F Drunk Drivers - HARD

[Riptide]

Not to be morbid, but one long look at the car windshield tells you how serious this collision was. Reckless all the way.

 

[93Devil]

A buddy of mine had his wife back over, and kill, their only son a few years ago when the boy was two.

What the pastor said at the burial about God calling for people at various times (even though your friend is still alive) sort of helped. For some reason God calls for people, and on He (or She) knows why.

It helped me understand **** like this a little better. If it is an opiate I am swallowing by believing it, then so be it, but it makes me feel better.

 

[Moderator1]

It's not morbid, Rip. It's fact. Sad fact but fact just the same.

The kids just went back to the hospital. They got a text and headed out.

 

[Moderator1]

A buddy of mine had his wife back over, and kill, their only son a few years ago when the boy was two.

What the pastor said at the burial about God calling for people at various times (even though your friend is still alive) sort of helped. For some reason God calls for people, and on He (or She) knows why.

It helped me understand **** like this a little better. If it is an opiate I am swallowing by believing it, then so be it, but it makes me feel better.

And I appreciate this sentiment, I really do. I'd never denigrate anything that helps someone through a tough situation.
For me, it doesn't work. I don't buy it.

I was 10 when my dad died. I was told, "God needed him." Yeah? Know what? So did I.

 

[93Devil]

A buddy of mine had his wife back over, and kill, their only son a few years ago when the boy was two.

What the pastor said at the burial about God calling for people at various times (even though your friend is still alive) sort of helped. For some reason God calls for people, and on He (or She) knows why.

It helped me understand **** like this a little better. If it is an opiate I am swallowing by believing it, then so be it, but it makes me feel better.

And I appreciate this sentiment, I really do. I'd never denigrate anything that helps someone through a tough situation.
For me, it doesn't work. I don't buy it.

I was 10 when my dad died. I was told, "God needed him." Yeah? Know what? So did I.

I can see that point of view as well.

 

[MileHigh]

Funny you should mention that Devil. My son and I were just talking about that. They left one bar. Were walking to another. Made a quick stop at a 7-11. Suppose they didn't? A few of them fell a few yards behind. Suppose they hadn't? I told him he'd make himself nuts thinking like that.

Mike is hanging tough. Still touch and go.

My son said they were gathered together a few yards away while the paramedics worked on Mike. They let one ride in the ambulance. The rest called another friend and got a ride to the hospital. They weren't drunk but they'd had a couple and didn't want to take a chance. My son won't drive if he's had one drop.

He said the hardest part is that while they were working on Mike the driver was handcuffed and lying on the street just a couple steps away from them. "It took all my strength," my son said, "to resist going over and kicking the **** out of him." I told him I understood and I'm glad he resisted.

Guy was doing "a minimum of 60," the police told my son, and never slowed down. I sure as hell hope he's driven for the last time and I hope he's in jail for a very long time.

For ****'s ****. Obviously, anything that's needed, holler. Glad your son is fine, and I know you're there for him, but these next few days/weeks/months won't be easy. And, like you, glad he had restraint. You've raised him well.

 

[turski7]

I echo Mile High's sentiments about your son. I would have no problems if he reacted the way he wanted, but he showed incredibly discipline in the moment and for his the sake of his friend. Let the courts hand out the justice.
In case like this, this scumbag is going away for a long time.

 

[Moderator1]

We hope.

The kids (they'll always be kids even though most are pushing 30) just got back. A small bit of positive progress tonight, they said. Still a long long long long way to go but they're a smidge more encouraged than they were earlier

 

[Amy]

Thanks for the update.

Healing thoughts for Mike.

 

[outofplace]

A buddy of mine had his wife back over, and kill, their only son a few years ago when the boy was two.

What the pastor said at the burial about God calling for people at various times (even though your friend is still alive) sort of helped. For some reason God calls for people, and on He (or She) knows why.

It helped me understand **** like this a little better. If it is an opiate I am swallowing by believing it, then so be it, but it makes me feel better.

And I appreciate this sentiment, I really do. I'd never denigrate anything that helps someone through a tough situation.
For me, it doesn't work. I don't buy it.

I was 10 when my dad died. I was told, "God needed him." Yeah? Know what? So did I.

Amen. I won't bore everybody with the incident that made me feel as you do, but I do get it. Faith can be a wonderful source of strength for some people in times like these, but for some of us, it just doesn't work.

Just glad nobody else got hurt and your son is ok and I'm hoping his friend pulls through.

May the driver spend a long time in jail. I'd say he needs the time to think about what he has done, but I doubt that kind of asshole cares. We are way too damn forgiving of drunk driving in this country.

 

[JR]

Moddy, I can't say much except to pray that everything turns out for Mike.

And your son was a beacon of strength.

As a parent of three boys about the the same age as your kids, we both probably say to ourselves when this stuff happens "There but for the grace of God..."

 

[Norrin Radd]

A buddy of mine had his wife back over, and kill, their only son a few years ago when the boy was two.

What the pastor said at the burial about God calling for people at various times (even though your friend is still alive) sort of helped. For some reason God calls for people, and on He (or She) knows why.

The times when I have lost someone I cared about, this did not make me feel better at all. It didn't make me shake my fists at God as much as make me want to ask the individual telling me this to stop peddling this type of bullcrap fairy tale.

The mom who backed over their son probably feels horribly. But she did that. God did not call the kid. That is her doing, not God's.

This ******* that ran over Moddy's son's friend wasn't doing any kind of God's work, or helping "destiny" along. He was being a f$%#ing asshole with no regard for anything other than the fix he needed to get that evening from getting drunk.

 

[Riptide]

Drinking, of course, is still one of our national problems.

Just don't get caught, nudge-nudge ...

 

[Dick Whitman]

I'm pretty intrigued now about what might lower the (stagnant) rate of drunk driving in this country.

Like someone noted, prison population is already sky high. I'm sure there's some reluctance to lock up non-violent offenders. Would you have to offset any stiffening of the laws by softening other laws - like marijuana possession?

License suspension has been mentioned (though I don't agree with MC's "for life on first offense" suggestion). But the problem is that people just drive anyway. Plus, you need to drive to work. I'd prefer that we didn't stop people from being productive citizens for life. In this country, to turn your life around, you need to drive.

What about lowering the permissible level to .06? That might put the fear into people a little bit more.

 

[Azrael]

I don't think lowering the BAC threshold does much. It's the punishment phase of the offense that has to sting.

If people see their nice middle-class friends sent to jail or bankrupted by a DUI, they'll think twice.

 

[wicked]

I'm sure there's some reluctance to lock up non-violent offenders.

I know what you're saying, but car crashes are pretty violent events.

If someone was driving 60 on that stretch of Clarendon, that's a mean feat, especially with the pedestrian traffic on Friday nights.

Hope your son's friend pulls through, Moddy.

 

[MileHigh]

I don't think lowering the BAC threshold does much. It's the punishment phase of the offense that has to sting.

If people see their nice middle-class friends sent to jail or bankrupted by a DUI, they'll think twice.

Agree on the lowering of the BAC threshold.

What will do it is have every car manufactured with an interlock device and if you blow a certain amount, the car won't start.

 

[Dick Whitman]

License suspension has been mentioned (though I don't agree with MC's "for life on first offense" suggestion). But the problem is that people just drive anyway. Plus, you need to drive to work. I'd prefer that we didn't stop people from being productive citizens for life. In this country, to turn your life around, you need to drive.

Tough ****. In this country, to live a good life, you need to NOT act so recklessly as driving while ****faced.

We just have a philosophical difference in terms of how to approach crime and punishment. You seem to embrace punitive measures - you want to unleash society's moral judgment on the offending individual. Hard. I'm primarily a utilitarian. I desire policy that results in the best overall utility for society, meaning less loss of lives and property and the most contributions from the highest number of individuals. To me, your suggestion, while serving punitive ends, would do so at a tremendous sacrifice, in that you would essentially render large blocks of society nearly useless as contributors, some for something they did in their teens, 20s, or early 30s. The last presidential administration had a president and VP with DUI's on their record. Ted Kennedy had one. Jim Harbaugh has one. You find drunk drivers morally appalling, and want to come down on the behavior with full force. I, in comparison, would find it morally appalling to sacrifice society's gain for, essentially, a form of blood lust. To clarify, I disagree with your hard line not out of sympathy for the offending individuals - that's a different argument. This is not a pat on the head. I'm viewing it from the perspective of: Is this the best policy for society as a whole? And I'm pretty sure the answer is a resounding, "no."

 

[Dick Whitman]

I'm sure there's some reluctance to lock up non-violent offenders.

I know what you're saying, but car crashes are pretty violent events.

Right, right. I meant people who don't crash.

 

[Baron Scicluna]

The DUI laws are a joke. Time to make it mean something.

Caught over .08 and nobody gets harmed? Lose license for 10 years and get a year in jail. Mandatory. For everyone. I don't care if you're the drunk on the corner, Ted Kennedy or Lindsay Lohan.

Caught over .08 and somebody goes get harmed? Lose license permanently and get five years in prison. Somebody dies? 20 years in prison.

Get caught driving after your license is suspended for a DUI? Five years in prison. A second DUI with a suspended license? 15 years in prison.

Maybe if enough people get scared enough, it'll stop.Time to destroy the habit.

And Moddy, I hope your son's friend pulls through.