Posted: 1/3/2005 5:25:37 PM EDT
|
man, i so badly wanted to not write this, but i read so much on other threads that i just have to know: is there ANY amount of alcohol that can be considered ok to drive afterwards on? and i'll add a poll just for shits and giggles. now the disclaimer: i never met one of my uncles, he was mowed down in broad daylight, pre-1968, by a drunk. so i DO NOT defend , nor condone, driving drunk. i do , however, see a sentiment here that if you drink so much as a single drink, and then drive, that you are murderous scum that just hasn't yet killed the person that you were GUARENTEED to have killed because of your drinking. sentiment that throws out a trial by your peers, because there is no need for one, any person drinking should be summarilly executed, on the spot. is there no such thing as drinking responsibly? when the gun grabbers talk about x number of gun murders, we point out to them that 86 million gun owners DIDN'T kill anyone with their guns. i'll use an arbitrary number because i have no facts, but i'd say that on just this last friday night that 15 million americans drank and drove WITHOUT hurting anybody. drunks are bad, no question, but what about the guy that gets pulled over for a tail light out, cop smells booze and does the routine. but the guy says he only had 4 over the last 4 hours, he speaks fine/no slurring, and he does the field sobriety test just fine. just to be sure he's ok, he is made to do the breathalyser, that he blows .037 on. he passes a performance test, and is well below the legal limit established per se' for drunkeness, so he gets let go. is it alright for someone like him to be on the road, as the law allows? yes, in a perfect world everyone gets a ride, every podunk town has taxi and bus service, but that isn't reallity. reallity is that people drink, and then drive. so, are you ok with people that are like the ficticious guy in the above scenario, or are the laws all wrong, and there should literally be zero tolerance for alcohol. my personal take? it's all about ability. if you can have a drink or two and you can drive ok, have at it, within the limit that the law allows. 2nd disclaimer: this is not meant to be disrespectful to those personally affected, i'm not looking to dredge up memories and cause hurt. |