Lenient sentences for cocaine dealers shouldn't make anyone happy. Even if our laws did not specifically mandate imprisonment, and even if drug use were not on the rise among youth, Blankenship and David would still deserve time behind bars. Society must firmly punish dealers who spread poison, even if they do go to Harvard.
To deny Blankenship and David the right to graduate, however, flies in the face of rehabilitative justice. If the students were to serve their sentence, follow the Ad Board's work requirement for suspended students and convince the College of their rehabilitation--after however many years--there would be little justice in then denying them their degrees.
How condescending of the staff to say they're glad Blankenship and David don't have to go to the Big House, but that they're not good enough for the Harvard name. These two belong in jail today, but it's wrong to write off their tomorrows.
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