Found this site on a google search:
dui.com
As for the rest, it's possible to say:
- that you can understand his actions, without condoning it
- that one crime is less serious than another, without trivializing it
- that he may be innocent (or guilty), even if you think the opposite is more likely
- your arguments passionately, without being insulting
Good judgement comes from experience, and experience comes from poor judgement.
I've been waiting a few days before I post this so I could run down a link for you but I've been really busy. Anyway, a couple of days ago, the other psychologist, with whom I work, came in with a cold. We were discussing a case and she was very foggy, mentally. She apologized for her lack of mental focus and then said, you realize driving with a cold is the same as driving under the influence of alcohol. I asked if she meant driving under the influence of cold medications. She said, no, driving with a cold. I had never heard that or read any research that would support that. I promise I will ask her for a reference tomorrow.
So, what's my point? How many of you have ever driven a car when you had a cold? How many of you will continue to drive even after you have the knowledge that a cold is the same as driving under the influence of alcohol? Drinking and driving is wrong no matter how old you are and if found guilty then the offender should be punished. But be very careful that you aren't casting stones.
Some people follow the laws, and never have to learn from their mistakes. Others have to mess up first and then learn. Still others never learn.
Many many kids are drinking and driving. It is illegal to drink underage, it is illegal to drink and then drive, but they are doing it because kids have a "it is not going to happen to me" attitude.
It often takes a scare like this to wake them up and realize the gravity of what they are doing.
And unfortunately, some are not lucky enough to be caught running a stop sign where no one was hurt. Instead they do cause an accident, sometimes fatal. Do other kids learn from this?
It often seems not, because of the above attitude.
The fatalities I have heard about lately in our County with drunk drivers have not been teens drinking, but older people who are habitual, repeat offenders.
And when a teen's example is a parent going to a party getting bombed and then driving home, how will they ever learn? I recently went to a wedding reception where the beer flowed freely and it seemed adults and kids alike were drinking. And everyone drove there. When I left, earlier than many, I remember thinking about all those people leaving and trying to drive home, and how scary it would be on the road that night. It is very odd to be at a party when everyone is drunk except you. It certainly does alter peoples perceptions.
So I am not defending anyone getting behind the wheel after drinking, it is wrong. But Phelps was acting like a stupid 19 year old having a good time with his friends and probably had that teen attitude of it can't happen to me. He should take his punishment(and that seems to be the case), learn from it, and hopefully influence friends to learn from it( may or may not happen).
Maybe Geek has a right to be so angry, but Phelps is unfortunately one of many, many drivers who have made this bad choice. I don't know what the solution is to get people to stop drinking and driving, do you?
As a new masters swimmer, I have to take you under my wing and let you know they aren't panties, they are called Speedos. As you grow into Masters, you will come to realize that calling then panties perpetuates a bad stereotype about us. Jammers are an popular alternative if you feel they are pantey-esque.
Yo AquaGEEK: Heres a newsflash:......I wasn't referring to swimmers in general when I made that remark...and I definitely was referring to the right undergarmet there....Maybe you should just stop with the endless ramblings about everyone being in favor of drinkling and driving (or worse...referring to certain people (like me for example) as drunken mad men) just b/c we disagree with you...ect...ect....
Sorry ...but you sound like a complete idiot when you do that. I have said all I want to say here and so I will stop participating in this adolescent screaming match with you....(mainly for the sake of the other nice "adult" members here who I think have all made some excellent remarks on the subject and would rather not see the thread diminish into adolescence like this)....By the way, I do sincerely apologize to everyone else on this thread (except for one of course) for letting this thing get a little ugly...but in my defense, I got a little tired of reading the comments of one blowhard lashing out at the other members of this thread who were just trying to state thier respective opinions...so that's when I decided to add my two cents worth....So please forgive my bad behavior!
newmastersswimmer
I'm not saying that he should be "crucified," but I disagree with the concept of learning from your mistakes as applied to this situation. He is an adult, he has a driver's license, and he (allegedly) committed a crime. He made a conscious decision to get behind the wheel of his SUV after drinking, breaking the law and endangering lives (anyone remember the recent case involving the Congressman who killed a motorcyclist when he ran a stop sign?).
Laws are there for a reason, and I don't believe that you need the "experience" of breaking them to learn a lesson. Of course, I assume you only learn something if you get caught.
Originally posted by gull80
I'm not saying that he should be "crucified," but I disagree with the concept of learning from your mistakes as applied to this situation. He is an adult, he has a driver's license, and he (allegedly) committed a crime. He made a conscious decision to get behind the wheel of his SUV after drinking, breaking the law and endangering lives (anyone remember the recent case involving the Congressman who killed a motorcyclist when he ran a stop sign?).
Laws are there for a reason, and I don't believe that you need the "experience" of breaking them to learn a lesson. Of course, I assume you only learn something if you get caught.
You definately don't need to break a law to know better. But now that the law is broken, I do hope he learns....... I hope.......
I hope others who look up to him learn too....... I hope.......
Originally posted by dorothyrde
Many many kids are drinking and driving. It is illegal to drink underage, it is illegal to drink and then drive, but they are doing it because kids have a "it is not going to happen to me" attitude.
It often takes a scare like this to wake them up and realize the gravity of what they are doing.
I know people personally that this has happened to. They went around "living it up" because they thought they would never get caught. When they did, boy! did they get a rude awakening. But now, they have learned from that experience and are thriving. They have put the event behind them, but still carry it's lessons with them everyday. Hopefully by seeing that it can happen to anyone, younger kids will take notice.
~Kyra
