenters will be :"helped" with arrest, imprisonment and possibly death?

>I look forward to having my daughters go through the program and even hope to
>be the presenter when they go through 5th grade. I can sense a lot of
>misplaced anger with the police and the DARE program, I don't know why there
>is so much anger and aggression, but you are entitled to your feelings as I
>am mine, and that's what makes the world go round.

If you were in the oppressed minority, you would understand my view. But since you are a member of the ruling majority, with the guns, with the prisons, with the police, with the force of a "popular" but immoral law, and especially because your job DEPENDS on continuing this war on American citizens, you cannot relate to this viewpoint. If you were the relatives of Donald Scott (shot by county sheriffs during a raid on his ranch. They found no marijuana plants but admitted that they'd hoped to seize the guy's property). Amadou Dialo, the little girl in Riverside, or one of the millions of people put in prison for marijuana, you would not find the anger to be misplaced. You cannot understand why people are angry at cops. It is because the cops have allowed themselves to be used by a religious campaign to suppress a minority. The cops are morally repugnant, bankrupt because they allow themselves to be used by the political/religious campaign FOR MONEY, but we know that the real target of our anger is the cynical religious majority shoving their drug war down our throats. The anger is real and right on target. You should not be surprised that millions of people consider cops to be malevolent, hostile representatives of a ruling majority.

>As far as the program hurting kids, that's a no brainer, I can't begin to
>tell the number of children that shared things (negative) with me that they
>would not tell their teacher or guidance counselor. And it's not because I'm
>in a uniform it's because I care.

So you disagree with the results of the major study by the University of Illinois Criminal Justice Department ? Perhaps you can explain where Dr. Rosenbaum's analysis went astray?

> I find it absurd that this program hurts children.

While the science clearly shows that DARE is bad for children and does not meet its stated goals, my most pressing objection is that it is an immoral use of children in a partisan political campaign. It is also an immoral use of police against me and my brothers while we are forced to pay for the oppression with our taxes.

>The men and women the do this job do not because
>someone is holding a gun to there head but because they really are trying to
>make a better place for young people as well as trying to make it a better
>place for their own children, and also for you sir..

So you are making the world safe by putting potheads in prison and taking their homes and cars?
Can you really believe this? Please stop making us "safe" in this way. Go catch a murderer, a rapist, a thief.

>For If we get through to these kids now while they're young that' s one less possible person that won't commit a crime when they are older.

There is zero evidence that marijuana users commit crimes at any greater rate than Baptists.
Your energy is misplaced, or rather, your message is deceptive. You are not prosecuting dangerous people, you are trying to get rid of a culture you don't like, which questions authority and does not believe the government handouts. That is what you don't like.

>Let's face it some kids have no support at home and I can come and speak with them until I'm 90 and it probably won't work, however if there's a kid that has someone at home , Aunt or Uncle or Grandparent, and they are teetering about drug use I will win them over, no question about it. I look forward to hearing from you take care and God Bless