Yeah that really sucks. My Aunt was killed by a drunk driver and it just disturbed me to no end that he actually got arrested for it. Freaking laws…
I’m very sorry to hear about your aunt, Zeb. I did not intend to be insensitive.
I’d imagine most of us know someone who’s been killed by a drunk driver, and we probably also know good people who have gone to jail - lost their homes and families, and now have tremendous difficulty paying fines or finding work that will support them again after alcohol or drug offenses. Sometimes their families then become wards of the state for many years. It becomes a tragedy on both sides.
[quote=“anon71262119, post:1387, topic:223365, full:true”]
I’m very sorry to hear about your aunt, Zeb. I did not intend to be insensitive. [/quote]
Thanks pal I know you didn’t mean anything by it. When it happened my entire family was crushed. I mentioned it as my way of pointing out the other side. Drinking is fine if it is done in a controlled fashion. That is to say with a designated driver. No one…absolutely no one should get behind the wheel of a car who has had too much to drink. There’s just no good reason that this has to happen. Friends can drive, taxi’s, buses, train’s. Stay at a friends house over night or a hotel. There are so many ways to avoid using a car as a killing machine.
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I’d say hes socially liberal compared to the stereotypical socially conservative republican but not enough to get that label. The fiscal thing is what scares me and my guess is he will play that card to cut a few programs he doesn’t like but just the opposite elsewhere, just like many others have done in the past.
I laugh…(and still laugh)…when people say, “Well…he (Trump) is not a Politician…”
OH! When it was clear that he was bagging the 17 Primary opponents one by one…I thought it was the most masterful displays of “politics” I had ever seen.
Trump never, ever (and still doesn’t) take a hard stand on…on even mention his stand on…the more “true” Conservative issues like abortion; Gay Rights and marriage; (his stance is now “It’s been decided…!”); school prayer; or the newest “Religious Liberty”.
I think his skill at navigating around these issues was nothing short of brilliant.
In terms of the SCOTUS…I feel like his appointments are merely to 1) solidify his “Conservative” credentials and 2) he views more conservative judges to be “good for business”.
I think that’s the extent of Trump’s “ideology”.
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Compared to the past 8 years…I’ll take it!
I agree, but a big part of that was his audience. For the Right, Trump could have announced he was in favor of nationalizing the banks, but as long as he attacked Clinton, the bobbleheads wouldn’t have cared.
Depends upon what you mean by ‘the Right.’ The GOP establishment would have been horrified at such a proposal, because other than during a crisis of existential proportions, actions like that are absolutely anathema to conservative principles. (Even Obama demurred doing this when it was proposed by some of his advisors at the height of the banking crisis.)
But, if you’re referring to the individuals Trump drew out of the political shadows and into his rallies (ie, the people who put him in office), you’re right–they wouldn’t have batted an eyelash at it, just as they don’t care about Trump’s rejection of other cherished conservative principles such as free trade.
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Mufasa, when you mention religious liberty, what are you thinking of? We’ve had people concerned about gay wedding cakes, or hosting gay weddings at their B&B, but we’ve also had Trump specific statements about Muslims and airplanes, Muslims and immigration. In Europe, more concern about people wearing head scarves or burkini bans.
Ideology and party politics were dead in this election, especially in the rust belt. I think this can be a good thing in the long run, the best way to beat partisanship is to focus on the issue, not the party.
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If only there were laws that punished people for killing others, while not punishing people for having arbitrary percentages of alcohol in their systems; then, both of you could be happy.
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But when people have these “arbitrary percentages” of alcohol in their systems they are more likely to kill someone while operating a motor vehicle.
You know…I’m rather surprised at such resistance to DWI laws. I thought that as a society we learned a very long time ago that it is a very bad thing to drive while under the influence of alcohol. Is there some sort of movement afoot that I am not aware? Would you be more sympathetic if you or a loved one was harmed or worse by someone who was drinking and driving?
I know times are crazy but I hope we have not lost our minds completely. I get it you don’t like it that your buddy got arrested for DWI. Loss of license, expensive and maybe even some jail time depending on the circumstances. But, doesn’t that mean that he should not have been drinking and driving?
What am I missing here?
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Spoken like a true progressive. Emotion rules; rights drool. Life, liberty and property? Try FDR’s Four Freedoms on for size, America.
If I am killed by a drunk driver, my opinion will certainly not change. If my wife and three children are killed by a drunk driver tonight, I pray that my rational mind will win out and my opinion will not change.
What we are talking about has NOTHING to do with sympathy. If you or someone you knew were impoverished, would you be more sympathetic towards the redistribution of earnings? Would you be more sympathetic towards Obama’s “You didn’t build that…”?
Indulge me in a hypothetical. An individual is walking through a mall. Periodically and randomly, he closes his eyes, pulls out a handgun, and fires it in an arbitrary direction. Eventually, he makes his way out of the mall and leaves. Fortunately, no one was struck by any of the many bullets he fired, but that is a matter of pure happenstance–he could just as easily have killed multiple individuals.
Question: In your opinion, did he commit a crime by discharging his weapon in such a reckless and dangerous fashion? And if he did commit a crime, how does his crime differ from that of driving while intoxicated?
Oh no! The Nick Viar rabbit hole.
Don’t do it man. It ain’t worth it.
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Am I making a PWI noob mistake?
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He did, because he caused harm(by causing reasonable people to duck, run for cover, etc.). A guy with a .08 BAC that is stopped for having a tag light out has not caused anyone harm but can still be arrested for DUI.
I’m going to give a definite maybe on this one.
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OK. Now assume we have two different individuals (at different malls) who both engage in the behavior I described. The only difference being, one of them is firing blanks, the other live rounds. Each individual is fully aware of the sort of rounds his weapon contains.
In both malls, the other patrons are equally terrified, running and ducking, etc. Therefore, according to your theory of the case, these two individuals are guilty of the exact same crime, and should receive the exact same punishment. This is despite the fact that one put the public at far higher risk of significant injury/death than did the other. Is that correct?