An Un-beer-lievable Cop Out

It’s 2016, and I’m a senior in high school attending a career tech for visual design. The student organization that my program and a few others are involved with has set up an assembly with some police officers about drugs and alcohol.

Most of this year in our program was spent doing major assignments, preparing for competition, or working on our senior projects. This, combined with the fact that I’ve had a few cousins struggle with addiction and have heard stories through my grandma, leaves me less than happy to have my time wasted on something I’ve heard already, rather than working on projects.

I hmm and haw my time through the lecture, scoffing to myself at things I’ve falsely had hammered into my head a thousand times like, “Marijuana is a gateway drug,” and, “There is no such thing as medical marijuana,” and thinking about how a five-minute talk from my grandma could leave a better impression. At one point, I notice that one officer is wearing a [Beer] shirt and mentally laugh at the irony.

At the end of the lecture, the officers ask if there are any questions and another student raises his hand.

Student: “Yeah, I noticed you’re wearing a [Beer] shirt, and honestly, it makes me question what you guys are talking about. I just couldn’t help but notice.”

The officer wearing the shirt proceeded to GO OFF on the kid, going on about how it was “just a shirt” and how he “just picked out a shirt from his closet,” which left the whole room feeling uncomfortable by the end of his rant.

I’m glad I wasn’t the one to point it out!