I was reading on this Coors DUI thing

[SensibleAmerican]

Getting a DUI for blowing a .075 or even a .085 (like Bill Moyers did a while back as well) is ridiculous. I understand a person getting arrested for a BAC of 0.16 and even 0.10, but to start charging people who are barely at the line and where the machine is within the margin of error is crazy. Arresting people for a BAC of .08 or below .08 isn't about saving lives, it's about ruining lives. Now, Mr. Coors life probably will not be ruined, but the average kid's life usually is and you know cops rarely give breaks for a DWI unless they are fellow cops (which is definitely corruption in my book).

This rant may not seem pro-law and order and it is definitely politically unpopular, but I believe the way we enforce drink driving laws is extremely heavy handed in this country.

[jseankil]

1. MADD is very powerful interest group

they are the ones running the show, no matter if the laws make sense or not.

[Tandalayo_Scheisskopf]

5. Have you ever wondered...

Why Candy Lightner left MADD? She was the woman who started MADD.

Well, there came a time when her contract as Director was up for renewal. She wanted an approx. $300,000 signing bonus. Madd declined and she left. That was the official story.

There was more to it.

During the growth years of MADD, people from the moribund and nearly defunct Women's Christian Temperance Union(WCTU) had joined MADD en masse. They saw an organization with political clout, clout they did not have, that they could use. They started getting their people into positions of real power. Their strategy was to "back door" a de facto prohibition into the states, one by one. Lightner kept them smoewhat at bay, since she was not a phohibitionist.

When it came time for Lightner to make a new deal with MADD, they struck. Got her out.

Make no mistake, In MADD's present agenda, ending drunk driving is only peripheral to its real aims. They want prohibition. Again.

[Sapphocrat]

8. Very enlightening about the WCTU.

It may explain this:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=221x37750

[RB TexLa]

18. Here they were lobbying to prevent the raising of the speed limit

which has nothing to do with mothers or drinking and driving.

[tuvor]

2. "Heavy-handed"? Hah!

Try Sweden. They're real hardasses about it, and it seems to be doing what it was designed to do, too.

http://answers.google.com/answers/threadview?id=113056


ON EDIT: Welcome to DU! :hi:

[Another Bill C.]

3. And the really bad guys get away.

It takes 1 to 2 hours to book a DUI. Policing resources are limited so for each .08 driver being booked, there is probably a .16 repeat offender weaving his way home.

[guinivere]

4. So what do you suggest?

If being heavy handed doesn't prevent people from driving drunk, how is being too lenient going to help?

What about the lives that are ruined from being killed or maimed by a drunk?

[TahitiNut]

6. Of course the person who gets behind the wheel after drinking ...

... just couldn't help it, right? :eyes:

If alcohol is so damned important to a person that they can't do without it when they're going to drive, then they've got one helluva lot bigger problem than a couple of points on a breathalyzer!

[Joe Fields]

10. All rise. The Honorable Judge-mental's court is now in session.

[TahitiNut]

12. So sorry to hear about your drinking problem.

:shrug:

[Joe Fields]

13. If your's wasn't a wholly ignorant comment, I would laugh.

I don't even drink alcoholic beverages.

You don't even know me. Utterly absurd, that you would make such a comment.

[guinivere]

16. I don't see what is so judgemental about what Tahiti said.

If you know you are going to be driving, don't drink. Simple as that.

I said it before, this guy has millions, what, no cab/limo fare?

[Cha]

17. You're not being

"judgemental"! You're sticking up for the potential victims of a driver who has consumed an out of control substance and it's against the law to drive while impaired because of all the past victims..dead and maimed.

[TahitiNut]

20. I know. I'm the designated driver among my friends and family.

I drank like a sponge all my adult (and late teen) life until about 15 years ago - found alcohol made me depressed and stopped cold. I don't mind drinking lemonade in a bar at all. It doesn't bother me when others drink and I guzzle a Vernors. I had more than my share - I'll let others shrink their brains if they want. I just know for damned sure that if someone thinks it's "tough" or "unfair" or "awful" to have to go without having a drink -- for something as 'trivial' as having to drive -- well, they got themselves a real problem. I wonder if they'd feel the same way if it were a peanut butter sandwich? Coffee? Tea? Somehow, I doubt they'd have any problem at all forgoing something like that any evening they were driving, but ask 'em to not drink and we hear all kinds of angst and rationalizations. Gee ... just think ... can't stop drinking long enough to drive a car. That's a problem. ESPECIALLY when there are guys like me who don't mind when his friends or family calls him at any time at night and asks to get a ride home. Free. No strings. And I'll take 'em to their car the next day, too. No strings.

Judgmental? Yeah. Right. :eyes: (There sure are some flap-jawed assholes in this world.)

[Mabus]

7. BAC isn't always indication of impairment

I know people who lose coordination and begin slurring with one drink. I also know people who can repeatedly drink others under the table and show no physical manifestations that should be expected of someone who drank so much.

There are lots of factors that could make a person act more or less drunk with that BAC level: when was the last meal before alcohol consumption, how much sleep has the person had, tolerance level, heat, medication, etc.

[Cleita]

9. Considering that they can lock you up and throw the key away

just for smelling of alcohol, it's probably best not drive even if you have had only a teaspoon of anything alcoholic. If you want to go out to dinner or a party, get a designated driver or get a cab. It's not worth the trouble you will get into for driving with alcohol on your breath. Some people have had their lives ruined because of a single DUI. It shows up on background checks for jobs and other checks.

[Joe Fields]

11. Hell, these days, your political affiliation can keep you from a job.

[Democrats_win]

14. Police stopped him for going through stop sign: Coors was dangerous!

No matter what argument one might use, the man was a danger. The idea that the test is frivolous misses the point:his actions demonstrate that he was a clear and present danger.

[Mabus]

22. You're right

This is what I was trying to elude to in my post on this thread. The BAC level is irrelevant if he was driving impaired. There are a number of factors that can either aggravate or mitigate how the alcohol will affect a person.

Coors was stopped because, as you pointed out, he drove through a stop sign. People who ignore traffic regulations endanger others - period.

[proud2BlibKansan]

15. It's actually very simple

Don't drink and drive. Even a small amount.

[ismnotwasm]

19. What is 0.8 about 3-5 beers in an hour?

http://www.ou.edu/oupd/bac.htm

Depending on a few factors like sex, weight etc. I think 0.8 is a reasonable cut off for driving.

The ironic thing is "functional" hard core drinkers or alcoholics are quite comfortable at a 2.0 BAL. In, fact they may experience acute withdrawal below that level. They can give the appearance of only mild impairment, and nobody would guess any different.

[originalpckelly]

21. He was also on his own property, totally fucked up, even though he's

a puke. Stupid cops probably had to get their quota for the month.