Washington--If speeches could be graded like test papers, then students at one public junior high school here would have given President George Bush鈥檚 unprecedented national address about drugs to school children a failing mark.
Mr. Bush鈥檚 15-minute speech, carried on national television last week, was seen by millions of students in public and private schools across the country. It came only a week after he unveiled the first national strategy to fight drugs.
鈥淪aying 鈥榥o鈥� won鈥檛 make you a nerd,鈥� he said. 鈥淚t won鈥檛 make you a loser. In fact, it will make you more friends than drugs every will.鈥�'
In the library of Lincoln Junior High School, however, students gave the President鈥檚 speech, filled with exhortations to rely on friends and family to resist the desire to use drugs, a cool reception.
鈥淗e doesn鈥檛 know what鈥檚 happening,鈥� said Romeo, a 7th-grade student 鈥淗e鈥檚 safe in the White House, but it鈥檚 not safe for us, because we might get shot.鈥�
Students at Lincoln, located in central Washington, come from neither the city鈥檚 best nor worst neighborhoods. However, in a discussion session after the speech, many indicated that they were intimately familiar with the violent drug culture that dominates many of the city鈥檚 poor and working-class areas.
Students at this 800-pupil school, almost all of whom are either black or Hispanic, were reluctant to give their names or to be photographed. A teacher said that some feared retribution from drug dealers if they could be identified.
Many said they felt the President鈥檚 speech would not improve the drug problem. Some also said they felt that Mr. Bush didn鈥檛 truly care about the issue.
鈥淗e鈥檚 only concerned about him and his wife,鈥� said a girl in the eighth grade.
鈥淭hey look to him to make the speeches because he鈥檚 the president. He can say what he wants to do but he won鈥檛 do it,鈥� said another student.
鈥淭he hustlers don鈥檛 pay the president no attention,鈥� said an 8th-grade girl.
Although the President urged his young audience to 鈥渢alk to your families鈥� and to help friends who may be in trouble, the students at Lincoln implied that Mr. Bush鈥檚 suggestions may be impractical for many.
鈥淚 say you can鈥檛 depend upon your family,鈥� said Brian, a 7th-grade student. 鈥淚 used to live next door to a family where the mother was using it, the daughter was addicted, the son, the uncles, the aunts. So you can鈥檛 depend upon your family. Once one started, they all got caught into it.鈥�
鈥淪ometimes friends have friends that hustle but they won鈥檛 do anything about it because they鈥檙e lonely,鈥� said Jose.
鈥淔riends help friends make money,鈥� said a 9th-grade boy.
Many students said the drug problem is closely linked to the values of the street, which places a premium on material goods.
鈥淚 want to ask you a question,鈥� said Romeo. 鈥淲hich one would you go with: a hustler that has a lot of money or somebody that works at McDonalds?鈥�
鈥淢ost girls would go with the hustler, because they want the fur jackets, the Adidas, the leather bags, everything,鈥� he continued. 鈥淭hey won鈥檛 go with the guy from McDonalds because he won鈥檛 have a lot of money.鈥�
鈥淗ustlers buy their girls clothes,鈥� added an 8th-grade girl.
While noting that the President did not mention drug education in his speech, the students said they doubted that school interventions could make a difference.
鈥淚 don鈥檛 think drug education helps very much,鈥� said Brian. 鈥淚 know more about drugs from home than what I can learn here.鈥�
鈥淚 can go outside on the corner and learn,鈥� he continued, 鈥渕uch more than I can learn here.鈥�
鈥淚 say, bring back the death penalty,鈥� said a ninth-grade student.
鈥淒rugs ain鈥檛 going to stop if you just put them in jail,鈥� he said, while some students said 鈥渁men鈥� and clapped in approval.
