IntenseDebate - Cheradenine

16 years ago @ Big Hollywood - The 'Me Generation': A... · 0 replies · +1 points

Fantastic summation!

17 years ago @ KOMO - Seattle, WA - Flu overhyped? Some sa... · 0 replies · +2 points

Aww hell... give the government and health officials a break.
This kind of thing is preceisely what they are responsible for and they need to overreact. Were they not to and the bug turned out to have been as lethal as they feared, there would (rightly) have been calls for prison sentences.
They did OK as far as I'm concerned and I'd like to thank them for their vigilance on our behalf.

17 years ago @ KOMO - Seattle, WA - Gun clubs tout safety ... · 0 replies · +2 points

To be honest 'Justsayin', I thought the tenor of this piece was surprisingly fair to the gun owning public. There was one quote from the Brady Center and even that was pretty straightforward without the usual cry to "go after the guns". I'm an owner and shooter myself and I was actually pretty pleased with this article.
I was surprised by this incident when it happened; it does indeed look like the event organizers should be facing charges for not following through with their own precautions. Although I don't know about whether the parents and the Police chief need to be punished. I haven't heard the specifics of the situation... was anyone else when it happened? I doubt it since this wasn't mentioned in the article, only that a 15 yo was present. An Uzi is such a small gun, it has such a short barrel and such a high rate of fire that I would imagine that on full-auto settings, especially for a child, it would be pretty tough to keep under control. Like I said, I don't know enough details. Really sad situation though.

17 years ago @ KOMO - Seattle, WA - Speeding driver slams ... · 3 replies · -5 points

Part 5.
As to your losses, I am sorry for how alcohol and its abuse has taken so heavy a toll on your loved ones. I’m not actually trying to justify it, despite it coming across this way in my first post. I myself realized the potential for destruction inherent in it and stopped drinking the very day I got the DUI. I’ve been so relived to be free of the demon since then and hope to remain sober for the rest of my life.

@Jlo333:
It does not surprise me at all that the offender was underage. Destruction at the hands of underage drunk drivers is more widespread and common than those of age. Follow Kermee’s link. The statistics are awful and enlightening.

17 years ago @ KOMO - Seattle, WA - Speeding driver slams ... · 0 replies · -8 points

Part 4.

I can’t presume to answer this, but my very simple point was that despite the astonishing destruction which comes of drunk driving, it’s not a straightforward situation to assess and this is most clearly illustrated by your own statement that it’s as easy to assume responsibility and *not* drive as to do so. Were this true, there would be very many fewer DUI’s and victims of DUI’s. And we all know this isn’t the case. I understand that your point was that DUI offenders are inherently irresponsible and therefore *should* be treated as willful perpetrators, but if we chose to follow this logic, would we then treat those who drove while too tired to do so with the same inflexibility? The essential thing which distinguishes drunk driving is that the offenders are drunk… they are impaired. Were they not drunk, their choices would be different, this I can guarantee you with certainty. As long as the state sanctions the sale of a substance which impairs perspectives in unpredictable ways, there will continue to be great difficulty assessing responsibility.

17 years ago @ KOMO - Seattle, WA - Speeding driver slams ... · 1 reply · -8 points

Part 3.

The difficulty is not with the vehicle however; it’s with alcohol. The law has a tough time with this. The idea that someone who is at heart a decent human being, can under the influence, cause so much destruction entails, I think, great and abiding consternation. It’s not a simple matter of locking drunks up and throwing away the key nor can it be. What can they do about this? Should alcohol itself be more stringently regulated by the state? Should alcohol, which is singularly responsible for enormous cost, be banned? Taxed to a greater degree as with tobacco? Perhaps, if an individual is determined to be an alcoholic, they should have their driving privileges revoked permanently…

17 years ago @ KOMO - Seattle, WA - Speeding driver slams ... · 0 replies · -8 points

Part 2.

And yes I do have the “guts” to take another perspective Kermee. Not simply because I committed and paid for my own DUI, but because there *are* always two sides to every situation and the other side in this case is seldom taken. The victims associated with the thoughtlessness and selfishness of the actions of those who drive drunk are definitely pure victims, but taking the view that offenders ought to be treated in law as harshly as those who commit acts such as these *willfully* is neither reciprocal nor fair. This is why we have provisions in law which distinguish between thoughtlessness and deliberation. Whether or not the punishment fits the crime is something I don’t necessarily agree with however and as a comment from earlier pointed out, it’s possible to commit several DUI’s here before it becomes a felony. Personally I think this is wrong. For those who hurt or kill people, the penalties are very stern indeed though.

17 years ago @ KOMO - Seattle, WA - Speeding driver slams ... · 0 replies · -8 points

I apologize, but I have to post a reply in parts.

There is nothing illogical about my comment. In simple terms; despite being illegal, it happens so often that, as your own statistics point out, it's clear most of those committing the DUI’s are normal people under the (faulted) impression that they can still manage to drive safely and get to where they wished to go without incident. One of the most common initial reactions among those who do commit DUI’s is astonishment… mostly at the potential harm they can do with a vehicle. Most of us drive so much that we forget the potential danger which this entails as a natural result of those two-tons moving at speed. This remains forgotten whether they are sober or drunk.
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17 years ago @ KOMO - Seattle, WA - Speeding driver slams ... · 13 replies · -18 points

Judging from the calibre of the comments here, it would seem that none of you had ever had a drink and ended up finding an excuse to get behind the wheel. It's a very easy thing to end up doing and I know that I've done it... many times. In fact I did it once too many times and did get a DUI several years ago. I may regret it, yes, but I'm not ashamed of it. The reason is that, being a decent person, I don't generally commit indecent acts deliberately or with the intention of being indecent. Having been exposed to the world (which apparently none of you have) of those who have committed DUI's, I know that others in my situation were and are also generally decent people. It's terribly unfortunate to see such vehement denunciation without the apparent benefit of familiarity with the experience from the other side. I would suggest that you try to refrain from easy generalizations and casual condemnation; because it’s an ugly thing indeed to behold as an observer how little we as a civilisation have changed over the centuries.

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