Drinking & Driving is it just blown out of porportion by MADD Mothers?
The laws keep getting stricter I can't even pass out drunk in my car anymore. Now when I drive I have to hide my beer!
Answers:
Mothers Against Drunk Driving has done a great deal to get cops to take the drunks off the road, and they should be commended for that accomplishment. However, I believe they have both outlived their purpose and seriously strayed from their original mission. Since the mid 1990's, they have gradually morphed into a nanny-state organization that is not just against drunk driving, but is now crusading to criminalize alcohol altogether. They're now also supporting legislation to:
1) raise taxes on all alcoholic beverages.
2) take away a minor's driver's license if he was ever caught
drinking at any time (even if he wasn't anywhere NEAR a car).
3) limit the operating hours of businesses licensed to sell alcohol
4) allow cops to arrest people for ANY kind of intoxication in public, even if they weren't driving a car or being disorderly.
MADD writes that “opponents of sobriety checkpoints tend to be those who drink and drive frequently and are concerned about being caught”, which is nonsense because all they really do is instill fear in people who may have had only one drink, and even many drivers who didn't touch a drop of alcohol feel that DUI checkpoints are incredibly intrusive. Mothers Against Drunk Driving stigmatizes light or moderate alcohol consumption, even when it isn't associated with either being underage or driving. For example:
• MADD sells a graphic showing two empty glasses of alcohol surrounded by the words assault, drowning, burns, rape and suicide.
• MADD sells a graphic that equates beer with heroin by depicting a beer bottle as a drug syringe.
• MADD sells a television ad insisting that "if you think there's a difference" between heroin and alcohol, "you're dead wrong."
In fact, MADD is more concerned about alcohol than they are about car accidents. When a MADD leader was asked about how traffic fatality statistics involving cell phone use compared to those involving drunk drivers, he tellingly replied "I have absolutely no idea, nor do I care." On CNN's Crossfire, the President-elect of MADD refused to discuss cell phones and the traffic fatalities they cause. She said "We're not here to talk about cell phones. We're here to talk about alcohol." Following more questions about how cell phones impair driving, the MADD leader snapped "I'm not going to talk about cell phones." Similarly, a MADD lobbyist was quoted on the program as saying "I don't care about deaths from cell phones." And what does MADD say about speeding? Nothing. As the Executive Director of Ohio MADD said, "Speeding isn't our thing."
Face it, they're now more like a neo-temperance movement reminiscent of Carrie Nation and The Women's Christian Temperance Union during the Prohibition era. MADD has strayed so far off from its original mission, even its founder, Candy Lightner is questioning the organization's new extreme direction. She commented, "I didn't start MADD to deal with alcohol. I started MADD to deal with the issue of drunk driving." Lightner added, "It has become far more neo-prohibitionist than I had ever wanted or envisioned."
What Others Say About MADD:
"Mothers Against Drunk Driving may soon have to change its name to Mothers Against Any Drinking Whatsoever -- that is, if it wants to avoid false advertising." Washington Times. 18
"At the forefront of the neo-prohibitionist movement is MADD (Mothers Against Drunk Driving)." Dr. Thomas J. DiLorenzo of Washington University and Dr. James T. Bennett of George Mason University. 18a
"Mothers Against Drunk Driving (has) decided to wage war on social drinkers." Radley Balko, Fox News columnist. 19
"MADD has morphed from an anti-drunk-driving organization into an anti-alcohol organization. Jim Reynolds, writer. 19a
Mothers Against Drunk Driving "engages in a form of neoprohibitionism." Christian Restifo, Carnegie Mellon University. 19b
Although Prohibition ended 70 years ago, "a new agenda of temperance is alive and well today at Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD)." Charles V. Penna, MADD‚s former Northern Virginia Chapter Executive Director and now Director of policy studies at The Cato Institute. 20
Mothers Against Drunk Driving's "ongoing push to compel states to adopt ever-lower standards for being legally drunk‚ is becoming a prohibitionist jihad driven by hysteria, not medical reality." Washington Times. 21
A "prohibitionist movement (is) propagated by MADD." National Motorist Association. 21a
"We believe their (MADD's) true agenda is prohibition." TalkLeft. 22
MADD has become "overzealous." Candy Lightner, founder of Mothers Against Drunk Driving. 22a
"MADD continues to inflate the number of people killed by drunk drivers to further its prohibitionist agenda." Center for Consumer Freedom. 23
MADD's report is "chock full of inaccuries and errors," but MADD officials have refused to comment on them. Jerry McCory, Director of the Governor's Council on Impaired and Dangerous Driving. 24
Its "inflated drunk driving statistics confirm MADD's relevance and help it raise funds." Radley Balco, writer. 24a
Mothers Against Drunk Driving "has basically become a propaganda mill churnig out false andmisleading statistics." Jay Caruso. 25
"MADD generally attempts to mask its radical, neo-prohibitionist agenda in the veneer of sound science and sober statistics." Charles V. Pena, former MADD official. 25a
"MADD has become a ruthless lobby more concerned with prohibitionist legislation and punishment of drinkers than with improving road safety." Iain Levison. 26
"Criticizing MADD is like criticizing the pope. They do not lightly tolerate disagreement." LeCuyer. 27
"Nobody wants to be in MADD's bad graces." Bruce Freidrich, People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA). 28
"MADD is just totally spiteful." Palmer Didion, attorney. 28a
Mothers Against Drunk Driving "threatened me." James Bostad, former MADD State Treasurer. 28b
"MADD is a hate group, without question." Darlene J. Dowling, AFA. 28c
"MADD is spiteful, vindictive, judgmental, holier than thou, self-righteous and obnoxious." Kevin. 28d
Mothers Against Drunk Driving "displayed its contempt for civil liberties, as well as the judicial system, by calling for (a) judge to resign because she criticized a MADD-backed program she felt violated the constitutional rights of young adults." Center for Consumer Freedom. 29
"One must wonder has MADD gone mad?" Foundation for Taxpayer and Consumer Rights. 29a
"MADD is out of control." Talk Left. 29b
Mothers Against Drunk Driving is guilty of "demogoguery." 29c
"MADD has allowed its emotions to preempt its common sense, hoping, therefore, to drive up support for its cause." S. G. Michalides. 30
Mothers Against Drunk Driving spends most of its time in "self-perpetuating fund-raising efforts." The American Institute of Philanthropy. 31
"MADD has become big bucks, and that's it." "It's a big corporation." Sandy Kaufman, former MADD chapter President. 31a
Mothers Against Drunk Driving is guilty of "dubious budget and fundraising tactics." (MADD deceptively lists fundraising mailings as educational activities rather than fundraising activities.) American Institute of Philanthropy. 32
"One of the worst performance records (on spending inordinately to raise money, then spending below-average amounts on their stated mission) goes to Mothers Against Drunk Driving." Daniel Puzzo describing MADD's low grade by the independent American Institute on Philanthropy. 33
"MADD uses viral e-mail to build (its e-mail) list." K. Brenner. 34
"MADD continues to deceive." National Motorists Association. 35
No it isn't. If you've known anyone that was a victim of drunk driving you can attest to that. I don't think the laws could ever get strict enough where drinking and driving is concerned. Mixing alcohol and driving is like shooting a gun into a crowded store.
Don't drink and drive take speed and fly!
i don't think thousands of people dying every year is blown out of proportion. most of those people were innocent bystanders.
why would you want to pass out in your car, get a cab & go home & pass out. When you say hide your beer, do you mean your drinking beer while your driving, if so, that,s just plain stupid. Only if your a parent & have your child killed by a drunk driver, you would,nt think MADD Mothers is blowing anything out of porpotion, mabey put your self in thier shoes.
please tell me this question is a joke.
Hell no. I don't think it's strict enough. If you're impaired in any way whatsoever, you shouldn't be allowed to drive. Even one little glass of beer can impair your driving skills. A car is a two ton killing machine.
I hope and pray that they get stricter yet. If you want to drink yourself silly, that's fine, but do it at home!!
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