Alcohol was a Factor

Read the last sentence of this story.

If I never have to hear those words again, it'll be too soon.

I realize that alcohol plays a significant role in lives of many people for entertainment, relaxation, or social purposes. And, nothing I say or do is ever going to change that. Alcohol's role within our society is firmly entrenched...no matter how many people do untold numbers of stupid things, none of that is going to change.

But, I'm going to continue to be confused by it. I just cannot wrap my mind around it.

I'm sure that my perspective is somewhat distorted. I don't drink. Never have. Never will. I don't see the appeal in it, and so I just don't do it.

I don't hop on my soapbox mind you...if I'm out to dinner with friends and they want to have a beer...I'm certainly not going to say anything. My choice is exactly that...my choice. The only person that I've asked to follow my choice is Karin... and, she does so willingly. My kids, too, will have to abide my choice until they have reached legal age and are no longer under my roof. Then, when it is their choice, I hope they make the same one as me. But, if they don't, I'll try to understand that.

My point is this...I'm not picketing in front of bars. I'm not suggesting that prohibition is the right thing to do. I don't intentionally create the socially awkward situation in which I publicly chastise someone for choosing to have a drink with alcohol contained within.

But, my somewhat slanted perspective on this topic frequently leads me to just shake my head in amazement at the things I see, read, hear as it relates to alcohol. Too often a tragic story about an automobile accident, boating accident, motorcycle or ATV accident, a fight, a shooting, or some other crime ends with the sentence "alcohol was a factor". And, I'm beginning to wonder why I so rarely hear anyone speak up on that topic.

I'm just tired of stories that end in a tragedy in which alcohol was a factor. And, perhaps, stupid is as stupid does. Maybe someone who was going to be involved in this type of tragic accident was going to do the same whether alcohol was available or not. Perhaps it was just a matter of time...if not that day, then some other day.

Right now the presidents of some of the most influential institutions of higher learning are starting a movement. That movement; a call to move our social structure away from alcohol as a social lubricant? No. They are forming some degree of social momentum toward the idea of lowering the legal drinking age to 18, rather than 21.

Now, I'm not going to debate the relative merits of that topic. Binge drinking vs. social lubricant. Age of responsibility, old enough to die for my country but not old enough to have a beer...etc, etc. I've heard this all before. And, as a fairly staunch libertarian, I'm generally in favor of getting our government out of our lives.

But, the man in this story was 33...not 17. Not 20. Not 22. He was old enough to have gone through the binge drinking phase of his life....and, theoretically, old enough to know better. My point, I guess, is that a debate of age seems silly to me. I don't think age has much to do with the tragedies we see related to alcohol. Make the legal age 12 if you want...I don't think it will matter much.

Until I stop hearing potentially tragic stories related to me in a "you've got to hear this. It's hilarious" context...I don't think the age will matter much. Watching my friends fall down drunk wasn't funny when I was in high school. It wasn't funny in college. It's still not funny now. Hearing them tell me stories about how they just barely made it home from the bar...just makes me cringe.

I'm not going to ask anyone to skip a drink. You make your own choice. Enjoy a beer or a glass of wine, I've got no problem with that. But, enjoy a couple too many and you can expect me to ask for your keys. And, no, I won't have a sense of humor about it.

The guy in the article....I wonder how many of his friends wish they had stepped in and told the guy not to get on his ATV. I wonder if any of them were sober enough to realize that they should have. Someone should have stopped him...but, they didn't...because alcohol was a factor.

http://www.mlive.com/grpress/news/index.ssf/2008/08/two_public_officials_express_e.html
http://www.mlive.com/grpress/news/index.ssf/2008/08/greenville_man_charged_with_dr.html