Yard sales and cell phones. (rant)

[Farmwithjunk]

I've got a close friend that's an alcohol councelor. His program is one of a select few that our county will accept under terms of DWI convictions. HE asked me to sit in as a guest a few months back. He wanted someone to give an objective assessment as a citizen/motorist that had never been charged with DWI. After the "event" was over, I'm relatively sure he wished we would have skipped that experiment.

My opinion; The system, including most alcohol abuse programs coddles the offender far too much. They are treated as a victim themselves in many cases. The first class I sat in on included several family members of convicted drunk drivers. They were there to recieve their "training" on dealing with alcoholism. They were told, "Don't "enable" the abuser by fussing and nagging them. Don't take their "drink" away from them. Don't tell them they've done something bad. Don't confront them while they're drinking." Hmmmm. My view is, if someone has the nerve to drink and drive impared on the same roads me and my family are using, I'd just as soon take a ball bat and deliver my message. They need to take responsibility for their actions, NOT be given a gold star and told they're good people. They ARE doing bad things. They need to know that.

The punishment should fit the crime.

Sorry any AA members. I've buried 2 good friends that were killed by drunk drivers. I have no compassion for irresponsible behavior.

The plan was for me to sit in on 4 classes. The experiment was over after the first half of class #1.

 

[patrick_g]

Show of hands...

Anybody agree with me that a second DWI should be treated as a capitol offense?

Well, yes but then I think there are justifications for the first offense being treated that way also in some cases.

The law has no built in provision for downgrading first offense premeditated murder and only getting serious on subsequent repeats where you can see it is a definite pattern. Until or unless it can be shown to a judge and jury that the intoxication was completely unintentional and forced upon the defendant by other parties through force or intimidation, operating a motor vehicle while intoxicated should be prima facie evidence of intent.

However, if it can be shown that other parties caused the defendants intoxication against the defendant's will then those other parties should be charged with whatever charges are appropriate such as conspiracy. If there was loss of life such as in an accident then they should be charged with homicide.

All it takes for tyranny to reign is for good men to do nothing. So long as the law abiding citizens tolerate others getting a "little" tipsy and driving a lethal missile on a public road where children are bussed, our wives go to shop, and we travel for business, there will continue to be unnecessary and preventable loss of innocent life and a drain on the public treasury.

I lost a very dear cousin to a truck load of oil field workers who just stopped in for a few innocent beers at the end of the shift and then ran over her car while speeding in an area of reduced speed.

Pat

 

[dmccarty]

Anybody agree with me that a second DWI should be treated as a capitol offense?

Hand.

NC statutes are getting harder on drunk driving. The Judges and DAs are another matter but that too is changing.

One of the local TV stations posted some photos of the accident. The semi had braked hard, you can see heavy black skid marks. What I don't understand is how a truck, it looked like the one causeing the accident was a 150/1500, can cause a big heavy semi to go out of control. The trailer was empty so it was not as heavy as it could be. It just seems like the semi should have been able to handle being hit by a PU. The only think I can figure is that the semi drive messed up somehow, the PU took out the steering on the semi, or the trailer jackknifed.

Looking at the pictures you wonder how anyone survived. In one picture taken right after the accident, there is a puff of white smoke off in the grass. I think its the smoke or the powder from the fire extinguisher used to put out the burning trucker. Just tried to find the link to the photos and they are gone.

Still no word on any other charges against the driver with the suspended license.

This accident reinforced the fact that one can be here today and gone tomorrow. To really pound this fact home, we found out yesterday that man I worked very closely with for over a decade died on Tuesday. He was in shape. Ate right. Excercised. Not a stressed out person. He went out for a run, had a massive heart attack and died before he hit the ground. It was a totally out of the blue. Or was that in another thread. I know people who have health issues and it would not suprise me to hear they had died. But not Curt.

The other strange thing is that Curt is the third person I have known or known of, who died while running. Good thing I stopped running. I think using the chainsaw might be safer than jogging.

Later,
Dan

 

[patrick_g]

Hand.

NC statutes are getting harder on drunk driving. The Judges and DAs are another matter but that too is changing.

Dan

Dan, I think there should be NO LOCAL DISCRETION regarding DWI. There needs to be uniform standards (federal) for alcohol levels constituting presumed impairment. Drivers DWI on federal roads (US highways AND interstates) should be charged with a federal DWI offense. So long as the local good ole boy system of jurisprudence protects Bubba from real punishment there is no effective deterrent.

In the case where a driver is operating a vehicle on a public roadway while their lisc is suspended or revoked there is little or no justification for leniency. Was the driver transporting someone to emergency care? Otherwise, they deserve harsh punishment. If they are so dangerous to the rest of us that we (though our court system) removed their driving privileges and they drive anyway they are making a clear statement that they intend to endanger the public safety in disregard of our legal actions. That is a dangerous person that needs to be restricted such that they can't do us harm.

Pat

 

[Bird]

The other strange thing is that Curt is the third person I have known or known of, who died while running.

I don't know how often that happens, but I don't think it's too unusual. When I was still a patrol lieutenant, we had a doctor in his 30s drop dead on the sidewalk where he went jogging every morning.

 

[Toiyabe]

The more you tighten up the laws to keep "bad guys" from slipping through, the more "good guys" you end up punishing along with them. That's the inevitable result of "zero tolerance".

Be carefull what you wish for.

 

[patrick_g]

I don't know how often that happens, but I don't think it's too unusual. When I was still a patrol lieutenant, we had a doctor in his 30s drop dead on the sidewalk where he went jogging every morning.

I had a lawyer in San Diego who dropped dead while walking down the hall in the county court house. He hadn't given me any notice. The good news was I had no active business with him at the time but the bad news was he left a young wife and child. They were undoubtedly well taken care of financially but he was a terrific person who many would miss.

A guy dropped dead back in the 60's while walking down the sidewalk at an air base. An autopsy found a small piece of wire embedded in his brain. The only logical explanation was that a tractor mowing the grass with a rotary mower near the sidewalk hit some wire and shota small piece out through the safety chains and hit the guy right in the temple where the missile tumbled through his brain.

The take home message is to never let people or stock get near the tractor when you are mowing.

Pat

 

[jamestaylor72]

Don't forget the ones who drive slow as heck until you pull out to pass, then they drag race you so you can't get around.

Yeah,, those are my personal favorite !!! Kinda hard not to take it personal then. But at the same time,,, letting them turn you into a ROAD RAGER aint worth it either !!

 

[patrick_g]

JT72, Aggressive and malicious driver's actions loudly proclaim their idiocy and inadequacy. No one should want to become like them as a response to or cure for their stupid actions.

Gee, lets see now, that other driver sure is acting dumb, I'll show him I can be way DUMBER! If they are going to exhibit behavior that endangers others, I'll compound it and do something really incredibly stupid.

What does it say about integrity and moral fiber if you let an obviously defective driver incite you to ape his idiocy? Last time I checked two wrongs still don't make a right.

Pat

 

[Egon]

An extra coffin???