Why So Many Stupid Druggies In Paradise?

[kamuelakea]

Having a drink once in a while is probably healthy.

Getting drunk (but not threatening anyone else) is probably not healthy but can be fun once in a while.

But getting intoxicated and then DRIVING YOUR CAR is rude, insane and criminal.

Why does Hawaii seem to have so many celebrity type fools who chose to drink (no problem) and then drive (big problem).

Okay, so just off the top of my head, you got the recent fools getting in their automobile weapons while intoxicated and threatening the lives of their fellow islanders.

1) The Japanese legislator, whats his name.
2) Lolo Kanaka Kimo Kahoano, probably drinking again already.
3) Lolo Democrat Governors son and half Japanese OHA Trustee Waihe'e IV
4) The Japanese LOST actor
5) The Haole? LOST actress(es?), wasn't there 2 of them?
6) Yet to be determined: The Japanese Author killed yesterday.

I know I'm forgetting lots.

So why do (most of) these people who we all know love to spend their days talking about how lucky they are to live in paradise, how wonderful Hawaii is, how perfect everything is, how much better it is than the mainland, need to get ripped and then put others at risk through their stupid behavior.?????

Looks like we need a strengthening of DUI Laws cuz the current ones appear to provide ZERO deturrance.

And you know, there used to be a strong Shame element to Japanese culture, even in Hawaii. Seems like that is gone, no?

[1stwahine]

Re: Why So Many Stupid Druggies In Paradise?

I'm hanging this morning cause I drank last night in my beloved Chinatown! No matter how intoxicated I get, I never drive. I catch The Bus or call a taxi. There is no excuse when it comes to DUI.

Celebrity or not...it doesn't make a difference.

A life is too precious to waste.

Don't Drink and Drive!

Auntie Lynn

[Menehune Man]

Re: Why So Many Stupid Druggies In Paradise?

1)...But getting intoxicated and then DRIVING YOUR CAR is rude, insane and criminal.

2)Why does Hawaii seem to have so many celebrity type fools who chose to drink (no problem) and then drive (big problem).

3)Looks like we need a strengthening of DUI Laws cuz the current ones appear to provide ZERO deturrance.

1) I agree. Did it in da young days, though will not now and try my best to help others not to either.
IE: get 'um a cab, or bring 'um home.

2) It's not only/especially Hawaii. It's everywhere! Also not only/especially celebities, just hear of those in the news.

3) Again, I agree. People "don't know what we got till it's gone".
Like a drivers license? Freedom? Etc.?

[kamuelakea]

Re: Why So Many Stupid Druggies In Paradise?

I'm hanging this morning cause I drank last night in my beloved Chinatown! No matter how intoxicated I get, I never drive. I catch The Bus or call a taxi. There is no excuse when it comes to DUI.

Celebrity or not...it doesn't make a difference.

A life is too precious to waste.

Don't Drink and Drive!

Auntie Lynn

Hope you had fun aunty. Most of the healthy and happy octogenarians (I know we not there yet, just talking about getting there) I know of have a common thread, they either smoked or drank, in moderation. They also tended to eat whatevah dey damn well pleased, with extra salt and fat. They also tended to have a mellow personality and some sense of humor.

But to get in your car, in this day and age, and to drive intoxicated. I can't believe it's happening as much as it does. I searching for the deeper explanation.

I am not casting stones. There is alcoholism in my family history, although I don't know of anyone who knowingly drives or drove drunk (could be wrong of course).

Until we figure this out, the cars of anyone driving over the legal limit should be impounded until the court case and if they are found guilty or if they plead guilty, the car should be sold with funds going to fund more traffic stops, cameras etc to catch more of these people.

[tikiyaki]

Re: Why So Many Stupid Druggies In Paradise?

Hey, Celebrities are above the law, silly, didn't you know that ?

Just ask Paris Hilton All fame, no talent, no respect for anyone.

That is the new millenium celebrity. Don't get me started.

[Random]

Re: Why So Many Stupid Druggies In Paradise?

Having a drink once in a while is probably healthy.

Getting drunk (but not threatening anyone else) is probably not healthy but can be fun once in a while.

But getting intoxicated and then DRIVING YOUR CAR is rude, insane and criminal.

Why does Hawaii seem to have so many celebrity type fools who chose to drink (no problem) and then drive (big problem).

Okay, so just off the top of my head, you got the recent fools getting in their automobile weapons while intoxicated and threatening the lives of their fellow islanders.

1) The Japanese legislator, whats his name.
2) Lolo Kanaka Kimo Kahoano, probably drinking again already.
3) Lolo Democrat Governors son and half Japanese OHA Trustee Waihe'e IV
4) The Japanese LOST actor
5) The Haole? LOST actress(es?), wasn't there 2 of them?
6) Yet to be determined: The Japanese Author killed yesterday.

I know I'm forgetting lots.

So why do (most of) these people who we all know love to spend their days talking about how lucky they are to live in paradise, how wonderful Hawaii is, how perfect everything is, how much better it is than the mainland, need to get ripped and then put others at risk through their stupid behavior.?????

Looks like we need a strengthening of DUI Laws cuz the current ones appear to provide ZERO deturrance.

And you know, there used to be a strong Shame element to Japanese culture, even in Hawaii. Seems like that is gone, no?

I thought we're talking about drug addicts here.

Don't get me wrong. My personal feeling is that anyone who drink & drive should get shot in the head, regardless of age and sex.

If you're drunk either 1) have someone sober drive your car 2) call taxi, or 3) stay where you are or in the car. And if you're worried about leaving behind your pimped-up Mitsubishi or Scion, you should have thought about that before you drink.

Sometimes, alcohol plus pride get in the way of sound judgment.

[GeckoGeek]

Re: Why So Many Stupid Druggies In Paradise?

Looks like we need a strengthening of DUI Laws cuz the current ones appear to provide ZERO deturrance.

Be careful about what you ask for. They may decide to redefine "drunk" from 0.8 down to 0.4. (It used to be 1.0. Were we any safer when it was dropped to 0.8?) We'll end up with more criminals, but still have just as many DUI deaths. Ever notice how the DUIs that have accidents are well over legal limit, sometimes twice the limit yet they weren't caught?

I would like to see an analysis done of enforcement actions and DUI death rates. I've seen one author write about it at the national level some years back and for all the effort, the DUI deaths hadn't changed much.

The real problem is our current system is only catching the "one beer and go home" crowd and missing the dangerous ones which are frequently chronic heavy drinkers. We need to figure out why enforcement is targeting the wrong group and address that. If we just push our lawmakers to "do something" they'll do the only thing they know how - and it won't be pretty and probably won't be effective.

[kamuelakea]

Re: Why So Many Stupid Druggies In Paradise?

I thought we're talking about drug addicts here.

When it comes to making the foolish decision to drive drunk, I believe the words drug and addict are appropriate.

My own personal semantics.

If someone is sipping wine for the aroma and flavor, then its not a drug.
If someone is drinking a ChiChi to keep cool and taste mostly coconut and pineapple, its not a drug.

But if someone is so mentally retarded as to drink enough to get drunk and then get in their car and threaten others, that behavior is so destructive that the alcohol then becomes a full fledged drug and the individual becomes an addict.

Remember, alcohol takes more lives than all other drugs. Used to be 50K a year on the highways alone, now I think closer to 25000. Doesn't include the other stupid decisions like spouse abuse, child abuse, bar fights, etc etc.

It can be a drug and its users addicts.

We need to stop allowing alcohol the honorary pass in judgment just because it is legal. There should be the same shame associated with an alcohol abuser that we associate with a crack head. They are both druggies.
That is part of the problem here. No matter how much damage alcohol causes in our society, we still don't consider it "as bad" as the "real drugs".

Wrong.

[kamuelakea]

Re: Why So Many Stupid Druggies In Paradise?

I would like to see an analysis done of enforcement actions and DUI death rates. I've seen one author write about it at the national level some years back and for all the effort, the DUI deaths hadn't changed much.

That is not true. The death rate back in the 1980s ish was-50,000 per year. After MADD got involved and laws were strengthened, that number dropped by 50% to 25,000 per year. That even as the population of the USA went up by 25% or so.

I don't think lowering the blood level is the key. I think taking the cars away and selling them on the first offense and taking the licenses away for 5 years could have an effect.

[GeckoGeek]

Re: Why So Many Stupid Druggies In Paradise?

That is not true. The death rate back in the 1980s ish was-50,000 per year. After MADD got involved and laws were strengthened, that number dropped by 50% to 25,000 per year. That even as the population of the USA went up by 25% or so.

I'm not saying it had no effect. I think that particular author's rant was against roadblocks for finding DUIs. I'm sure there has been a major effect on DUI just because of society's change in attitude toward it.

I don't think tougher enforcement is the answer. The people who are the most dangerous are the addicts - and threatened penalties doesn't have have a whole lot of effect on those.

Again, I'd urge a study of the facts of what kind of drunk crashes into things and how can we target them rather then throwing the book at every person with alcohol on their breath.

And for the record, I don't drink, so this is no threat to me. I just hate misguided laws that come about just "because we have to do something".

[Leo Lakio]

Re: Why So Many Stupid Druggies In Paradise?

The Japanese legislator ... half Japanese OHA Trustee ... The Japanese LOST actor ... The Japanese Author

Aren't the folks to whom you are referring here actually Americans, not Japanese?

Oh, I keep forgetting your not-so-racist undertones. My bad.

And the guy from "Lost," Daniel Dae Kim, is of Korean ancestry, not Japanese - but I'm sure it doesn't matter to you, cause "they" all look alike, act alike, believe alike, eat alike, drink and drive alike...

[Random]

Re: Why So Many Stupid Druggies In Paradise?

Again, I'd urge a study of the facts of what kind of drunk crashes into things and how can we target them rather then throwing the book at every person with alcohol on their breath.

I dunno. The current method of "throwing the book" is only a mere inconvenience and annoyance to the person breaking the law, rather than scaring the crap out of you, so you don't want to be in jail. Ever.

Then again, I'm a fan of cruel and unusual punishment.

[tutusue]

Re: Why So Many Stupid Druggies In Paradise?

[...]
6) Yet to be determined: The Japanese Author killed yesterday.[...]

Ya know what, Kam? Listing this person in your post with absolutely NO knowledge of what caused the accident is such a cheap shot. "Yet to be determined" means nothing in the context of your message. You've already incriminated her by adding her to your list. Is it really too much to ask of you, or anyone for that matter, to wait until the reason is made public? I just really don't get your need to publicize your judgmental assumption. If your assumption does, in fact, hold true, then, have at it. But...NOW? Why?

Now, a personal disclaimer...
I did not know Lisa. Even tho' she'd been thru my office a couple of times during the 1990s and I had a couple of nice phone conversations with her when purchasing gifts for my grandsons...she would not have been able to pick me out in a crowd nor I, her. One doesn't have to be personally acquainted with someone to appreciate their talent...or to not judge them without reason.

[LikaNui]

Re: Why So Many Stupid Druggies In Paradise?

Ya know what, Kam? Listing this person in your post with absolutely NO knowledge of what caused the accident is such a cheap shot.

AMEN to that. Like many others, I'm rapidly tiring of Kam's racist comments and cheap shots.

Is it really too much to ask of you, or anyone for that matter, to wait until the reason is made public?

Apparently it is. Sadly.
This all reminds me of the situation here on HT when Don Ho's daughter passed away and Miulang did the same thing to her.

I just really don't get your need to publicize your judgmental assumption. If your assumption does, in fact, hold true, then, have at it. But...NOW? Why?

Agreed. And again, same thing I said in the Ho daughter situation.

Now, a personal disclaimer. I did not know Lisa. (...) One doesn't have to be personally acquainted with someone to appreciate their talent...or to not judge them without reason.

Agreed once again. I never met Ho's daughter, yet I was furious at the attacks on her. I can't imagine any possible reason people would do such a despicable thing to anyone.
I'd expect that kind of behavior on UseNet, but not here.

[Leo Lakio]

Re: Why So Many Stupid Druggies In Paradise?

Ya know what, Kam? Listing this person in your post with absolutely NO knowledge of what caused the accident is such a cheap shot. "Yet to be determined" means nothing in the context of your message. You've already incriminated her by adding her to your list. Is it really too much to ask of you, or anyone for that matter, to wait until the reason is made public? I just really don't get your need to publicize your judgmental assumption. If your assumption does, in fact, hold true, then, have at it. But...NOW? Why?

AMEN to that. Like many others, I'm rapidly tiring of Kam's racist comments and cheap shots.
~~~~~
I can't imagine any possible reason people would do such a despicable thing to anyone. I'd expect that kind of behavior on UseNet, but not here.

Thank you both for chiming in; that's exactly the same point I was trying to make in this thread.