The grapevine tells me that members of the media were disappointed that the controversy between the Becker Foundation and the ACLU did not result in anything newsworthy yesterday. Every school received a letter from the ACLU advising them not to have school assemblies with Becker or Ron Brown. I showed it to Mr. Sjuts and then promptly threw the letter in the trash.
Anyone who is familiar with the Becker Foundation knows that Becker has two types of programs. One that is appropriate for the public schools and one for groups outside the school that has a religious message. I understand that Mr. Becker did quote one bible passage that helped explain his brothers story. Is that one quote any different than quoting Gandhi or Dr. Martin Luther King?
The Becker message is an important one. Students see drinking (and some see drug use) as a normal part of life, and it is good for them to hear stories of what can happen if these substances are abused. Especially for those students that have made the decision not to drink or use drugs. These students need to hear that they made a good decision, when peer pressure often tells them differently.
As an EMT, I have been called to accidents involving either inexperienced drivers or alcohol, sometimes both. Anything that can be done to reduce these occurences is a good thing.
