When will people realize the destructiveness of drunk driving? Will it take the death of a young child?- Nope, already happened and people still drink and drive. Will it take the death of a law enforcement officer who is sworn to protect the community? Nope, already happened, and people still drink and drive. Will it take the death of a grandmother on her way to see her grandkids? Nope, already happened and people will still drink and drive. And now, a famous athlete, who just pitched the best major league baseball game of his life, is dead because someone made the CHOICE to get behind the wheel and drive while impaired,not just to the slightest degree, but to the degree of going 30+ MPH over the speed limit, running a red light and hitting a silver Mitsubishi so hard the car flew into a power pole at the intersection, killing 3 people, including that up and coming athlete.
Whenever I see the articles in the newspaper regarding famous people (nationally or just in our town) being arrested for DUI, it makes my blood boil. It's always, "I made a stupid decision. I'm so sorry to everyone that I've embarassed. I'm so ashamed of myself." And then a couple of weeks later they are back out partying and drinking and running the risk of offending again. And now, with the advent of on-line comments in the newspaper, I cannot help myself from reading them- ranging from "Lock him/her up!" to "Those breathalizers must be faulty if the company won't give up the source code!" to "The penalties are way too stiff- especially if you didn't hurt anyone!"
Here's my take on all of the people who comment about DUIs:
1- Just because YOU don't physically hurt someone, you still committed a CRIME. And you have now justified yourself committing a CRIME because "I didn't hurt anyone!" Your justification of your actions fuel other people who continue to drink and drive (and some of those drivers DO physically hurt someone) because you are perpetuating a lack of accountability. Think about this- what if your brother was killed because of a drunk driver? How would it make your mother feel if a year later, you got a DUI? You may have not PHYSICALLY hurt someone with your car, but you sure as hell just hurt your mother by doing the exact action that took away her other son.
2- The breathalizer is accurate, and frankly, when I went to a wet workshop and got liquored up by the cops who were training rookies on how to perform field sobriety tests and HGN, I was incredibly suprised at the fact that I was UNDER a .08 on the Intox 8000. I am not a heavy drinker, but I can hold my own, and there is NO WAY I would have gotten behind the wheel of a car after that. Could I stand up? Yes. Could I successfully complete the Walk & Turn and One-Legged Stand tests? Yes. Did I feel that my mental processes were slightly slower and my reaction time was definitely slower? YES. And that final question is what every person should ask themselves after having a drink- and a yes answer to that question means call a cab or find a designated driver. And for those people that don't like police officers taking blood from DUI arrestees on the side of the road, hear this- as a person who has had her blood drawn over one hundred times, I would rather have a law enforcement officer who has been trained as a phlebotomist take my blood at a DUI scene than going to a hospital with a bunch of germs and nurse techs who SUCK at drawing blood (seriously UMC- 8 different venipunctures sites in one hospital visit?)
3- The monetary penalties and jail time penalties for DUIs are different from state to state. I think Arizona is probably one of the harsher states out there with fines, mandatory ignition interlock devices, paying the jail for the time you stay there, but no penalty is harsh enough when you lose a child. Ask Jose Rincon's family.
4- Many people who get DUIs never acknowledge that they have a problem with alcohol. Some people may say that just because you get a DUI doesn't mean that you're an alcoholic. I seem to remember from my health class that the definition of alcoholic included the phrase :"when the consumption of alcohol interferes with your life." Well, I would say that being involved in the justice system, paying thousands of dollars in fines and going to jail pretty much sums up the "alcohol interfering with your life." If you get a DUI, you are an alcoholic. You are not just someone who drinks. You have let alcohol interfere with your life and you have to take steps to never let that happen again.
5- For those of you who have kids, think about the impact you are having on them. Whether it is driving back from a baseball game you took your kids to after drinking 5 large beers, coming home from dinner after 4 glasses of wine, or stumbling into your house after hitting happy hour after work, YOUR choices are affecting YOUR children. Think about what they see- mommy or daddy stumbling through the door, the sloppy hugs, the passing out in the recliner, missing dinner with the family, the stench of beer emanating from your body. YOU are telling your kids that this behavior is normal. YOU are setting your kids up to be one of two ways: Just like you or the exact opposite of you. You know what happens to your kids when you get a DUI? They go see YOU in court at your sentencing, when your lawyer points out your family sitting in the court room as support- when if you asked any of those kids then what they think should happen to their mommy or daddy- some of those kids would say- "Mommy/Daddy has a problem. I don't like it when they come home smelling like beer. It's gross. I don't want them to drink ever again. When I do bad things, I get grounded- I think they need to be grounded too." Too bad the judge never asks the kids in court if they want to say anything, because I bet you they would prove the defense attorney wrong a significant amount of the time about that "family support."
Now is the time to make a CHOICE- choose to drink and drive and you CHOOSE to reap the consequences. Maybe you'll pay a lot of money for some defense attorney who will "Fight for you like he fought for his country" or maybe you will get the public defender who owes three times in law school loans what she makes per year as a PD. Maybe the jury will find you not guilty because they think "There but for the grace of God go I." Maybe you'll get home safe to your family, or maybe you will take out 3 innocent lives at a California intersection. But maybe it shouldn't take all of these tragedies to make the smart choice- Yellow Cab: Always Cheaper than a DUI.
