For my niece's 15th birthday, all she wanted was for her loved ones to collect items for her that she could donate to Operation Christmas Child. My family, aside from myself, are incredibly religious. I already knew that it was via a Christian organization, but sending toiletries and small gifts and art supplies to those less fortunate than myself has never been something I've turned my nose up at.
However, I gave these things to my niece with full knowledge that, within those boxes, there was going to be religious propaganda. I feel terribly conflicted. Looking back on the situation, I know that I should have just given to a charity of my choice in her name or something. But even that could cause my family to get into a tiff with me for not being supportive enough of my niece.
Then again, sometimes we just have to do what feels right. Next year, it'll be different, and I'll just be honest with them about it.
Marcus Nalls came to Minnesota as an experienced bicyclist, commuting to and from work in bustling downtown Atlanta for the past few years without incident… But despite paying attention to that detail and using the proper safety equipment, the 26-year-old professionally trained sous chef was run over on his way home from work and killed Monday night on well-traveled W. Franklin Avenue in south Minneapolis by a van allegedly driven by a drunken driver.
"He was living the dream. My son was a superstar. We all lived through him."
John Iverson killed an ambitious, talented, and responsible 26-year-old, and according to Minnesota law, the harshest punishment he can get for vehicular homicide is ten years in prison and a $20,000 fine. You can get a harsher sentence for selling counterfeit DVDs.
In case you were wondering, this was not an accident. John Iverson didn’t accidentally buy and drink enough alcohol to give him “slurred speech, and bloodshot and watery eyes.” John Iverson didn’t accidentally walk to his car and put his keys in the ignition. He might not have meant to kill Marcus specifically, but he chose to commit a crime that any reasonable person knows takes lives. He drove drunk on purpose.
What’s the difference between driving drunk and pulling the pin out of a grenade and rolling it down the street? Some people choose a specific person to kill and some kill at random. Isn’t it the killing that we want to punish and prevent? Wouldn’t confiscating the cars of drunk drivers reduce these deaths? Or at least installing ignition interlock devices? How many victims should we sacrifice to save drunks from the inconvenience of having to bus home from the bar?
Of course, writing better laws and enforcing them is only part of the solution. We need to be building safer streets, too.
How was your day today? This was mine. Little known fact: I keep a cape in my closet and sometimes have to burst out and be a bakery superhero to fill orders last minute. To maintain sanity, I make my coworkers laugh with silly messages. The best part is that, after a 12 hour shit storm, I would still work tomorrow if they needed me.
89.3 The Current & Radio K Present
First Avenue’s Best New Bands of 2013
featuring:
Allan Kingdom, BBGUN, Black Diet, Frankie Teardrop, Fury Things, GRRRL PRTY, & Southwire
Local pizza chain Punch Pizza will be mentioned in tonight’s State of the Union address, which will recognize them for raising their minimum starting wage to $10/hour.
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