As you might have gleaned from the title, tonight I am angry. This car belongs to a dear friend. A few days ago she was sideswiped by a drunk driver. The drunk then hit a pole, exploding a transformer, and had to be extracted from his car. My friend was able to get out of her car and move around, but was taken to the hospital with back and neck pain. This will come as no surprise to many of you, but the driver who caused this was a repeat offender. Imagine that. Part of what bothers me about this situation is that it probably won't be the last time for him, as it seems the news is full of drivers with multiple offenses who are still out there driving while impaired and wreaking havoc on the innocent of society. And, who pays? Who is out of work for a week or more while seeking medical attention, pays big medical bills, pays a lawyer, has a car that is totaled and an insurance company saying the car's not going to be replaced, who is in physical pain, and in emotional pain from terror of the accident itself and from the subsequent worry? Not the drunk driver, that's for sure.
How do we get through to people that driving while impaired is simply NOT acceptable and won't be tolerated? Why are there so many repeat offenders? Why aren't there more stringent laws? Oh, that's right, because drinking is a disease and we certainly don't want to offend someone by making sure there are serious consequences for their actions, particularly when those actions infringe on the rights and well-being of others.
I am well aware that I am not being politically correct. Frankly, I don't care. This is a societal ill that needs to be fixed. Now.
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