Am I Drunk or Am I Seeing Stars

In an epidemic that seems just outright silly yet amazing to me, the latest in a string of celebrities, athletes and politicians to be arrested for suspicion of DUI is Rebecca De Mornay. You might remember her as the hot temptress that played opposite Tom Cruise in his breakout film “Risky Business,” or as the evil babysitter in “The Hand That Rocks The Cradle.” I personally remember her for being the really sexy lady in “And God Created Woman,” but that’s neither here nor there.

In any case, I am just astounded that this list keeps getting longer. De Mornay now joins “24” star Kiefer Sutherland, young pop singer and actress Lindsay Lohan, Congressman Patrick Kennedy, NFL player Chris Henry, and a whole host of other rich, well-off, famous people who have been charged with driving under the influence.

There are too many angles with which to consider this topic, so I’ll just keep it simple.

What disturbs me most is that these people, above everyone else, have the ability to do what many others could only dream of; they could call not just a cab, but a limo and a chauffeur to drive them to and from an occasion where alcohol will be present. In fact, they could call and have the party come to their location so that they don’t even have to drive anywhere, thus avoiding the potential for DUI.

It further bothers me that these people are not only being personally foolish, but they are also being selfish and inconsiderate. It’s not enough that they are endangering their own lives, but they are also putting at jeopardy the lives of those traveling the roadways with them.

Finally, I guess that the loose laws that govern these cases are the other factor that trouble me. Time and time again a celebrity gets caught for DUI; maybe they have to go to court. And after receiving a warning from the judge, they go to this fairytale place called “rehab,” which obviously has nothing to do with rehabilitation. After they return from “la la land rehab” they’re free to wreak havoc on the roadways once again.

And unfortunately they often do just that…continue to endanger theirs and others lives by drinking and driving again.

Perhaps if athletic organizations had tougher, consistent policies about not drinking and driving, St. Louis Cardinals’ pitcher Josh Hancock would still be alive. Maybe if Hollywood Studios would write clauses into contracts that warned of substantial loss of money in the instance of DUI, stars like part-time actress Paris Hilton wouldn’t be prone to getting behind the wheel intoxicated. Maybe if our lawmakers would actually abide by the traffic laws they help pass, and suffered severe punishment for breaking them, it would set some form of a societal standard.

But it seems that such sanctions are too much to ask.

In any case, I’m tired of the recklessness and lack of personal responsibility of the stars. And I’m even more tired of the weak law enforcement response. And undoubtedly, it seems like some of these already famous individuals, like Britney Spears, bask in the glow of their recklessness. If that indeed is the case as I suppose it to be, maybe the media could do us all a favor by not covering these stories and continuing to glorify the stupidity of these indigents.

Basically everyone just needs to follow that adage that seems as old as time, “Don’t Drink and Drive!”

-Maelstrom