Editor,
One mistake should not ruin a career. How many mistakes does it take to ruin an African-American career? It is so interesting to me that so many people are in an uproar over a column written by an African-American student who was exerting her First Amendment right. Would it have been better if she were a white male? Meghan Crosby's column (Justice sees very well through the blindfold
April 21) merely asked questions and stated public facts.
No one is saying that Richard Harrision is a drug dealer, nor was that implied; if you read carefully, she writes that one gram of powder cocaine generally yields five to ten doses. That means Harrison had enough on him to be charged with intent to distribute. Nothing in that statement suggested that Harrison was selling or going to sell; it just emphasizes to those without prior drug abuse knowledge the significance of one gram of cocaine. Furthermore, the column also does not suggest that Harrison is a bad person; it merely asked the question, Is it acceptable for a university official to engage in such behavior without consequences?
Good people do bad things all the time, but some are not as fortunate to have the support network Harrison has. It is clear that Harrison needs some form of intervention. Nevertheless, Harrison's having a clean record does not mean this is his first time breaking the law; it just means this was the first time he was caught. As a university official, Harrison has a responsibility to uphold the rules and regulations of university policy 41.133, which states:
... Any employee found to be illegally possessing or using alcohol or other drugs or being under the influence of such shall be subject to appropriate sanctions. A disciplinary sanction may include the completion of an appropriate rehabilitation program. Such sanctions may include referral for prosecution and/or termination of employment. Employees are guaranteed due process ... All university employees shall
as a condition of employment
abide by the following requirements:
