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Show The Daily Utah Chronicle, Monday, June 2, 1986 Page Eight EDITORIAL Drug tests destroy necessary trust in work relationships 1 11 WW iWsrSi Though the idea behind drug testing in the workplace may be a noble one, it's a proposal that infringes on First Amendment rights and sacrifices the trust that is necessary in an t ill ma. t i vv iv vi morally wrong? The Constitution guarantees the rights of be The Constitution of the United States prohibits individuals to do as they please in the privacy of lawmakers from passing any law, "abridging the freedom their domain. Mandatory drug testing questions of speech, ...or the' right of the people to peaceably employees as to what they were doing while at their homes. Such a program brands employees as substance abusers. A drug testing program would also create a feeling of mistrust between the employer and the employees. Entities, such as the Salt Lake government, should keep in mind the morale of their employees before they start worrying about liability. There are many other ways of curbing alcohol and drug abuse without resorting to such drastic methods as drug testing. Educating employers to identify substance abuse among employees is a good idea. That is also part of the city's proposal to curb abuse. Once an employer identifies a substance abuse problem then that worker can be channeled to a professional for medical or psychological help. a , tr k 'U --np CK ft iv m B ., e LETTERS Make your voices heard It's x If A secoritv teAK6? ' mm relationship. Drug testing is no longer a phrase synonymous with just professional sporting teams or national companies. Entities, including the Salt Lake government, are considering mandatory drug testing for employees. Salt Lake officials say the program, aimed only at new employees, is necessary to decrease the city's liability. What city officials and Mayor Palmer DePaulis fail to realize is that such a proposal invades the privacy of potential city workers. While the city has every right to reprimand individuals for abusing alcohol or drugs while on the job, it does not have the right to question what employees do while off the job, in the privacy of their own homes. A mandatory drug test infringes on the rights citizens have to do what they want in their Editor: homes. Granted, employees should know better was with great dismay that I viewed the destruction of than to work while under the influence of a drug theItS. A.A. shanties May 29. The issue here is not whether or alcohol, but that doesn't mean an cmployei we support apartheid or divestment. The issue is much should check to make sure workers are not under more fundamental: Do students have the right to assemble at the U. and protest against issues which they believe to the influence. employer-employe- " dy. JIsSS proposal that not only benefits the employer, by preventing the problem from affecting the employees's work, but it helps the victim of substance abuse come to terms with the problem. Identifying the drug and alcohol abusers isn't as difficult as many would think. Educating see to the is the best employers symptoms method in curbing abuse. Though drug testing is meant as a positive measure, in the long run it will only prove detrimental to employers, because they will lose good employees who are either incensed with the infringement of their rights or who feel they are no longer being trusted. LHRO NICLE The Daily Utah Chronicle is an independent student newspaper published during fall, winter and spring quarters, excluding test weeks and quarter breaks, by the University Publications Council. Editorials reflect the opinion of the editorial board, and not necessarily the opinions of the student body or the administration. Subscriptions are $25 a year, f 10 an academic quarter. All subscriptions must be prepaid. Forward all subscription correspondence, including change of address, to the Business Manager, Daily Utah Chronicle, 240 Union, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, Utah 84112. assemble" (First Amendment to the Constitution.) Clearly, the students who erected the shanties are within their rights. They arc, in a nondisruptive and nonviolent manner, trying to focus attention on an issue. This issue is timely, pertinent, and asks questions that are important both at home and abroad. Moreover, the U. Administration has sanctioned this activity, thus insuring that these students are not in violation of any U. policies. This letter is not intended to persuade people to take one side or the other of the South Africa question. Instead, it is intended to point out that taking any side is legitimate, as long as that position is supported within the bounds of common sense and decency. Rather than discouraging those students protesting apartheid, the attacks on the shanties should make them aware that they are really fighting two battles: the battle against apartheid and the battle for free speech. I believe that now, more than ever, they have a moral imperative to continue their struggle and make their voices heard. Christopher M. McMahon Graduate student political science John Loertscher Pharmacy Get nuclear know-ho- w Editor "I am not uninformed and I have not sufficient reason to believe I am misinformed" These are the words of English major Kent Anderson in his letter of May 28. Yet Anderson is not capable of understanding "techno-tongue- ." To claim to understand is mutually exclusive to the claim of not understanding. This technique is used when no contrary logical argument exists. One of the objects of the letter Anderson attacks was obviously to demonstrate that the subject of nuclear engineering is very complicated. If Anderson believes a layman's understanding of any technically complicated system is complete, then why doesn't he support the elimination of all professional degrees and licenses? Mr. Anderson again missed the point of the TMI-- 2 example. If nuclear power generation is as dangerous as the "quacks" say it is, then why was the system still intact after four hours of the worst series of events imaginable in a nuclear power system? Where are the millions of dead the gleefully prophesy? I fail to see the cleverness of being afraid of a nuclear system so forgiving. As for educating the public, perhaps Anderson should obtain all the facts before making a conclusion. Kevan Crawford is very active in the Nuclear Engineering Laboratory High School Education Program as well as the Facility Tour Program. Both programs deal with the. public and require a tremendous amount of time. like to claim that all nuclear educators have a monetary interest in nuclear education and are not to be trusted. But ignoring the millions of dollars generate from "free education," Crawford does not receive any compensation for in these programs. My advice to Anderson participating is that he know what he is talking about before he opens his mouth to expose his brains. anti-nuk- es Try staging a real protest Editor: Finals are coming. Now I can start sweating out my immunology final. After that I am leaving campus for the summer. Most other students have a similar tale. People will try to forget school and other related things. Will the id movement survive? I think it will. I know that there are a handful of dedicated people who will ensure its survival. I don't care a bit about the grass that is being ruined. I do however, think that the shanties are accomplishing very little. I also think that most of the people involved in this movement are doing it because it is fashionable. Please do not misunderstand me, I know that apartheid vis dead wrong. It must be stopped if South Africa is to survive. I don't know if divestment is the answer. Perhaps if the activists would stage a real protest, then they would get better results and a good idea of who is truly dedicated to their movement. Stage a anti-aparthe- anti-aparth- Editorial Board: Peter Behle, Marva Bickle, Shauna Bona, Lisa Carricaburu, Shia Kapos, John Youngren. Editor-in-Chi- hunger strike. That would be impressive. That would also give you my support. One group of people that will never receive my support are the "gutless wonders" who demolished the shanties. If they dislike their presence then they should complain to the administration and ask that they be removed. I see violence brewing and I anxiously await it. To quote Frank Zappa, "The meek shall inherit nothing." ef News Editor Editorial Editor Sports Editor City Editor Photography Editor Copy Editor Extra Editor Asst. Editorial Editor Peter Behle Lisa Carricaburu Shia Kapos John Youngren Marva Bickle Steve Griffin Dory Donner Fara Warner Shauna Bona1 non-techni- cal Anti-nuk- anti-nuk- es eid Asst. Sports Editor Reporters Photographers Business Manager Ad Representatives es Robert Deadman Laboratory technician Mechanical engineering department Mike Prater Lorcn Jorgensen Donn Walker Amy Page Drew Staffanson Dee L. Naquin Todd Crosland Bill Brussard Robert McOmber Accountant Kay Andersen aassifieds DawnBacher Production Manager Production Assistants Randv Shcya Todd Crosland Mark Murphy Janet Taylor Christine Dangerfield jjn Aggeler Rick Chase Alan Overmoe John Hausknecht Robb Wclch Tetters Rodney Dallin Greta Doutre |