The decision though leaves students with less rights than the average citizen.

Justice Antonin Scalia’s written opinion justifying random drug testing in the Oregon school was because students, particularly athletes, are entitled to less protection under the 4th amendment than adults.

Rights of American citizens are being robbed from them before many can grasp the concept.

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Countering Scalia’s opinion, Justice Sandra Day O’Connor, said the court ignored 200 years of law in authorizing blanket searches of a majority of guilt free students.

But some coaches and athletic administrators contend it is a privilege rather than a right to be part of a school’s team. In a day where stars of professional sports are turning up as substance abusers, the testing of athletes at early stages in their career may be justified. Role models are forged from an early age and this is the only way in which this policy makes sense to me. But do student athletes shoot for professional status in sports to become role models for the nations youth? In my opinion, no.

This ruling leaves student athletes with the status of second class citizens, where amendments to the constitutional rights of being an American are ignored. There will be other steps taken, no doubt, as a result of this ruling to put more persons of this free country at risk of becoming treated as second class citizens who’s rights are ignored.

As individual rights are widdled away slowly but surely by the government, the people of this country must make a stand in preserving what independence remains.

Jason E. Coyne is a senior from Naperville, majoring in Journalism.