I was able to get my hands on a transcription of the speech that San Diego State University SSDP President Randy Hencken gave to many San Diego media outlets at a protest to "Operation Sudden Fall". Randy is very well spoken and you can read the details in his speech. ABC News ran a story mentioning the protest and also included excerpts from Randy's speech.
Good morning,
Before me are 77 chairs and 77 diplomas, each representing a young
person who was recently a student here at SDSU, but who is no longer
with us. 2 of them were recently lost to tragic, yet preventable drug
overdoses. And 75 of them were arrested as part of yesterday's
reactionary drug sting.
77 students are gone from campus, but we must ask ourselves, has drug
abuse left the campus as a result? Are students any safer from dying of
an entirely preventable drug overdose? Sadly, the answer to both
questions is "No."
As students and parents who have seen the devastation that drug abuse
can cause, we know that preventing abuse, addiction, and overdose is an
essential undertaking. So it would be comforting for us to believe that
yesterday's sensational arrests signal an end to drug abuse on this campus.
But we've seen those big piles of drugs and money on our TV screens
before, over and over again, for the past 3 decades, and the
availability of drugs has not changed. So long as students have a desire
to use illegal drugs, and so long as the policy of prohibition sustains
a lucrative black market, drug stings will do little more than create
openings for others to step in and supply these drugs. If anything, new
dealers will probably come from off campus, be better armed, and present
a greater threat to SDSU students.
Are we defending the students' decision to break the law? Of course not.
But we must question a system of prohibition that lures entrepreneurial
students into becoming drug dealers, and which will continue to do so
even after we lock up hundreds of our peers.
SDSU should instead pursue effective alternatives that actually address
drug abuse problems, including overdose.
Good Samaritan Policies are such an example. These policies, which are
being adopted by colleges with increasing frequency, protect students
who call for help during overdose emergencies. It is a policy that has
been proven to save lives. In fact, researchers found Cornell
University's Good Samaritan Policy to have dramatically increased the
amount of 911 calls related to overdoses, ensuring that students'
safety remains the school's top priority.
And if that's what this is really all about -- improving the safety of
students on campus -- then the biggest tragedy of all is that this drug
sting will make students more hesitant to call for help during overdose
emergencies, placing even more students at risk.
SDSU officials can ensure that this doesn't happen by enacting a
life-saving Good Samaritan Policy immediately.
Thank you.
