I’m not sure about other small town newspapers but my town’s newspaper is available online (as well as in print), with the option of signing into a forum of sorts to be able to leave comments on the stories. It’s a community feedback feature that I am very happy they have most of the time. Other times it makes me sick to my stomach to think that we truly have that many morons living amongst us in that close of a vicinity.
I’m known in that forum area by my nickname, from my online game WoW, and I have become one of the six most anticipated feedbacks on the major stories that are put out there. Anticipated, however, does not mean most agree or even like what I have to say. I was on the debate team growing up, trust me…I know how to argue and get my point across. The only few people who have ever shut me up or to out argue me is my mother/family and my roomie’s lawyer sister (which shouldn’t count…she’s had formal training!)
Either way the few of us regular commenters have an unwritten respect for one another’s views, though we may not agree 90% of the time. I have to be extremely passionate about a subject to comment more than once, usually just leaving it alone to those who like to fight it out. Being one of the youngest posters there, I’m used to being belittled for my age and for “inexperience” in the world. Some are right in that assumption, I am not familiar with what is going on with DSS and other government agencies in our area so I stay out of it.
Why am I bringing this up in my blog, you might be asking yourself. That is because I want your feedback to figure out if perhaps I am wrong with where I stand on a certian subject. Most of those who read my blog are unaware of the history in my family (my step-father’s side) and are unaware of what happened shortly before my high school graduation to bring me to be so passionate about this subject.
Driving under the influence.
I’m not here to reprimand, it isn’t my job. I’m here to get your honest feelings on the subject.
Backstory:
Quite a few years ago, my then mother’s fiancee’s brother- killed himself and two other’s in another car driving on the wrong side of the interstate after drinking one night. (please save the damnation, he suffered the worst possible outcome. And though what he did was wrong, it still hurts his family and daughter)
Jan. 1, 2003- A very well known and liked friend was killed after an accident that involved “substances” (they never clarified- but we all knew), he never got to walk across the stage with us that year.
Thus bringing us back to Monday, the local paper ran a story about a checkpoint the police department sponsored by the MADD of our county set up to catch drunken drivers and other’s under the influence of mind altering drugs. They caught 62 people on varies offenses dealing with the checkpoint. The majority being DUI/DWI.
Someone on the forum believes that these checkpoints are unfounded and unconstitutional and they are taking away are rights.
I countered him, what about our rights as the people to be able to drive down the road without having the chance of being killed by someone who is under the influence.
He “blew” me out of the water, saying that I was “Anti-American” and “Condescending” and that because of people like me, we will all lose our rights to the government. Once again I countered him.
Here’s an exerpt of the last two posts from us:
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INSERT PERSON’S NAME HERE wrote:
“If you haven’t done anything wrong, what is your problem with it? “
And therein lies the biggest fallacy of those who don’t give a s*&t about our Rights. It’s not that I have something to hide, it’s about having something to protect. It’s called the Constitution. Remember this little quote? “They that can give up any essential liberty to obtain a little temporary safety deserve neither safety nor liberty” Ben Franklin knew what he was saying. ANOTHER PERSON ON FORUM “The enumeration in the Constitution, of certain rights, shall not be construed to deny or disparage others retained by the people.” It’s called the 9th Amendment to the Constitution. It reminds the Government that if something is not expressly written in the fist ten Amendments it is still retained as a Right owned by the People. You need to remember. It is the People who have Rights. The States only have powers and privileges. As long as you think you don’t have a Right to travel, in your own conveyance, then the Government will continue to treat you like you have no Right to it. Either declare and fight for your Rights or forever lose them. It’s how government has worked for centuries. INSERT MY NAME HERE wrote:
PERSON’S NAME HERE- You have more underlying issues with the government than just a check point and people begging for money in the middle of an intersection. It seems to me you feel no matter what is going on they are trying to take away OUR rights.
In 2006 1,558 people were killed in drunken driving related accidents in NC alone not including other driving under the influence with other impairing drugs resulting in fatalities. 42,532 deaths nationwide (in 2006) for both instances. So once again I reiterate, how dare you say that their stopping everyone to bring those horrible numbers down is unethical. WE AS THE PEOPLE deserve the right to be as safe as possible, which is the law ENFORCEMENT’s job…enforce the law. And the law is to NOT drive drunk or under the influence of mind altering drugs. We at least know they saved 62 lives that night. If their arresting/stopping drunken drivers was a violation of the Bill of Rights and our Constitution in general it would have been taken to and won a judgement against YEARS ago in the supreme court system. |
So that is the jest of what we were fighting about. (Btw- the “Another Person on Forum” is where he was addressing someone else)
What are your feelings on the subject? Do you feel that it is too invasive and unconstitutional or do you feel that is the law enforcement’s job to protect us?
Much Love,
K
