need to add title here

Is It Murder?

December 30, 2008 6:34 PM

With drunken driving fatalities staying constant despite campaigns against the crime, some prosecutors are pursuing harsher penalties, including long prison terms for those who caused deaths.

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by judyyw September 4, 2009 1:25 AM EDT
IF YOU ARE DRUNK & DRIVING BEHIND A WHEEL OF THE CAR YOU ARE GUILTY OF A CRIME, IT IS THAT SIMPLE. DOESN'T MATTER YOUR AGE, YOU HAVE NO BUSINESS DRIVING A VEHICLE IF YOU HAVE HAD A DRINK, THINK OF THE LIVES THAT YOU ARE ENDANGERING. WE HAVE ALL LOST LOVED ONES BECAUSE OF SOMEONE BE DRUNK & CARELESS & DRIVING A CAR WHEN THEY HAD, HAD JUST ONE DRINK TO MANY. WELL, IT IS TIME FOR THE LAW TO STEP UP & MAKE THE PUNISHMENT TOUGH ENOUGH THAT PEOPLE WILL STOP & THINK BEFORE THEY DRINK & DRIVE.
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by judyyw September 4, 2009 1:18 AM EDT
IT'S ABOUT TIME THAT PROSECUTORS STAND UP FOR THE VICTIMS OF THESE TYPES OF CRIMES & MAKE PEOPLE PAY FOR TAKING A LIFE OF SOMEONE'S LOVED ONE. WE ALL HAVE LOVED & LOST LOVED ONES DUE TO SOME "LOOP HOLE" IN OUR JUSTICE SYSTYEM. IT'S TIME FOR THE PEOPLE THAT DO THE CRIME DO THE TIME. IT'S TIME THAT WE ALL BECOME MORE AWARE OF WHAT IS GOING ON AROUND US. MOTHER'S GETTING BEHIND THE WHEEL DRUNK & ON DRUGS, TEENS, DRINKING & DRIVING, CHILDREN GETTING THEIR PARENTS KEYS & TAKING THE FAMILY CAR ON A "JOY RIDE", WE READ ABOUT THESE THINGS IN THE PAPER, & HEAR ABOUT THEM ON THE NEWS MORE & MORE. WHEN ARE THE LAWS GOING TO MAKE IT SO PEOPLE THINK TWICE BEFORE THEY DRINK & DRIVE, OR ARE WE JUST GOING TO KEEP TURNING A BLIND EYE TO IT??
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by monga248 January 3, 2009 12:05 AM EST
I''ve been saying for decades that a drunk driver is a criminal. If you kill someone, you murdered them. You knew you were impaired and you did it anyway. You knew the laws. You did not have the right. Same with stupidity involving cell phones, food, cigarettes, radios, etc. Either you drive or you pull over and take care of your business. End of story.
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by December 31, 2008 4:30 AM EST
While 17,600 annual deaths is a terrible statistic to comprehend, its 25,000 counterpart is even more tragic. In the first case, we can pinpoint alcohol. But what about all the others? Cell phones? Hamburgers, fries, & a drink? Lack of sleep? Equipment failure? Greed & speed?
There has been a national outrage over %u201Conly%u201D 14 deaths at Columbine and %u201Conly%u201D 33 deaths at Virginia Tech. Substantial national concern is being expressed over %u201Conly%u201D 4,200 deaths in Iraq, and 58,000 in Vietnam. Those are totals! For vehicle crash deaths, we%u2019re talking 39,000 to 55,000 annually!
The fact that our society seems to accept a death toll of that magnitude per year, year after year, as a reasonable %u201Cside-effect%u201D of our automobile-driven transportation system in the USA is an indicator of just how sick we are. What really needs to grow from this realization is a movement for social reform that seeks to overturn the prevailing devaluation of human life.
Vehicle traffic crashes are the leading USA cause of death for every age 3 through 34. The WHO estimates that 1.2 million people die in road crashes every year and 50 million more are hurt, at a cost of more than $500 billion in lost income and disability. It%u2019s the number 9 killer world-wide, but rapidly moving into 3rd (yes!, 3rd) place.
Traffic %u201Caccidents%u201D are no accident; they are predictable outcomes, yet we must believe that they are preventable outcomes, and act accordingly.
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by hawaiigrown1 December 30, 2008 6:41 PM EST
It''s been done successfully in Hawaii. It may be the only way to get the attention of scofflaw drivers who think that they own the roads. If they are looking at a 50-year, or life sentence, maybe they will think beyond their selfish impulses. Let us hope. Prosecute away!
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