I am the president of the antidrug group at my high school.
All members pledged not to use drugs or they would be kicked out,
but I know that some of the most passionate and respected members
have done so and have laughed off their commitment to the group.
Is it ethical to "tattle" on these people and basically destroy
the existence of the group, or should we continue to preach a
message that even some of us don't believe in? -- Name Withheld,
New York
You should kick them out of the group, but you should not
report them to the cops or even to school officials. Your duty as
president is not to be an auxiliary DEA agent; it is to uphold
your group's rules. Members agreed that drug use would get them
booted out, so you must lace up the boot.
As a less draconian alternative, you could permit
transgressors to resign quietly. Public shaming is not obligatory
-- no pillory, no stocks, no scarlet P for pot. But go they must,
even if their departure hastens the group's demise. Your failing
to act would betray the trust of rule-abiding members, undermine
your group's mission and invite the mockery of the school
community.
Your attitude suggests that you might also rethink your own
involvement in the group. Hypocrisy is an awkward position to
maintain for the president of a high-school club (or the
now-former governor of a large Northeastern state).
Perhaps another lesson here is that you are not as
categorically antidrug as you thought. You might be old enough to
make a more nuanced distinction between truly dangerous and
addictive drug usage and more benign, recreational consumption.
Our society is awash in mind-altering chemicals, both legal --
caffeine, alcohol, prescription drugs -- and illegal. It is part
of growing up to work out a safe, healthy and pleasurable
relationship to such things. You may be at a stage of life where
education and reflection are more important than advocacy.
UPDATE: After consulting with the group's faculty adviser,
this student decided that next school year everyone will have to
apply anew to join the group and submit to an interview.
I was "cheated" out of my prize in a sports betting pool at
work. Because two people tied for second place, the person with
the third-highest score -- me -- was eliminated. Some people
agree with the organizer, saying that three people had better
scores than I did. Some people agree with me, saying I had the
third-best score and should win the third-place money. What do
you say? -- Brad Ackerman, New York