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(Fremont County, WY) – For the last 20 years I have worked in Fremont County as an attorney for children, primarily those who have been abused and neglected by their parents.
Sometimes the parents are insufficiently motivated, but more often they are neglectful or abusive because they suffer from untreated mental health issues or addictions that often began in childhood.
The current school board drug testing policy to head off drug use by children might be well intended, but it needs re-thinking.
Children are not born bad, but without parenting and mentorship and opportunities and guidance, children can indeed take a wrong turn. Sometimes the wrong turn involves drugs.
The children I represent often simply give up. Who wouldn’t? They have nothing, and most certainly not mentorship.
Once the agency people I work with have ensured a given child is being fed and clothed (and not beaten), we set about trying to find ways for the child to form positive connections, to experience mentorships. We try to get them into sports or drama or guitar lessons (something I was advocating for one child just the other day).
The point is: these children need the opportunity to be around people who can mentor them and teach them good values, teach them right from wrong, and convince them to believe in themselves, that they are worth something, that someone cares.
Obviously “my” kids are the more extreme cases, but there are many children in our schools who struggle, and then sometimes turn to drugs. Just like my clients, they, too, need the opportunity for mentorship and inspiration.
Why in the world do we have a drug testing policy that will assuredly result in precisely the children who need extracurricular opportunities the most, being excluded?
Instead of bringing an arguably criminal element (peeing in a cup) to extracurricular activities, our community (parents, teachers, pastors, neighbors, coaches etc.) needs to pay more attention to all our children and notice when a child is late, or sad, or tired, or angry, or grades have changed.
I am incredulous that a sixth grader who wants to participate in student council must pee in a cup. The solution is not discouraging anybody on the edges from participating because of a blanket drug policy. We can do better. Please fix this. Please vote.
Maggie Miller
Lander, Wyoming