Shayla Myers RS3
Anna Crozes. “Recreational marijuana from a teacher’s perspective (OPINION).” The Oregonian: Oregonlive. Oregonlive.com. 28 Jul. 2015. Web. 28 Jul. 2015.
In Anna Crozes’ article “Recreational marijuana from a teacher’s perspective (OPINION),” Anna personally addresses her complaint on the controversy of marijuana. Through OregonLive, the official Oregonian Newspaper, this former High School teacher speaks up as the voice of teachers who oppose recreational marijuana. To Anna, the word “public space” has now become inconsistent with what she believes is personal freedom. Therefore, she argues recreational marijuana should be abolished.
Anna’s Croze is a former High School teacher, and a current elementary school teacher in the city of Northeast Portland, Oregon. Ever since marijuana was recreationally legalized in her state for ages 21 and over, marijuana has become more relevant to her life. “The word ‘public’ is defined in Webster’s as ‘relating to or affecting all the people or the whole area of a nation or state.’” Stating the definition of the word “public” immediately calls out the audience of marijuana users. This intended sarcasm was to bring attention to the public smokers indefinite impact on those who surround them.
It is implied that Anna herself does not take lightly how often marijuana interferes with her, outside of teaching. “I have been exposed to marijuana smoke coming out of a Mariners game… a concert at the Sleep Country Amphitheater… and, on a few occasions, in the parks near my home.” All of the areas Anna has stated was throughout public spaces, not only meant for her, but for everyone’s enjoyment. However, with Anna walking her dog daily in the park, running into marijuana smoke is inevitable. To Anna, these instances conflict with her “rights to have a drug-free public setting.” Instead of smoking in the private confinement of a home, its when uses smoke outside with the “public” that collides with her routines that spark Anna. To be able to go out and enjoy a public setting as a park, or a concert without breathing in marijuana smoke is what Anna feels she has the rights to.
Although marijuana was legalized to adults 21 years and older, it’s ease of access plays factor on teens. Midway through Anna’s article she goes over marijuana’s impact during the time she taught at a High School. “…There are times the kids come to class so high you can’t even have a conversation with them.” Anna’s argument implies that part of being a teacher is by communicating with a student. If she can’t carry out a conversation, she then questions, how can she teach?
After explaining marijuana’s impact amongst students, she then goes on to comparing the school setting to a public place. “ Aren’t our schools a ‘public’ place?…Doesn’t the teacher have the right to teach and the students the right to learn in an environment created for learning?” This set of rhetorical questions was inserted to help persuade her audience of teenage smokers. In Anna’s view, it seems as if teens smoking marijuana don’t have the sympathy or respect of a learning environment and take advantage of marijuana’s legalization. “This is in part why I now teach elementary school, where a teacher can experience enthusiasm and love for learning from the students…” For Anna, switching to elementary school was a way to get back to students that still enjoyed to learn and didn’t have marijuana in their systems to block their learning capability.
In Anna’s close, she ends with a plea. “ The public needs to voice their opinion and stand up for their rights to have a drug-free public setting.” Anna knows she is not the only one who values the same opinion and feels like she needs support of others that want to put marijuana to an end. Public space to Anna is her freedom, and she is not ready to give up.