TygrBright
TygrBright's JournalWhat DWI teaches us about the GOP's long history of GWI.
"DWI", of course, is "driving while impaired." It's a persistent, lethal problem (every 51 minutes in America, someone's killed by an impaired driver) and it requires resources and attention from the health, social, business and legal sectors to address with any efficacy at all.
The health sector? Critical- they must have training, tools, and procedures to do quick assessments, interventions and referrals at any sign of problem intoxicant use. And the resources to provide comprehensive treatment and long-term support for problem intoxicant users.
The social sector? Education, public awareness, a social stigma attached to the horrific consequences of DWI, and a steadily decreasing tolerance for any level of impaired vehicle operation, along with support and impetus for the other sectors to provide their interventions.
Business sector? Hospitality and entertainment establishments have to be proactive in preventing impaired customers from getting into a driver's seat. All businesses that use any kind of vehicle operator have to have policies and monitoring in place. Vendors have to work with, rather than against, broader limits on supplying intoxicants in situations that promote impaired vehicle operation.
Legal sector? They're the pointy end of the stick in getting impaired drivers off the road, providing escalating levels of consequences for impaired driving, testing new laws and enforcement procedures to address the problem, promoting prevention policies and supporting all the other sectors.
The single worst aspect of the DWI problem, responsible for many deaths and injuries every year, are recidivists. Addressing recidivism is the biggest challenge of all.
Why?
Research has shown that the average impaired driver gets caught once in eighty incidents of driving impaired. Think about that. Average. So while many people may get caught on their first, third, or ninth intoxicated spin, many are also driving intoxicated more than eighty times before they're caught. A hundred times? More?
Here's what we know about how that affects recidivism: When they DO get caught, habitual impaired drivers tend to blame, not themselves and their poor judgment and their problem intoxicant use, but the officer that pulled them over, the lawyer that didn't get them off, the judge that mandated them to go to DWI class or spend time in jail. They blame the system.
Why shouldn't they? They've been driving intoxicated for weeks, months, years. Never been caught before. Obvs the prob isn't them. It's the system!
Unless, of course, they're unlucky enough to add to the morbidity and mortality statistics. Sometimes that shakes them up.
Sometimes, not.
What we know is that the more quickly we can identify a likely habitual DWI offender and catch them driving impaired, the better chance we have to educate and prevent them from picking up the habit. It's difficult, but we're learning a few things about who those likely ones are, and beginning to focus prevention programs better to reach them.
Now let's talk about another lethal and horrifying problem: Governing While Impaired.
This is the GOP's problem. They've been governing while impaired- by corruption, incompetence, ignorance, greed, and malice, for decades. And they've gotten away with it!
Again, and again, and again. They've flown under the radar, they've gotten a pass from lackadaisical and corrupt media and ethics systems, they've played the "everybody does it" card successfully, the "it didn't kill anyone this time" card, the "got no other way to do it and it's got to get done" card, all the excuses for their lousy anti-democratic governing that's slowly degenerating our republic and killing thousands, indirectly at first but now increasingly, directly (here's one).
They've gotten away with it when they've funneled money to their corrupt business partners. When they've profited by insider trading. When they've bent campaign finance laws like a pretzel and even when they've shattered them like a crystal goblet dropped ten stories. When they've enacted laws that cost taxpayers billions and enriched a few wealthy buddies. When they've changed regulations to pay back campaign contributors.
They get away with it, again, and again and again.
Now... all of a sudden, there's a critical mass, like the 'explosive growth' stage in yeast. And for the first time in decades, they may --just may start getting 'pulled over' for GWI. Possibly even face a few consequences.
Here's the deal: Anyone thinking these assholes are going to "learn their lesson" has never been to a DWI court. It's not their fault! They're not doing anything wrong! They've been doing this shit for decades! Obvs it's okay! The problem isn't them-- it's the SYSTEM. Those corrupt Democrats who have a down on them. They should NEVER be allowed to have power, right?
We have a long way to go, people.
This problem isn't going to clean itself up, and it's not going to yield to fast, cheap solutions.
We need a major "help stamp out GWI" campaign, and it's got to run for years, maybe decades, and it's got to involve many key sectors.
wearily,
Bright
On the First Day of Muellermas...
...Fox News gave to me,
A grifter up his last tree.
On the second day of Muellermas
Fox News gave to me,
Two flipping schmucks,
And a grifter up his last tree.
On the third day of Muellermas
Fox News gave to me,
Three sealed indictments,
Two flipping schmucks,
And a grifter up his last tree.
On the fourth day of Muellermas
Fox News gave to me,
Four no-knock warrants,
Three sealed indictments,
Two flipping schmucks,
And a grifter up his last tree.
On the fifth day of Mullermas
Fox News gave to me,
FIVE SMOCKING GUNS!
Four no-knock warrants,
Three sealed indictments,
Two flipping schmucks,
And a grifter up his last tree.
On the sixth day of Muellermas
Fox News gave to me,
Six witnesses lying,
FIVE SMOCKING GUNS!
Four no-knock warrants,
Three sealed indictments,
Two flipping schmucks,
And a grifter up his last tree.
On the seventh day of Muellermas
Fox News gave to me,
Seven porn stars singing,
Six witnesses lying,
FIVE SMOCKING GUNS!
Four no-knock warrants,
Three sealed indictments,
Two flipping schmucks,
And a grifter up his last tree.
On the eighth day of Muellermas
Fox News gave to me,
Eight in-laws bilking,
Seven porn stars singing,
Six witnesses lying,
FIVE SMOCKING GUNS!
Four no-knock warrants,
Three sealed indictments,
Two flipping schmucks,
And a grifter up his last tree.
On the ninth day of Muellermas
Fox News gave to me,
Nine staffers leaking
Eight in-laws bilking,
Seven porn stars singing,
Six witnesses lying,
FIVE SMOCKING GUNS!
Four no-knock warrants,
Three sealed indictments,
Two flipping schmucks,
And a grifter up his last tree.
On the tenth day of Muellermas
Fox News gave to me,
Ten lawyers dancin'
Nine staffers leaking
Eight in-laws bilking,
Seven porn stars singing,
Six witnesses lying,
FIVE SMOCKING GUNS!
Four no-knock warrants,
Three sealed indictments,
Two flipping schmucks,
And a grifter up his last tree.
On the eleventh day of Muellermas
Fox News gave to me,
Eleven Russian condos,
Ten lawyers dancin'
Nine staffers leaking
Eight in-laws bilking,
Seven porn stars singing,
Six witnesses lying,
FIVE SMOCKING GUNS!
Four no-knock warrants,
Three sealed indictments,
Two flipping schmucks,
And a grifter up his last tree.
On the twelfth day of Muellermas
Fox News gave to me,
Twelve grand jurors voting,
Eleven Russian condos,
Ten lawyers dancin'
Nine staffers leaking
Eight in-laws bilking,
Seven porn stars singing,
Six witnesses lying,
FIVE SMOCKING GUNS!
Four no-knock warrants,
Three sealed indictments,
Two flipping schmucks,
And a grifter up his last tree.
Happy Holidays, Everyone!
merrily,
Bright
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