To drug or not to drug?

Marijuana. Weed. Cannabis. Dagga. Same drug, same effects, same debate: should dagga be legalized? Marijuana has been around for ages, and now it is in every society in the world, including many schools. Even our own school. Known for its “high”, it has become extremely popular among teenagers. We all have friends who use it; in fact, it’s hard to find teenagers who don’t use it! As a teenager, I will give my naïve-16 year old opinion on some questions that are often thrown around about weed: Why do teenagers like marijuana so much?

In  my opinion,  teenagers are just bored beings who want something else to do other than their boring Maths homework, and of course the all-important; peer pressure. Marijuana has been glamorised in the media and entertainment industry by superstars from Justin Bieber to Lady Gaga. The sooner adults can accept that weed has become ‘cool’, the sooner we can actually get over it. Just take a look around your school and you will see it’s the ‘popular kids’ (as much as I hate that phrase) who talk about getting high all the time (like all the time) and the clean kids are seen as nerds. All these kids want to be “King Cannabis and Princess High”.

Why are so many teens supporting the legalization of weed? There are teens who like marijuana so much that they would advocate for the legalisation of weed if they could. “Dude, weed has some really cool medicinal effects like pain relief, helping people with AIDS and cancer and whatnot!”  This is a quintessential argument of this group. This argument irks me. It really does irk me to my core. Not that it’s dishonest, I just feel that a lot of these teens, and adults, don’t really care about helping those people but are rather using the issue as an excuse for the legalisation of weed so that they can get high without worrying about legal consequences. Because the last time I checked, you are smoking weed to get high not to benefit your health. I’m not saying that these are not good reasons to further the research into the benefits of weed, but I believe that teens should just be honest with their intentions when making a case for the legalisation of weed.

After some serious weed discipline issues at our school, there have been tough ramifications and serious discipline strategies put in place to stop isolated incidents from turning into a problem. So why the tough consequences if weed isn’t “that bad”?  Are our teachers are over-reacting? Our teachers are discouraging us from using an illegal substance! Yes, they are over-reacting. Our teachers are stopping us from taking a drug with disputed long term medical effects! Yes, they are definitely over-reacting. Our teachers are stopping us from making a decision to do a psychoactive substance! Yes, they are most definitely over-reacting. Hopefully you have caught on the sarcasm by now.

“To Drug or not to drug?”, now that is the question. You are most likely going to be offered weed as a teen and it’s up to you to make an informed decision. Make sure you know the consequences of choosing to do and not do it and you are willing to take responsibility for your actions.

Say yes to saying no?

Written by Jude Wells, Grade 11

Let’s talk about…controversial issues

“I’ll never tell a lie. I’ll never make a misleading statement. I’ll never betray the confidence that any of you had in me. And I’ll never avoid a controversial issue.” Jimmy Carter

My love for the controversial has led me to believe that stories which are contentious in nature are the ones that push our perceptions of the world to new levels. Stories have the power to make us see things in new ways and spark debate. I also believe that this blog can be the perfect platform for some intellectual debate as it is a space where you, the reader, can contribute your personal ideas and beliefs.

Thus, our main post theme for this term will be …yes, you guessed it!  ALL THINGS CONTROVERSIAL.

We, the students/bloggers/extra terrestrial super cerebral beings (lol jk, I wish) of CHS would like to give you the opportunity to build on or break down your current beliefs. We’d like to give you a possible solid ground when defending or discussing your opinion on a topic next time someone asks you, “So what do you think about…”

It’s almost cliché to say that ideas have the power to change the world. But I still think this statement is true.  Critical thinking is one of the most important life skills that we can learn. I sincerely hope that the pieces which will follow will help anyone reading them to become more informed and more active citizens. And quite frankly it would be cool if people went “Oh My Word!!! Like how could you say that?” after reading our posts.

Your editor

Nabeelah

Hint hint, nudge nudge, wink wink

Dear Mr Zuma

Another response to thePresident…

Dear Mr. Zuma

Sir I’ve got a simple question for you- “Have you heard about the Secrecy Bill or as your friends call it The Protection of State Information Bill?”Oh right, of course you haven’t. You’ve been to busy party-cipating in the planning of yet another wedding, choosing the perfect marble tiles for your tax-money-paid-for-mansion and trying to fix the plumbing in your shower head.

Since you have missed so much, let me fill you in. Your unqualified minister friends are trying to pass the “Secrecy Bill”. I’m sure they’re creating the bill for good intentions but unfortunately the bill has been written ambiguously and unfairly and therefore could be used to wrongly deny the public their right to know. Although your ministers would never abuse citizens rights for their own benefit- definitely not under your watch!

You say we live in a democratic country. Well information is the key to the public’s engagement with government and the public’s engagement with government is the key to democracy. Don’t deny us information, Sir. Don’t deny us democracy.

Sir, this countries people are not roaring, we are weeping, we are weeping for change, we don’t want this secrecy bill. The media should be able to inform us on our government’s decisions, how our tax money is used and how much of our money was used to upgrade you humble home. To be quite honest with you sir I don’t want to be reading about Nandos’ flame grilled 24-hour marinated Peri-Peri chicken, in the newspaper.  This country doesn’t need a big brother it needs a great leader who will make decisions in the interest of his people.

A great man, Edward Burke, once said that for evil to flourish, all that is required is for good men to do nothing. I beg you sir, please listen to your countries cries, be the good man you does everything in his power to make things right.

Yours sincerely,

Hhfhfjghjghjkgjkgkk  (The identification of this citizen is classified.)

Dear Mr President…About the “Secrecy Bill”

After a morning spent with “Right to Know” Campaign (in preparation for the English Olympiad), this is a response by Dayaan to the activity: “Write a letter to the President, expressing your concern about the ‘Secrecy Bill’.”

 

TO:     Chief Jacob Zuma
250 Million Rand Upgraded Private Estate
Shower Avenue
AIDS

Dear Mr. President

I am your biggest fan; and I have a lot of respect for you Mr. President Sir. I confess that the preceding line was only to persuade you into actually reading this letter. In actual fact, I do not like you very much.

Regrettably, this letter is not about me sharing my opinions about you Mr. President. I do not wish to, and do not own enough ink and paper, to point out your gross incompetence; feeble cranium capacity; and lack of morality. No, this letter has a higher purpose Mr. President Sir. I wish to open your eyes.

I wish to open your eyes Mr. President, to the back door evils of the Secrecy Bill. Pardon me; the ‘Protection of State Information’ bill. I’m sure (well, I hope) that you are well versed in the alleged “threats to constitutional rights” and much favoured “National Security” arguments. I shall not bore you with the cries of the millions of Journalists, Civil Rights groups and the thinking citizens of this nation adamantly against this bill and everything that it stands for. We all hate nosy Journalists, and those high-strung communist heal-the-world organisations are just a bureaucratic pain in the budget. As for the people, they should know by now that the government knows what’s best for … the government. Right?

Open your eyes. This is about more than just the Bill. It is more important than the itching backs shouting to be scratched. More pressing than the anticipated corporate gifts to the Zuma fund. I promise you Mr President that if this Bill is passed, it will be a huge step back in everything we’ve worked for. In the name of the teachings of the Freedom Charter, I implore you, open your eyes.

Once you do this Mr. President, you will realise that, like my trickery in the beginning of this letter, like the story you spun those judges about the arms deal, there is more to this than what you’re allowing yourself to see. Our right to know is a small little freedom. But it’ll be one less freedom that we will have.

Please Mr. President Sir. You have the Power. Don’t let them take our democracy away.

Sincerely

Mogamat Dayaan Salie

Grade 12

I wanna be free

I wanna be free

I wanna be free from thew racism

the discrimination and the violation

of my rights

i wanna be eliminated from the people

who just sit back and watch our society’s

principles, morals and values deteriorating

i wanna be excluded from the people

who crucify other people’s beliefs, thoughts and feelings

i wanna be able to practise my

religion, my traditions and cultural beliefs

with freedom

i refuse to associate myself with

tendencies and mentalities of our screwed

up society

my aim is to serve humanity and to devote

my efforts and endeavours to the good

and betterment of all mankind

by Luzuko 9b