Compromise?

[Grey Bearded One]

There is always talk of compromise but usually the anti-anything crowd is not interested in real compromise and just keeps pushing and pushing.

I have a story about drunk driving. Hey, how can anyone be in favor of drunk driving? I doubt that anyone is but most of us have had a beer or two and then driven someplace. It used to be that we could do that and not worry but now, we worry if we have a glass of wine with dinner and then have to run out to the supermarket to get milk.

I know a woman whose daughter was killed by a drunk driver. This driver wasn't a guy who had three beers instead of two with his pizza, this driver was an unlicensed teen who was celebrating his sixteenth birthday and was so drunk that after he ran over three teenaged girls and put his car through the front of a house, he didn't even realize that he had wrecked his car. If memory serves, his BAC was about .2, maybe higher, I do recall that he was on the verge of death.

After this happened, the lady understandably became a crusader. However, like the anti-gun crowd, she kept going after the people who weren't the big problem. She led the charge to get her state to lower the legal BAC for driving from 0.1 to 0.08 Then she kept pushing to get it lowered to 0.04.

She once asked me what I thought of her crusade and I told her that I thought that it was stupid. The people who have one or two beers and will worry about if their BAC is 0.08 or 0.04 are not the ones who kill people. The ones who kill people don't care what the limits are and just go out and drive.

This crusader isn't looking for "reasonable limits" and is constantly going to either her state capital or Washington to testify. Testify about what? Are there efforts to make drunk driving legal? We already have strict laws about driving under the influence, killing people while driving, property damage while driving so what else do we need? I'm not sure but she keeps pushing.

She keeps pushing and the guy who decides to sleep in his car in a parking lot gets to go to jail because he might have driven.

The same is true in the gun control arena. The antis keep pushing and the people who suffer are the ones who are trying to the right thing.

[nfafan]

Well done sir!

[hawk87]

Drunk driving laws punish a pre-crime, not an actual aggression against person or property, as is the true definition of crime. Nothing has happened yet, you are merely being severely punished for the chemical make-up of your blood at the time.

That being said, I think the punishment for vehicular homicide while drunk should be severe, because now you have truly done damage to another. You should obviously be responsible for property damage you cause as well of course.

[fortysix]

The problem that neither she nor the law addresses, and which plagues us gun owners too, is that of unpunished felons. Crimes have listed penalties, which are rarely if ever actually acted upon. There is pre-trial aversion, classes, plea-bargaining, first-time offender mitigating circumstances, *but no one was hurt* circumstances, *I didn't have a fawtha growing up* circumstances, *din do nuffins* excuses, and so on. All these add up to no prosecution at all, probation, suspended sentence, parole, furlough, everything EXCEPT prosecution to the fullest extent. It makes the laws completely unenforceable due to the combination of well-paid TV lawyers and precedent. Eventually, there will be a precedent for EVERY law to go unpunished, if you can pay a lawyer enough or get the ACLU to pay for you.

This is why we have such a fight on our hands. This is why that woman fights endlessly and everything she does fails to put a dent in the problem she is trying to end. Make the penalties double or triple or to include hanging, and then CARRY THEM OUT. No plea. Just did this person do the thing listed in the statute? Yes? Ok, then here's the listed sentence have a nice day. Don't care if he's your dentist, your governor, your boss, *city folk*, single mother, it's the law and here's the penalty, don't do it again. People will think twice and maybe even not commit the crimes. Then, the rest of us who DO have self-control can go about our business without being penalized for crimes we haven't committed, but might.

[claudel]

Those who whinge about gun owners being unwilling to "compromise" should be able
to explain the significance of the years 1934, 1968, 1986, or 1994, with respect to gun control...

I wonder if any can?...

[redeye202]

And then you have the pros who crusade for no control, be it alcohol or guns, go figure.

There are two sides to every issue, and neither side is without fault.

[pennlineman]

We have compromised enough through the years. There is no need to offer up anything in exchange in the hope of keeping what we already have. By definition, this is not a compromise. Besides, they we take more than enough without our help. This generation of firearms owners has finally seen that. Perhaps because we are able to communicate on forums like this. We seem to have drawn our line, now we'll see if we can hold it.

Those who wish to compromise know they can't take it at once. So they are content to take a little at a time. Even worse are selfish gun owners who are willing to sell out their fellow brothers and sisters to promote/protect any area of gun freedoms that they enjoy. They have no regards for anyone else but themselves. Ther're actions compromise the rights of current and future generations of gun owners. IMO, they are a greater enemy than those who are straight forward in their attack.

[Connal]

Think the BAC numbers you posted are a little off. If my memory serves me, around .4 you are likely unconscious, and run a high risk of death.

Maybe .10 or .20, but doubtful he had a 1.0 or 2.0

I will admit that I am biased on the DUI platform. But, in that same respect, I know a man who can drink copious amounts of beer, and walk a straight line, doesn't even slur his speech.

My wife on the other hand, two or three drinks and she pretty much loses it.

I don't like when a guy gets into his backseat in the bar parking lot to sleep it off, and through some technicality gets arrested. In the same respect, I don't like idiots getting drunk, and driving through a front door.

As for guns, I will never compromise.

[ak47fullmag]

Even doing the right thing isnt appearing to be enough to maintain our god given rights. bottom line this route is downward spiraling out of control.

[Grey Bearded One]

Maybe .10 or .20, but doubtful he had a 1.0 or 2.0.

Thank you. I misplaced my decimals. Just divide by ten.

Fixed it the original post.