AuthorEveryone has opinions, and I am not the exception. On occasion I come across articles or reader comments as I scour the internet in search of information that, for one reason or another, capture my attention: sometimes because I find them interesting, sometimes because I find them to be the most ridiculous things I have ever heard. Here I will put forth my opinions in regards to these bits of information that have collared my interest. ArchivesCategories |
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 I once made the statement in class that alcohol is never good. One of my students disagreed and suggested that sometimes alcohol can be advantageous. I then invited her to a debate. My proposal was to trade stories about alcohol consumption. The rules of the debate would be simple. She would tell a story of when alcohol use resulted in a positive ending in a situation where, if there had been no alcohol involved, then the results would have been negative. I would then give an example of a time when alcohol use resulted in a negative ending in a situation where if there had been no alcohol involved, then the results would have been positive. The first person to run out of examples would be declared the loser. She declined my invitation. In another situation a coworker, who was prone to alcohol abuse, informed me that any kind of addiction was bad: alcoholism, drug abuse, coffee, and even going to church too much. Since everyone was prone to some sort of addiction, he claimed, then it was best for him to choose the one that was the most fun for him. My response to such illogical thinking is this: I know people who were killed due to the use of alcohol, many who have lost their jobs due to this addiction, several who have lost their families as a result of alcohol, and even some who have killed others through their abuse of alcohol. On the other hand, I have yet to hear of anyone who has endured any of these situations because they went to church too much. Hollywood tends to berate Christians, Christian values, believers, and church going on a regular basis. Yet at the same time they continuously extol the virtues and gloriousness of alcohol; it is praised as the solution for everything. Whenever one returns home from a rough day at work, they need a drink to relieve the pressure. If they return from work after a rewarding day, then they need a drink to celebrate. Some type of alcohol is drank at every meal. One must go out every evening after work and drink to socialize with their friends. Alcohol use is always portrayed in a positive light. Everyone who drinks is beautiful, or handsome, or rich, or smart, or well-liked. Hollywood tends to never portray the negative sides of alcohol use: the drunk driver killing innocent people, the drunk man returning home to beat his wife, the alcoholic who cannot keep a job, or the drunk lying in the gutter in his own vomit. As the following news articles convey: alcohol use causes sorrow and heartache on a daily basis*. According to the CDC, 29 people are killed in the United States every day in motor vehicle crashes that involve an alcohol-impaired driver. "This is one death every 50 minutes. The annual cost of alcohol-related crashes totals more than $44 billion." (Impaired, 2019) But it is not just drunk driving that results in the deaths of people. An article at Very Well Mind states that "Alcohol is typically involved in the most severe incidents of violence towards partners" (What, 2019). They go on to say that many women are not only hospitalized, but also die as a result of their husband's alcohol use. *Note: the dates posted under the article headlines are not necessarily the date the incident happened, but rather when the article was published or updated. StatisticsIn 2017 there were 10,874 people killed in alcohol-impaired- driving crashes, an average of 1 alcohol-impaired-driving fatality every 48 minutes. US Department of Transportation. Number of alcohol-induced deaths, excluding accidents and homicides (2016): 34,865 Center for Disease Control An estimated 88,0008 people (approximately 62,000 men and 26,000 women) die from alcohol-related causes annually, making alcohol the third leading preventable cause of death in the United States. National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism In 2012, 3.3 million deaths, or 5.9 percent of all global deaths (7.6 percent for men and 4.1 percent for women), were attributable to alcohol consumption. National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism HeadlinesWhy don't you 'like' my status? 'Drunk husband beats up wife for not commenting on his Facebook update'October 7, 2011 Read the full story here. Drunk Man Beats Two Daughters To Death After A Heated Argument With Wife Over FoodAugust 7, 2017 Read the full story here. Indonesian woman was beaten to death by drunken husbandFebruary 5, 2018 Read the full story here. After Beating Wife, Drunk Man Allegedly Kills Newborn Daughter In UPAugust 30, 2018 Read the full story here. Drunk Driving Accidents Still a Major Problem in New York 2019February 19, 2019 Read the full story here.
Mason City man accused of beating woman while driving drunkApril 9, 2019 Read the full story here. Driver in accident that killed 3 teens smelled of alcohol: policeMay 29, 2019 Read the full story here. Serial Drunk Driver On Trial For Deadly Multi-Car CrashJune 3, 2019 Read the full story here. Mother of teen killed in Salem drunk-driving crash: 'She had dreams and she wanted to conquer them'June 4, 2019 Read the full story here.
Suspected drunk driving accident seriously injures three near ElyJune 5, 2019 Read the full story here. Fayetteville mom of 10-year-old killed by suspected drunk driver to hold rallyJune 6, 2019 Read the full story here. Mother And Son Killed, 3 Others Injured In Crash Involving Suspected Drunk Driver In DallasJune 6, 2019 Read the full story here. Suspected drunk driver crashes into parked sheriff’s vehicle with deputies insideJUNE 8, 2019 Read the full story here. 2 victims identified in 'horrific' I-20 crash with drunken driving suspect in ArlingtonJune 8, 2019 Read the full story here.
Two children killed in Michigan after drunk driver hits Amish horse-drawn buggy: policeJune 9, 2019 Read the full story here. California man died in April at Dominican Republic resort after drink from hotel room minibar, family saysJune 9, 2019 Read the full story here. Illegal immigrant charged in 3 DUI deaths now also facing weapons counts, authorities sayJune 15, 2019 Read the full story here.
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