[Congressional Record Volume 152, Number 118 (Wednesday, September 20, 2006)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1771]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                 STUDENT AND TEACHER SAFETY ACT OF 2006

                                 ______
                                 

                               speech of

                        HON. DENNIS J. KUCINICH

                                of ohio

                    in the house of representatives

                      Tuesday, September 19, 2006

  Mr. KUCINICH. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in strong opposition to the 
Student and Teacher Safety Act.
  Two days after celebrating the anniversary of the signing of the 
Constitution, this House comes to the floor to debate a bill to limit 
the protections offered by the Fourth Amendment to students in our 
Nation's schools. This bill purports to make schools safer for our 
children and the employees of those schools. Instead it adds an 
unnecessary layer of bureaucracy that protects no one.
  We make a mistake when we rely on randomized searches to prevent the 
abuse of drugs by children and ensure the peaceful resolution of 
conflict. Instead of focusing our efforts on educating our children 
about conflict resolution and engaging them in the decisions about 
their lives and futures, random searches assume all youth are the same. 
Searches of students' property may be right and entirely necessary in 
situations with reasonable evidence of wrongdoing. But randomized 
searches render all youth suspect and treat them as criminals. High 
expectations for our children may reap great rewards, but what will we 
sow with the expectation of deception?
  We should rather focus our time and energy on equipping students with 
the tools and skills necessary to make responsible decisions about 
their lives. Our guidance must not be based on suspicion and an 
expectation of poor choices. An environment of distrust will not 
encourage students to seek out teachers or administrators when they are 
in trouble or need advice. It will not help students to develop strong 
character or stand up to negative peer pressure. Instead, it will only 
further isolate them from the teachers and advisors they see every day.
  This bill will not make students and teachers safer. It will only 
create new divisions between them, I urge my colleagues to reject this 
bill.

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