Some homicides more equal than others?

[billwald]

911 deaths, about 3,000. Drunk driving deaths every year, about 13,000, maybe 100,000 since 911.

But drunk driving is our national sport and suicide bombing isn't. That's why I have never heard a sermon about the sin of dangerous driving.


Drunken driving by state

Alcohol-related traffic deaths* in 2007 and 2008, plus the 2008 drunken-driving fatality rate per 100 million miles driven and change from 2007:

State 2007 deaths 2008 deaths 2008 fatality rate Rate change from 2007

Ala. 377 315 0.53 -13%

Alaska 25 21 0.43 -12%

Ariz. 337 266 0.43 -20%

Ark. 181 171 0.52 -6%

Calif. 1,132 1,029 0.31 -9%

Colo. 167 173 0.36 6%

Conn. 111 86 0.27 -23%

Del. 47 45 0.5 0%

D.C. 16 9 0.25 -43%

Fla. 917 875 0.44 0%

Ga. 445 416 0.38 -5%

Hawaii 44 42 0.41 -5%

Ida. 71 78 0.51 13%

Ill. 439 362 0.34 -17%

Ind. 224 208 0.29 -7%

Iowa 108 89 0.29 -17%

Kan. 109 145 0.49 36%

Ky. 212 200 0.42 -5%

La. 375 338 0.75 -10%

Maine 66 43 0.3 -32%

Md. 178 152 0.28 -13%

Mass. 155 124 0.23 -18%

Mich. 304 282 0.28 -3%

Minn. 173 135 0.23 -23%

Miss. 316 266 0.61 -17%

Mo. 333 310 0.45 -6%

Mont. 105 91 0.84 -10%

Neb. 77 55 0.29 -28%

Nev. 118 107 0.51 -4%

N.H. 34 45 0.35 40%

N.J. 201 154 0.21 -19%

N.M. 132 105 0.4 -18%

N.Y. 377 341 0.25 -11%

N.C. 497 423 0.42 -13%

N.D. 53 47 0.6 -12

Ohio 398 356 0.33 -6%

Okla. 223 244 0.5 6%

Ore. 148 136 0.41 -5%

Pa. 504 496 0.46 0%

R.I. 22 25 0.31 24%

S.C. 464 403 0.81 -11%

S.D. 44 34 0.38 -22%

Tenn. 377 327 0.47 -11

Texas 1,333 1,269 0.54 -2%

Utah 56 46 0.18 -14%

Vt. 22 12 0.16 -45%

Va. 303 294 0.36 -3%

Wash. 195 182 0.33 -3%

W.Va. 138 128 0.62 -8%

Wis. 314 208 0.36 -32%

Wyo. 50 67 0.71 +34%

U.S. 13,041 11,773 0.4 -7%

*Traffic accident deaths in which at least one driver had a blood-alcohol content of .08% or greater.

Source: National Highway Traffic Safety Administration

 

[Don]

It is absolutely unfathomable that you're trying to draw any comparison whatsoever between the murders on 9/11 and drunk driving.

What were you thinking?

 

[targus]

It is absolutely unfathomable that you're trying to draw any comparison whatsoever between the murders on 9/11 and drunk driving.

What were you thinking?

Ignore the troll.

 

[matt wade]

911 deaths, about 3,000. Drunk driving deaths every year, about 13,000, maybe 100,000 since 911.

But drunk driving is our national sport and suicide bombing isn't. That's why I have never heard a sermon about the sin of dangerous driving.

Never heard a sermon about the sin of dangerous/drunk driving? Well then, that explains a lot about you. You've obviously been sitting under pastors that don't preach very well.

Maybe they are union pastors?

 

[Salty]

Just keep one thing in mind. Liars figure and figures never lie.

Some of the stats may be misleading.

For example, lets suppose I am driving drunk. I come to a red light and stop. When it turns green I proceed on. However, a totally sober person runs his red light, hits my car and is killed. That would be considered a DWI fatality because I was drunk - even though I did not cause the collision.

DI Salty

(driving instructor)

 

[Aaron]

Oh yes, the stats are stacked against the drunk drivers. Give me a break.

 

[Don]

Just keep one thing in mind. Liars figure and figures never lie.

Some of the stats may be misleading.

For example, lets suppose I am driving drunk. I come to a red light and stop. When it turns green I proceed on. However, a totally sober person runs his red light, hits my car and is killed. That would be considered a DWI fatality because I was drunk - even though I did not cause the collision.

DI Salty

(driving instructor)

Not to mention, these are only alcohol-related; which means, there are many that involve only one driver who, in his/her inebriated state, ran into a tree, or barrier, or wall.

So I'm still trying to fathom why these statistics are somehow being related to 9/11.

 

[Aaron]

We'll tolerate 100,000 preventable deaths due to alcohol abuse without taking meaningful action, but not 3000 due to act of war. I think bill has a point.

I don't think he was suggesting we shouldn't have responded to 9/11.

I for one would favor the reinstitution of Prohibition, or at the very least, make DUI a capital offense.

 

[matt wade]

We'll tolerate 100,000 preventable deaths due to alcohol abuse without taking meaningful action, but not 3000 due to act of war. I think bill has a point.

I don't think he was suggesting we shouldn't have responded to 9/11.

I for one would favor the reinstitution of Prohibition, or at the very least, make DUI a capital offense.

I can agree with this. I'd certainly vote for prohibition. :thumbs:

Too bad 95% of America wouldn't vote for it....

 

[FR7 Baptist]

I for one would favor the reinstitution of Prohibition, or at the very least, make DUI a capital offense.

Aaron, why do you like bloodshed so much?

 

[billwald]

>Oh yes, the stats are stacked against the drunk drivers. Give me a break.

There is some truth regrading stacking the deck. Like ciggy butt statistics. Your great grandmother was a chain smoker and you got lung cancer?

And yes, most professional drunks drive very carefully. It is the amateur drunks that usually cause the problem.

911 and drunk driving irritates me for four reasons. First, they they don't have drunk driving in most European countries because drunk driving is a felony. In the US it is a game.

Second, humans are so terrible at risk evaluation. Millions have to remove shoes because two planes crashed 9 years ago. In the US one is more likely to be killed by lightening than a terrorist.

Third, since WW2 it has been government policy that Americans must be afraid of something, someone, anything.

Fourth, thanks to our sin nature, seems like every person NEEDS to hate someone, usually someone of a different tribe, different nationality, different race. Tough that most Muslims are technically "white." They would be lots easier to hate if they were "black" or "yellow." For every war we have to invent a new cuss word to describe the enemy. Lots easier to kill someone you can hang a cuss name onto.

 

[FR7 Baptist]

Fourth, thanks to our sin nature, seems like every person NEEDS to hate someone, usually someone of a different tribe, different nationality, different race. Tough that most Muslims are technically "white."

That's true. According to the Census Bureau white means having origins in the peoples of Europe, North Africa, or the Middle East. If you wrote in something like "Arab" or "Middle Eastern" on your 2010 Census form, you get re-coded as white.

 

[Nonsequitur]

We'll tolerate 100,000 preventable deaths due to alcohol abuse without taking meaningful action, but not 3000 due to act of war. I think bill has a point.

I don't think he was suggesting we shouldn't have responded to 9/11.

I for one would favor the reinstitution of Prohibition, or at the very least, make DUI a capital offense.

Yeah....that worked out SO well. Sorta' like the drug prohibition we have today.

Illegal drugs are illegal.
That's why we have none in the U.S.

 

[Nonsequitur]

Depends on who is at fault. If one runs over three people on Buchanan,...and your daddy is rich....then all of a sudden....the investigation goes nowhere.

 

[billwald]

>>Illegal drugs are illegal.
>>That's why we have none in the U.S.

>If one runs over three people . . . .

That's why no one runs over anyone in the US - it is illegal.