Injustice?

http://www.sidereal7.org/

check out this link scroll down to injustice read this
mans story!

Sounds like he really messed up his own life. Sounds much like many other alcoholic/drug related stories. A person has to remember they are responsible for thier own actions. Today's attidude of it was because of my mom, a teacher, etc. is only part of the story, and is a cop out. They still chose to do what they did. It's not all the fault of someone else or event, but what they themselves did, and chose themselves to do, and often continued to do.

Life dealt him a few bum deals, just like what happens to others. He chose his current life through his own actions/choices.

Poor guy.

I can't count the number of times folks with these sorts of problems themselves said that locking them up for several months at a time, resulted in a "clean" period afterwards, with a portion going clean from then on out.

I'm surprised that gambling wasn't part of his issue, it often accompanies this sort of thing.

Most of us truly do dig our own holes.
Sad but true.
Topper

We reap what we sow. I see no injustice in that case as far as injustice toward him.

The fact that someone else gets less than he did does not change what he deserves.

Jerry

He might think he's asking for justice, but what he's really asking for is forgiveness. Forgiveness is granted through the grace of the one forgiving, and not because someone feels entitled. While I might feel pity for his plight, I've got to recognize that he broke the law, not by drinking, but by driving intoxicated. Drinking doesn't bring a charge of DUI by itself. It has to be coupled with driving. That to me is serious enough to justify punishment, whether it's immediately following or a few years down the line. The terrible events of his life may have contributed to his drinking habit, but it didn't contribute to driving while drinking. He too carefully obfuscates that, by talking about his DUI problems as if they're simply drinking problems rather than criminal.

He does have a good point in that people of notoriety are given breaks that he's not receiving. The solution to that isn't to give him the same breaks. The solution is to stop giving those breaks to celebrities.

If we'd put as many resources into programs that rehabilitate people that wanted to change their behavior as we spend on incarceration, there may be less economic and social drain on the nation. Since drunk or drugged driving is dangerous and some folks won't stop doing it, jail is necessary to protect the innocent. Still, we tend, as a nation, to lock em up and not provide better solutions to many problems. Some people need to be incarcerated but many others would respond to help if it were provided.

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Since drunk or drugged driving is dangerous and some folks won't stop doing it, jail is necessary to protect the innocent.

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Just curious... what is the percentage of folks who get locked up for any length of time (more than 30-45 days) for driving while under the influence or impaired? This would also include those who have killed others while under the influence or impaired? I don't think it's very high... but I could be wrong.

*Edit/Added*... another thought... most who are convicted of DUI/DWI are "sentenced" to some kind of rehab such as AA. What are some of the other alternatives that might work? What is the percentage of folks who actually stick with the program(s) and are truly rehabilitated? Where does personal responsibility come into play here?

As I stated, incarceration IS necessary for those who cannot or will not quit endangering others. Our "help" for those who really want it is, in many cases, very sub par - it doesn't work. The point I wanted to make is that our society still places less emphasis on rehabilitation than incarceration. Jail should be a last resort for those incorrigible, dangerous, felons who cannot be changed.

BTW, in my county we ARE locking up those who kill by intoxicated use of a motor vehicle.

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... we ARE locking up those who kill by intoxicated use of a motor vehicle.

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For how long? Not trying to be contrary here... just curious. And what kind of rehab do you think might be an alternative or in conjunction with this sentence... that would actually work?

With the risk of sounding a little creepy, I think that part of the rehab process is going to have to be biochemical. Whatever mechanisms that cause an individual to imbibe and then drive have to be interrupted and changed. Some of that might be accomplished externally through behavior mod, but some of it has to be addressed from within.

Sasha, 5 to 20+ years of prison are handed out for a DUI death, depending on the circumstances. We have a real drinking problem in Wisconsin and especially in my county. The new DA is finally getting tough.

Like child molesters, some people will never change, so ongoing intervention may be necessary when these guys are released.

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Like child molesters, some people will never change, so ongoing intervention may be necessary when these guys are released.

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And how would we go about that without infringing upon "rights"? I guess that's the part I have an issue with.

PW... I'll pose the same question to you regarding your suggestion.

How about a wireless portable breathalyzer? Subject must carry it with them at all times and blow every two hours to keep it from dialing their probation officer. It would work on both alcohol and drugs. It has a warning alarm so you know it's time to blow and it programmable to not go off between 3AM and 7AM. No one else can blow for you because it's keyed to your DNA or some other identifiable trait, blood type, ect. Yea, the subject will have to wake up at night and blow but that's the breaks.

Rights violations, Dave... don't forget about those...

Maybe repeat offenders should lose some of there rights?
electronic implant or mandatory in house rehab. for the Alcohol or drug??
my .02

It seems to me that society allows some of this to happen. We know the problem has existed since carriages were invented, and yet we still hope that deterence will stop the carnage. Maybe we should start to think proactively for a change.

I believe the technology necessary for all vehicles to have an breath-alcohol lockout feature has been around for a while. It wouldn't be foolproof, but if all drivers had to blow into a tube on the dash of their vehicle before the car would start, less drunks would be able to get behind the wheel. The auto industry screams about the cost of such a system (and its effect on new car sales), but the fact is, we all pay regardless.

We pay for the court costs, we pay for enforcement, we pay for locking these a##holes up. I would much rather pay to prevent these crimes, than pay to clean up the mess afterwards. Such a system would take the possibility of pity out of drunk-driving cases. If someone disconnects or circumvents a feature like this, it demonstrates a clear intent to ignore the law. While I know alcohol can cloud ones judgement (I'm not drunk...gimme my keys!!), the planning or cooperation necessary to circumvent breath-tests would even convince a bleeding heart like me that the person(s) in question deserve harsh punishment.

The NM legislature or the governor or someone in authority, recently brought tried to get the requirement for a breath analyzer be required in all autos. It was going to cost a bunch, and in addition it is not hard to defeat.
All one has to do is have a ballon filled with his breath when sober, and let it go into the device when he has been drinking.

It was decided that such a device is not worth the cost. If I remember correctly it would cost about 2,000 in new cars, and the routine calibration was several hundreds a year.

As for rights, when one has been caught DUI, he loses some rights, and that is as it should be. When one is guilty of a felony, he loses many rights. A drunken driver, even if he has not killed or maimed anyone, shouldl lose some rights also.

Jerry

One of the many problems with our society seems to me that we bring up our kids to see a rights based world, not a responsibility based world.

If we all thought a bit more about responsibilities, and not just our rights, then I think many of these problems would become much less prevalent.

Posted by bindibadgi: "One of the many problems with our society seems to me that we bring up our kids to see a rights based world, not a responsibility based world."

Couldn't have said it any better.

I have to say... I'm very proud of all of the posts that have followed mine. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/thumbsup.gif Thanks guys... my faith has been restored... /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/bowdown.gif