A story.....

["Al Powell" <apowell@agcom.tamu.edu>]

Here's a parallel story for those who are tussling with the 
responsibility issue of driving too fast and/or driving too fast 
while drunk - and of the responsibility borne by those who do not 
wear seat belts while passengers in such a vehicle - 

Let's say you've had a BAD day.  Really bad.  Toothache when you woke 
up, fight with your significant other, then got a pink slip at work.

You then repair to your favorite bar, and proceed to have MUCH too 
much to drink.  At some point in this scenario, you get involved in a 
fight - and because of the rage you have been suppressing, you kill 
someone.

NOW - whose fault was this?

Your tooth's?
Your significant others'?
Your ex-boss's?
Your bartenders?

The ONLY possible rational answer is: YOU.  And you must pay the 
penalty.  Our society seems to think that when you kill yourself 
or someone else, it's an actual excuse that you were drunk, wired or 
stoned on drugs, or otherwise judgement-impaired.  Crap.  You did it; 
you pay for it.

And IMNSHO, the same applies 100% to the idiot driver (who kew 
he was drunk when called back to duty - and should have refused, 
claiming medical problems if necessary), and to those who rode in 
the car without wearing belts.  The driver should be in prison if he 
survived the crash - but he did not.  The passengers were guilty of 
poor judgement - and have paid the price.

This was an unfortunate crash - NOT an accident, because the results 
were predictable and not accidental - precipitated by a whole lot of 
bad judgement on the part of a number of people - and in this case, 
they paid the maximum price.

The paparazzi (whom I want to make it clear I detest) were irritants, 
but "contributed" no more than the toothache or the ex-boss, and 
IMO, they bear no more responsibility.  

So it seems to me.


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Al Powell, Ph.D.                 Voice:  409/845-2807
107 Reed McDonald Bldg.          Fax:    409/862-1202
College Station, TX 77843      
Http://agcomwww.tamu.edu/agcom/satellit/alpage.htm
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