Bicycle Austin forum

MichaelBluejay

Webmaster

From: Austin, TX

Registered: 2008-05-26

Posts: 1,466

Website

Drunk driving: everyone's doin' it!

It made the news when the Travis County DA was, ironically, convicted of drunk driving.  Not getting as much attention is the fact that at least TWO of the ASSISTANT DA'S have also been arrested for drunk driving.  Is it any wonder why it's hard to get justice when a drunk hits one of us?

Years ago I wrote a piece exploring all the myriad components of the system that conspire to deny us justice.  This is but one of them.

Curious, I just Googled to find out how many people drive drunk.  According to TIME, 20% say they do it at least monthly.  http://healthland.time.com/2010/08/27/o … d-driving/

The idea of making drunk driving socially unacceptable clearly has a long way to go.

Donald Lewis

Member

Registered: 2009-07-11

Posts: 184

Re: Drunk driving: everyone's doin' it!

It was far more acceptable 30 years ago.  I had my last drink about 25 years ago.  Before that I stopped for a stout drink -- or more -- every night driving home.  I deserved literally thousands of DUIs and never got one.

But agreed, we have a long way to go.

Don

MichaelBluejay

Webmaster

From: Austin, TX

Registered: 2008-05-26

Posts: 1,466

Website

Re: Drunk driving: everyone's doin' it!

Don, it's commendable of you to publicly admit past mistakes.  Even among those who are reformed, I can't imagine that most of them would want everyone to know how they acted in the past.

Anyway, I'm catching up on reading old Chronicles, and I just came across this bit where they cried over how unfair it was for the DA to get attention for her own drunk driving:  "[S]he continues to be best known for one thing:  Her 2013 arrest for drunk driving.  It's unfortunate, and perhaps unfair, but that incident has dogged her ever since."

Oh, boo-fucking-hoo.  Someone charged with ENFORCING THE LAW ought to be held to some sort of standard.

So, let's tally the various ways the Chronicle defends DWI:

(1) Defended Sen. Gonzalo Barrientos' drunk driving, simply because he was a Democrat.

(2) Ditto for DA Lehmberg.

(3) Argued passionately that people shouldn't have to pay DWI fines if they can't afford them.

(4) Doesn't include categories in their Reader's Poll for things like Best Doctor, Best Bank, or Best Dentist, but *does* include a category for Best DWI Laywer.

This isn't the Statesman, this is our local "left-leaning" "alternative" weekly.  With friends like these....