Perhaps ghosts aren't the only mysterious entity people will believe in. Considering the ease of which a man’s reality can be formed simply by changing his perceptions, I have no doubt that many people believe in ghosts, or demons, or aliens or the Mayan Calendar’s ending of the world. I myself have never seen any of these things. Their existence has entered my perceptions, through the eyes and ears of my senses, but I have never actually connected my brand of reality in contact with something like this. Then again, because they cannot be disproved, I would only limit myself by ever ruling these types of things out entirely.
There are, however, other entities that a majority of people believe in without having ever come in contact with them. They see them, they hear them, sometimes they even touch them for a brief moment, but these entities are no more real than a ghost or a Martian. I’m talking, of course, about the politician.
History has taught us, with few if any exceptions, that the politician is a unique kind of anomaly. Upon introduction, and re-introduction, and subsequent re-introductions, the politician is an actor’s actor. Supported by teams of dream-writers, the thing can weave a story of hope, faith and promise that plugs in perfectly to the needy collective psyche of the populace, much like an opiate fits so perfectly in the pain receptors. The money pours in, the believers wave their cloths and sing their songs, and soon the savior-beast has gained the standing so graciously granted by the faithful. And then it disappears. Like the apparition haunting the dusty stacks of some library, once the shouting is over of “I saw it” and “I heard it” the thing just disappears. But the haunting still continues.
It is impossible to have a representative government, which is what we Americans claim to have, without having access to the person representing us. You can send in your letters and faxes and emails to the missing vapor trails of a politician until your fingers bleed, but in reality you may as well address those to your local library’s ghost or Santa Clause. The entity that made all those promises and wishes almost come true evaporated from your home locale and reappeared in new form in a land far, far away called Washington D.C. Once there, the thing transmographied into the only thing it ever was: a shady rattler of chains in backroom dealings with other shades of the same caliber. Occasionally it will make an appearance, on the television or radio, temporarily morphing back into the teller of yarns about a future that could still be promising if there were just a little more belief, and it will make a feature presentation when it comes time to re-introduce itself and scare the children into voting again. But ultimately, its entire dimension that it will and must return to is one of draining the believers physically and spiritually of all they are worth.
Halloween truly is a time when the apparitions from other worlds and dimensions make their appearance. And come November they disappear again, off to their haunted house on the hill. As long as the people believe in these ghosts, these ghosts will rule the lives of the people. As for me, I will stick to the real. I will put my trust in a man that I can access face-to-face, that has a stake in my community, my family, and my liberty. Ghosts don’t have any stake in any of this. Ghosts are really only concerned about other ghosts and the phantom world they create using the energy of the people they haunt.
Sunday, October 24, 2010
Saturday, September 25, 2010
I’ve attended several community type events in recent weeks, all of which have had parents with children in attendance, including my own. As a father of three, I understand the occasions where the little one is just not going to cooperate, usually because what mommy and daddy find interesting is just plain un-stimulating boring drivel. It happens. But what I fail to comprehend is the insistence by a vast majority of parents to ‘stick it out’ and keep the howling hellion monkeys in play to the complete misery and chagrin of anyone else that cares. It doesn’t matter that you can’t hear the speaker’s presentation because junior needs his fire engine to wail. It doesn’t matter that every 3 feet is another little distraction pulling and tugging and whining and talking and annoying. Mr. And Mrs. 2010 are entitled to have their family in attendance and aint no one gonna tell them differnt. No one dares take little angel out of the room because that would be embarrasing for everyone involved, when of course those same parents and children should be ashamed of themselves.
I don’t blame the children. As the saying goes, ‘some of my best friends are children.” Most children (I’ve stopped calling them kids, as I don’t raise goats) are reacting in a manner that reflects the exact set of guidelines and expectations put to them. It’s a system that is worse than herding goats, as even a goat herder knows better than to say, “stop it!” 10 times in a row expecting the goats to react, before actually doing something tangible. But take the average parent these days, and you’ll see the same behavior repeated as if the parent is telling the same punch line to an old joke over and over again. Maybe it’s just my immediate community, but the level of entitlement parents expect for their unruly children is ridiculous.
I attended a meeting for school chess club with my 5-year-old last week. The speaker unfortunately did not have any amplification for her voice and had to try to talk over a crowd of 30 or so people, over half of which were children. On three separate occasions I went over to a group of about six boys that were arguing out loud to ask them to please be quiet as others were trying to listen. Each time they quieted down for less than ten seconds before resuming their disruption. No other parent assisted me; in fact, no one seemed to care one way or another. Now I don’t know about you, but if my child had to be talked to by another adult for misbehaving, I would be on them in a heartbeat and they would find themselves sitting at my side sans any conversation with anyone. The parents of these boys were nowhere to be found. I watched another girl blow spitty zerberts at her Mother over and over as mom either ignored her or told her to stop while feebly trying to grab at her tongue. Children everywhere began to increase in their volume until by the end the speaker could no longer be heard and the room was on the verge of eruption. I grabbed the paperwork they handed to me and left in disgust. I also noted that the only parents that had their children under control were not born in this country.
Maybe I’ve just had a spell of bad luck. But considering the streaming supply of constant bits of stimulation from TV, video games and music we subject our children to as some form of electronic nanny, it’s not surprising that when taken out of that environment all hell breaks loose. Take that hand-in-hand with the complete lack of consequence for misbehavior, and what does a child have to lose? Consequence does not have to be corporal, it doesn’t have to be verbal (mental) chastising either, but take away some time with the video gods and you’ll see junior at attention and ready. I don’t think many parents are willing to go there, because the cycle of behavior they have to deal with on their own will be reflective of the exact same chaos the rest of us are forced to go through when the child is brought out into public. Knowing that, it’s easier to turn it all back on and up than find a different means to stimulate the child’s mind.
I’d like to say all of this is symptomatic of the state of the American society, but I think it’s more accurate to say that the state of American society is symptomatic of all of this. Too often we point the finger at single moms and family’s of divorce or estrangement as examples of what not to be. It may be time to look within to our own nuclear units and decide what and who is really doing the parenting here, and when is it going to be too late to reverse the effect.
If the power turned off tomorrow, what would your family become?
I don’t blame the children. As the saying goes, ‘some of my best friends are children.” Most children (I’ve stopped calling them kids, as I don’t raise goats) are reacting in a manner that reflects the exact set of guidelines and expectations put to them. It’s a system that is worse than herding goats, as even a goat herder knows better than to say, “stop it!” 10 times in a row expecting the goats to react, before actually doing something tangible. But take the average parent these days, and you’ll see the same behavior repeated as if the parent is telling the same punch line to an old joke over and over again. Maybe it’s just my immediate community, but the level of entitlement parents expect for their unruly children is ridiculous.
I attended a meeting for school chess club with my 5-year-old last week. The speaker unfortunately did not have any amplification for her voice and had to try to talk over a crowd of 30 or so people, over half of which were children. On three separate occasions I went over to a group of about six boys that were arguing out loud to ask them to please be quiet as others were trying to listen. Each time they quieted down for less than ten seconds before resuming their disruption. No other parent assisted me; in fact, no one seemed to care one way or another. Now I don’t know about you, but if my child had to be talked to by another adult for misbehaving, I would be on them in a heartbeat and they would find themselves sitting at my side sans any conversation with anyone. The parents of these boys were nowhere to be found. I watched another girl blow spitty zerberts at her Mother over and over as mom either ignored her or told her to stop while feebly trying to grab at her tongue. Children everywhere began to increase in their volume until by the end the speaker could no longer be heard and the room was on the verge of eruption. I grabbed the paperwork they handed to me and left in disgust. I also noted that the only parents that had their children under control were not born in this country.
Maybe I’ve just had a spell of bad luck. But considering the streaming supply of constant bits of stimulation from TV, video games and music we subject our children to as some form of electronic nanny, it’s not surprising that when taken out of that environment all hell breaks loose. Take that hand-in-hand with the complete lack of consequence for misbehavior, and what does a child have to lose? Consequence does not have to be corporal, it doesn’t have to be verbal (mental) chastising either, but take away some time with the video gods and you’ll see junior at attention and ready. I don’t think many parents are willing to go there, because the cycle of behavior they have to deal with on their own will be reflective of the exact same chaos the rest of us are forced to go through when the child is brought out into public. Knowing that, it’s easier to turn it all back on and up than find a different means to stimulate the child’s mind.
I’d like to say all of this is symptomatic of the state of the American society, but I think it’s more accurate to say that the state of American society is symptomatic of all of this. Too often we point the finger at single moms and family’s of divorce or estrangement as examples of what not to be. It may be time to look within to our own nuclear units and decide what and who is really doing the parenting here, and when is it going to be too late to reverse the effect.
If the power turned off tomorrow, what would your family become?
Monday, March 1, 2010
The Judgment of Gods
Who or what is it that has the authority to pass a law that takes away my freedom in the least? Are there men and women that are born with a higher status, a greater intellect and the favor of God while I am doomed to their indenture? How can I be subjected to a representative government, when those that represent me are people I have never met, have no stake in my life or the lives of those I love, and have sworn oaths and dedications to people and entities far different than me? When laws are created as binding social contract, how is it that I am a part of that contract? Did I sit in chambers and hash out the details of a wide sweeping legislation written in a legal language that even I don't understand? Is my signature on the final draft along with the signature of every other individual that will be expected to adhere to it? And even if it is well thought out and necessary in the minds of its creator, does that mean that this law will fit the circumstances of men across the nation and the world? And even still, when this piece of social contract is broken, will the guilty parties be allowed the same interpretations given by its creators at its inception? Will those creators be there to ensure fair proceedings and due process based on their original intent, or will new parties with new agendas and ideas place upon an accused man the ever-increasing weight of a yoke that is government and law? Nothing about man made law exists in reality, in truth. We are bound only by the laws the creator has determined. These laws can't be found in an ancient book or text, and just like the laws of today, I was not there to witness God's voice and action and bind myself to them. That doesn't mean there is not truth in the writing, it means that the writing itself is not synonymous with truth. All law, whether put forth by government or council, or by religious institution, or by one's self is a voluntary contract. When you get a driver's license, you sign your name and bind yourself to a contract with the motor vehicle laws. When you stand before the judge, you state your Name as corporate identity and are asked to UNDERSTAND the charges, once again binding you to contract. When you are found guilty, you are asked to sign the judge’s orders, binding you to a contract of incarceration. This doesn't mean they couldn't do all this if you didn't sign or agree, but they would be doing it against the will of God, for only God the creator can truly be your Judge unless you allow other men of questionable nature to do so.
Monday, February 9, 2009
The River in Egypt
I am confounded daily by the unending belief the average American citizen has in the health of western economies, in the ability of political leadership to suddenly take corrective action, and that the federal government partnered with the banks and their subsidiary corporations have the best interests of the citizenry in mind. I’m all for optimism, it drives the human mind to seek new frontiers, answers and discoveries. But there is a time when optimism is facing an empty playbook, and it becomes as much a dream as the optimistic elation that one might win the lottery.
In order for this type of blind optimism to ensue, there has to be denial. Denial that the market trends of the last eight years have been a rickety roller coaster ride at best, and the current downhill run will not rebound with any kind of energy to climb another hill. Denial that the dollar is facing disastrous devaluation and eventual hyperinflation as the world dumps it pessimistically, and our own government feeds the fire by trying to prop it up with ever-increasing bailout and stimulus packages. Denial that Congress and the Executive answers unequivocally to the Federal Banking system, which has leveraged itself beyond sanity via foreign investment into our insurmountable debt. Denial that our entire way of life on this continent will be turned upside down, perhaps permanently.
I have spoken many times about these prophecies in progress to my wife, my siblings, and select friends. It’s not something I broadcast to the world, as it is a surefire way to end a conversation with suspicion of lunacy. Even people I trust with all of this look at me with skepticism and swim away back to the warm deep waters of that river. It reminds me of a teenager believing his inexperienced, ignorant and uncaring peer about the effects of taking psychoactive drugs rather than the experienced, educated and dedicated advice of their parents. By the time they figure out that the advice of the peer has set them on the path of ruin, they are past the point of no return.
The exception to this is my wife. We make it a regular practice to talk about what will most likely happen, what it could do to our standard of living, and how we will cope with it. We assure each other and ourselves that we can be a strong family unit without TV and iPods and computers. We could live in a shack and still be a parental unit that provides the basic essentials and teaches our kids to understand intelligence is a paramount item in your life, combined with attachment to people you can trust and trust you. We don’t want any of this to happen, but we also pay close enough attention to the history of human nature and organized societies to know that America and much of the west is that kid that has just graduated from smoking it to mainlining.
The moral of this story is that when these things come to pass, and our economy is in shambles and unemployment has surpassed sixty percent of the populace, it’s not a bad idea to have gold and silver in hand. It has proven throughout time that it is a tangible, durable commodity with real value unaffected by the scheming practices of banks and governments. Any savvy investor will tell you never to put all your eggs in one basket, in fact never to put more than one fifth into any investment. But I am continually amazed at how many people have absolutely zero precious metals and a huge amount of paper money invested in a stock market that is controlled and manipulated by entities at odds with long term security and conservative practices. So before you dismiss all of this as poppycock, and head downstream with the rest of the flotilla, take a look at the trends of gold and silver over the past twenty years, and then take those numbers and triple them in the next seven, and hopefully you’ll take even a small percentage of your assets and put them into a vehicle that is as solid as the ore it is mined from.
And where does my optimism lie? If there is any great trend in the history of these United States, it is that a very few great minds can come together and rise from the ashes, pulling the rest kicking and screaming out of the water and onto the shore. It is men that hold true to a standard of intelligence, truth, and the cornerstone belief that all men are created equal, and that we are endowed with the right to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. These men and women are out there; perhaps they are the children that people of character must raise absent of privilege. Perhaps they are the citizens of this nation that will have to overcome the greatest barriers and hurdles. Whatever the situation, these people will stand on the shore and call the willing to them, and from there rebuild anew.
In order for this type of blind optimism to ensue, there has to be denial. Denial that the market trends of the last eight years have been a rickety roller coaster ride at best, and the current downhill run will not rebound with any kind of energy to climb another hill. Denial that the dollar is facing disastrous devaluation and eventual hyperinflation as the world dumps it pessimistically, and our own government feeds the fire by trying to prop it up with ever-increasing bailout and stimulus packages. Denial that Congress and the Executive answers unequivocally to the Federal Banking system, which has leveraged itself beyond sanity via foreign investment into our insurmountable debt. Denial that our entire way of life on this continent will be turned upside down, perhaps permanently.
I have spoken many times about these prophecies in progress to my wife, my siblings, and select friends. It’s not something I broadcast to the world, as it is a surefire way to end a conversation with suspicion of lunacy. Even people I trust with all of this look at me with skepticism and swim away back to the warm deep waters of that river. It reminds me of a teenager believing his inexperienced, ignorant and uncaring peer about the effects of taking psychoactive drugs rather than the experienced, educated and dedicated advice of their parents. By the time they figure out that the advice of the peer has set them on the path of ruin, they are past the point of no return.
The exception to this is my wife. We make it a regular practice to talk about what will most likely happen, what it could do to our standard of living, and how we will cope with it. We assure each other and ourselves that we can be a strong family unit without TV and iPods and computers. We could live in a shack and still be a parental unit that provides the basic essentials and teaches our kids to understand intelligence is a paramount item in your life, combined with attachment to people you can trust and trust you. We don’t want any of this to happen, but we also pay close enough attention to the history of human nature and organized societies to know that America and much of the west is that kid that has just graduated from smoking it to mainlining.
The moral of this story is that when these things come to pass, and our economy is in shambles and unemployment has surpassed sixty percent of the populace, it’s not a bad idea to have gold and silver in hand. It has proven throughout time that it is a tangible, durable commodity with real value unaffected by the scheming practices of banks and governments. Any savvy investor will tell you never to put all your eggs in one basket, in fact never to put more than one fifth into any investment. But I am continually amazed at how many people have absolutely zero precious metals and a huge amount of paper money invested in a stock market that is controlled and manipulated by entities at odds with long term security and conservative practices. So before you dismiss all of this as poppycock, and head downstream with the rest of the flotilla, take a look at the trends of gold and silver over the past twenty years, and then take those numbers and triple them in the next seven, and hopefully you’ll take even a small percentage of your assets and put them into a vehicle that is as solid as the ore it is mined from.
And where does my optimism lie? If there is any great trend in the history of these United States, it is that a very few great minds can come together and rise from the ashes, pulling the rest kicking and screaming out of the water and onto the shore. It is men that hold true to a standard of intelligence, truth, and the cornerstone belief that all men are created equal, and that we are endowed with the right to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. These men and women are out there; perhaps they are the children that people of character must raise absent of privilege. Perhaps they are the citizens of this nation that will have to overcome the greatest barriers and hurdles. Whatever the situation, these people will stand on the shore and call the willing to them, and from there rebuild anew.
Saturday, November 22, 2008
the Second Civil War
I had an email in my inbox today, begging for money for some Republican scam artist front group. They claimed that because of Obama winning the presidency, the Democrats and their majority are going to outlaw Limbaugh, Hannity, Savage and the rest of the Hitler youth. Now believe me, I'm not in favor of any more legislation at the Federal level period, including restrictions on Freedom of Speech. But the first thing I thought of was that those bozos deserve it. They have done nothing but prop up and unequivocably support the soulless Bush family empire and their henchmen Dick Cheney, who robbed the treasury and the taxbase 10 ways from sunday without blinking an eye. All we hear from these talk radio frauds is "Clinton's Bad, Democrat Bad, Republican good". All the while they sucker people that are truly conservative into following a bunch of theiving madmen into their proft/war scam. Nothing about this last 8 years has been conservative. At the first opportunity the whole repuklikan establishment rolled out the war machine, spent trillions of dollars to bomb then rebuild a people that will always hate us and seek to destroy us, and found any and every way to subvert and destroy the constitution. Im sure that many reading this are thinking "what about the terrorists?" I say what about them. The best way to protect a nation is with an armed and well informed people that are willing and able to police themselves. Instead, we've become an impotent mob of fatass burger eaters that applaud our political hacks when they take our rights away. We wonder why the economy is suffering as the banksters loan money to any loser that wants a house, the auto manufacturers build unreliable gas guzzling boats that no one wants, and the politicians bail out their good ol boy robber barons. There will be no intention to change or pay back a dime. The terrorists are the people that currently suck dry our middle class. These are the people that will feel threatened when a jobless hungry populace begins to storm the castle gates. Then there will be no mercy from the priviledged few who will stop at nothing to protect their pathetic fortunes. Then we will all know terrorism on American soil. It wont be planes flying into skyscrapers. It will be mercenary troops in black masks knocking down doors of the citizens with FOID cards. Can't have serfs with swords, the Lords wont allow it. Terrorism will involve the indoctrination of your children into some mindless psychopathic brainwashing as those who resist are disappeared into some Canadian (Siberian) Holocaust. But don't worry, Obama is for change. He'll change your standard of living. He'll change the level of fear you live under. He'll change your bank account into a zero. And when some stupid hillbilly commits some stupid act because he thinks that (politically incorrect word) is actually calling the shots, the entire country will erupt into a chaos that makes the Rodney King LA riots look like the latest intallment at Neverland. Nationwide, the very people that trusted the powers to protect them will crap their pants as they are completely unable to protect themselves. Those that did hide their weapons will be few and far between, and soon the entire lawless nation will choose sides and so will begin the second civil war...
Saturday, April 19, 2008
Polygamists related - Child welfare services
I have a hard time supporting the Texas Polygamist compound's members. Not that they dont' have a right to seperate themselves from the US twisted society, but the whole 40 and 50 year old men impregnating little girls really creeps me out. It's like cavewomen with fancy dresses on.
Anyway, let this all be a lesson learned to every parent, child, potential parent whatever. The social services industry (and it is a business in this beauracratic republic) can at any time knock on your door and demand to speak to, interview, and potentially remove your children from your custody. This can occur in any state in the US. Because of bleeding heart California type legislation, anyone can anonymously call into Child Protective Services, tell them you are abusing your children, and the agency will act with a purpose to take your children away from you.
Think about this. Have you ever pissed off a neighbor, a co-worker, a person period, in your life? All they have to do to get your goat completely is place a simple anonymous tip to the family haters and your kids are gone. Not gone and the next day you talk your way into getting them back. Not gone and you talk to them on the phone telling them mommy and daddy love them and they'll be home soon. Not gone and your lawyer can work the system. Gone. Your children are gone. Maybe to some trailer park where their new mommy and daddy will gladly spend the extra money they get from fostering them on another bottle of cheap vodka. Gone to where they know nobody and are taught to hate everybody. Of course, you can continue to believe this whole time that the system is on your side and the people who snatched your children are truly on the side of the people. Only after months, maybe years, will your finally realize that your family means nothing compared to increasing a government beauracracy's budget year after year.
So here's the deal, and this is information that I hope none of us never need to know. If someone from any agency comes to your door and says they want to talk to your children, that there is a report or evidence that you are abusive, DO NOT assume your innocence is evident and that by exposing your family everything will be allright. If you are faced with a Child Protective Services Agent, even if there is a police officer there, you demand to see a warrant. You demand a court order before you let anyone even look at your child. The government has no right to enter your home, to privately interview your family members, to remove your children from your custody, UNLESS you give them that permission.
Most people in this situation are caught off guard because they assume that there is a presumption of innocence. Combine that with the aggressive behavior and insistance put forth by the beauracrat, and there seems to be nothing to do but follow along and hope it will all be OK. Understand this, there is a presumption of abuse and guilt and the government agent will snatch your children as soon as you let them. If you have anyone in your past or present that would like to make your life a living hell then you could be made a target. If you don't have anyone that dislikes you, then maybe you're too naive to read this with an open mind. Good luck to you...
Anyway, let this all be a lesson learned to every parent, child, potential parent whatever. The social services industry (and it is a business in this beauracratic republic) can at any time knock on your door and demand to speak to, interview, and potentially remove your children from your custody. This can occur in any state in the US. Because of bleeding heart California type legislation, anyone can anonymously call into Child Protective Services, tell them you are abusing your children, and the agency will act with a purpose to take your children away from you.
Think about this. Have you ever pissed off a neighbor, a co-worker, a person period, in your life? All they have to do to get your goat completely is place a simple anonymous tip to the family haters and your kids are gone. Not gone and the next day you talk your way into getting them back. Not gone and you talk to them on the phone telling them mommy and daddy love them and they'll be home soon. Not gone and your lawyer can work the system. Gone. Your children are gone. Maybe to some trailer park where their new mommy and daddy will gladly spend the extra money they get from fostering them on another bottle of cheap vodka. Gone to where they know nobody and are taught to hate everybody. Of course, you can continue to believe this whole time that the system is on your side and the people who snatched your children are truly on the side of the people. Only after months, maybe years, will your finally realize that your family means nothing compared to increasing a government beauracracy's budget year after year.
So here's the deal, and this is information that I hope none of us never need to know. If someone from any agency comes to your door and says they want to talk to your children, that there is a report or evidence that you are abusive, DO NOT assume your innocence is evident and that by exposing your family everything will be allright. If you are faced with a Child Protective Services Agent, even if there is a police officer there, you demand to see a warrant. You demand a court order before you let anyone even look at your child. The government has no right to enter your home, to privately interview your family members, to remove your children from your custody, UNLESS you give them that permission.
Most people in this situation are caught off guard because they assume that there is a presumption of innocence. Combine that with the aggressive behavior and insistance put forth by the beauracrat, and there seems to be nothing to do but follow along and hope it will all be OK. Understand this, there is a presumption of abuse and guilt and the government agent will snatch your children as soon as you let them. If you have anyone in your past or present that would like to make your life a living hell then you could be made a target. If you don't have anyone that dislikes you, then maybe you're too naive to read this with an open mind. Good luck to you...
Wednesday, April 16, 2008
It's the Drinking, Stupid!
The Failing DWI Industry
It’s the Drinking, Stupid!
3-19-2008
GEORGETOWN, Texas (Associated Press) A Texas man has been sentenced to 60 years in prison for his 10th conviction of driving while intoxicated since 1979.
Prosecutors say 53-year-old Anthony Lynn Falco of Taylor waived his right to a jury trial and pleaded not guilty to the felony charge over the June 22 traffic stop.
A statement Tuesday from the Williamson County prosecutor says tests showed Falco's blood alcohol content was 0.17 percent, more than twice the legal limit for driving in Texas.
Prosecutor John Bradley says Falco had nine prior DWI convictions and served prison terms from five to 10 years. He also had convictions for theft, family violence assault and forgery.
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080320/ap_on_re_us/10th_dwi
Don’t get me wrong; driving under the influence is wrong. It is dangerous, it is irresponsible, and it is a deadly threat to the public at large. People that drive under the influence, even at the ridiculously low blood-alcohol levels DWI’s (or DUI, depending on the state) fall under, are playing a game of Russian roulette with their own life and the lives of others.
That being said, it continually astounds me that the same ineffective, non-deterrent laws are pushed as being any kind of a solution. Let’s face it, there has never been a law written that actually prevents crime, from the Ten Commandments to the Federal Code. But the true purpose of law, to deter crime, and keep it at a minimum and ever decreasing level, is failing when it comes to the crime of driving under the influence. That’s because like so many other pieces of our bureaucratic republic, it has become capitalized, incorporated and lobbied as an entire money generating industry of its own.
Anyone that has been arrested for DWI can attest that it’s all about draining the pockets of the offender, not rehabilitation and prevention. Now normally that monetary punishment would have a deterring effect on the offender. But in the case of DWI the focus of the punishment is put in the wrong place.
The drunken driver (a broad term) is punished for driving under the influence of alcoholic beverages. The license is taken away, the attorney fees, fines, rehab, therapy and community service are kicked in and in many cases a job is lost. Most times the convicted, out of necessity, will continue to drive without insurance. Most times the drinking will continue and the cycle begins anew with even greater consequences.
The problem with a drunken driver isn’t the fact that they were driving; it is that they were drinking. You never see any laws promoted, debated or passed to deny the privilege of drinking alcohol. That’s because the alcohol industry lobbyists have more money than god (or MADD in this case). And you will never see the Federal Government take away a portion of one of the only legal taxes they have, the direct taxation of alcohol. Combine those two powerhouses and all you have left is yanking a driver’s license and a draining of funds. Sure your driver’s license, job, insurance and savings are gone, but feel free to go buy a drink to drown your sorrows. It’s a drug dealing scam, and it’s legal because the drug dealers make sure it’s kept legal.
Believe me, I’m not calling for repeal of the repeal of prohibition. There are plenty of people out there that use alcohol responsibly and within the confines of the law. But on a case-to-case basis, isn’t the best punishment to deny the drinking privilege for an extended period of time, and shouldn’t that be the first punishment? Think about it, you’ve got an addictive drug that impairs judgment, causing otherwise decent citizens to make decisions that are detrimental to the public interest. Taking away a person’s savings, source of income and the means to reasonably get to a job will only lead to more drinking. It’s a continual cycle that benefits only the bureaucrats, the alcohol industry, and the lobbyist groups for and against alcohol consumption. The problem of DWI is not deterred, and the problem of irresponsible drinking is perpetuated because that is what funds the DWI industry.
I would like to see a specialized states driver’s license (no, not a Federal ID Card) that gives a green light or a red light for alcohol purchases. On-premise establishments (bars) and off-premise establishments (liquor stores) would be forced to ID every customer regardless of age. It would be extremely difficult to drive somewhere, drink enough to be over the limit, and then drive away. The burden would be on the provider/dealer.
The most common argument I get is that taking away an offenders drinking privilege would still leave room for the restricted citizen to offend, that you can’t keep an addict from drinking. That may be true for a certain percentage of people, but if you make it nearly impossible to drink in public without privilege, then you will force those that continue to drink without privilege to drink off premise and behind closed doors. Yes, there would still be those that drink and drive, no law prevents crime. But I’m confident that the amount of drinking and driving accidents, arrests and occurrences would drop dramatically.
The same is true of other crimes that may or may not involve drinking. If a person is convicted of domestic violence or child abuse (or any felony), they should automatically have their drinking privileges taken away for an extended period of time, regardless of whether drinking was involved in the crime or not. Those that would provide alcohol to a restricted person would face strict punishments too, whether a licensed establishment, or a friend or spouse.
The point is that it’s the drinking stupid! I’m calling for the government, the alcohol industry, the DWI lobbyist groups and voting citizens to take the correct action to deter drinking and thus deter crimes committed as a consequence of the effects of drinking.
It’s the Drinking, Stupid!
3-19-2008
GEORGETOWN, Texas (Associated Press) A Texas man has been sentenced to 60 years in prison for his 10th conviction of driving while intoxicated since 1979.
Prosecutors say 53-year-old Anthony Lynn Falco of Taylor waived his right to a jury trial and pleaded not guilty to the felony charge over the June 22 traffic stop.
A statement Tuesday from the Williamson County prosecutor says tests showed Falco's blood alcohol content was 0.17 percent, more than twice the legal limit for driving in Texas.
Prosecutor John Bradley says Falco had nine prior DWI convictions and served prison terms from five to 10 years. He also had convictions for theft, family violence assault and forgery.
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080320/ap_on_re_us/10th_dwi
Don’t get me wrong; driving under the influence is wrong. It is dangerous, it is irresponsible, and it is a deadly threat to the public at large. People that drive under the influence, even at the ridiculously low blood-alcohol levels DWI’s (or DUI, depending on the state) fall under, are playing a game of Russian roulette with their own life and the lives of others.
That being said, it continually astounds me that the same ineffective, non-deterrent laws are pushed as being any kind of a solution. Let’s face it, there has never been a law written that actually prevents crime, from the Ten Commandments to the Federal Code. But the true purpose of law, to deter crime, and keep it at a minimum and ever decreasing level, is failing when it comes to the crime of driving under the influence. That’s because like so many other pieces of our bureaucratic republic, it has become capitalized, incorporated and lobbied as an entire money generating industry of its own.
Anyone that has been arrested for DWI can attest that it’s all about draining the pockets of the offender, not rehabilitation and prevention. Now normally that monetary punishment would have a deterring effect on the offender. But in the case of DWI the focus of the punishment is put in the wrong place.
The drunken driver (a broad term) is punished for driving under the influence of alcoholic beverages. The license is taken away, the attorney fees, fines, rehab, therapy and community service are kicked in and in many cases a job is lost. Most times the convicted, out of necessity, will continue to drive without insurance. Most times the drinking will continue and the cycle begins anew with even greater consequences.
The problem with a drunken driver isn’t the fact that they were driving; it is that they were drinking. You never see any laws promoted, debated or passed to deny the privilege of drinking alcohol. That’s because the alcohol industry lobbyists have more money than god (or MADD in this case). And you will never see the Federal Government take away a portion of one of the only legal taxes they have, the direct taxation of alcohol. Combine those two powerhouses and all you have left is yanking a driver’s license and a draining of funds. Sure your driver’s license, job, insurance and savings are gone, but feel free to go buy a drink to drown your sorrows. It’s a drug dealing scam, and it’s legal because the drug dealers make sure it’s kept legal.
Believe me, I’m not calling for repeal of the repeal of prohibition. There are plenty of people out there that use alcohol responsibly and within the confines of the law. But on a case-to-case basis, isn’t the best punishment to deny the drinking privilege for an extended period of time, and shouldn’t that be the first punishment? Think about it, you’ve got an addictive drug that impairs judgment, causing otherwise decent citizens to make decisions that are detrimental to the public interest. Taking away a person’s savings, source of income and the means to reasonably get to a job will only lead to more drinking. It’s a continual cycle that benefits only the bureaucrats, the alcohol industry, and the lobbyist groups for and against alcohol consumption. The problem of DWI is not deterred, and the problem of irresponsible drinking is perpetuated because that is what funds the DWI industry.
I would like to see a specialized states driver’s license (no, not a Federal ID Card) that gives a green light or a red light for alcohol purchases. On-premise establishments (bars) and off-premise establishments (liquor stores) would be forced to ID every customer regardless of age. It would be extremely difficult to drive somewhere, drink enough to be over the limit, and then drive away. The burden would be on the provider/dealer.
The most common argument I get is that taking away an offenders drinking privilege would still leave room for the restricted citizen to offend, that you can’t keep an addict from drinking. That may be true for a certain percentage of people, but if you make it nearly impossible to drink in public without privilege, then you will force those that continue to drink without privilege to drink off premise and behind closed doors. Yes, there would still be those that drink and drive, no law prevents crime. But I’m confident that the amount of drinking and driving accidents, arrests and occurrences would drop dramatically.
The same is true of other crimes that may or may not involve drinking. If a person is convicted of domestic violence or child abuse (or any felony), they should automatically have their drinking privileges taken away for an extended period of time, regardless of whether drinking was involved in the crime or not. Those that would provide alcohol to a restricted person would face strict punishments too, whether a licensed establishment, or a friend or spouse.
The point is that it’s the drinking stupid! I’m calling for the government, the alcohol industry, the DWI lobbyist groups and voting citizens to take the correct action to deter drinking and thus deter crimes committed as a consequence of the effects of drinking.
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