Revolutionary Moderation

Hitting .149



You know, when I posted my first Gordon Cambell drunk-driving comment, I was under the impression that he was telling the truth. That he had been drinking steadily, but not crazily, and that he had simply misjudged his own metabolism. That when he got behind the wheel, he may have had no idea that he was impaired. Truth is, I've always thought there should be graduated penalties depending on the level of drunkenness a driver exhibits, because the increasing risk of harm to oneself and others bears a direct and geometric relationship to one's level of drunkenness.



But .149 is not "tipsy". It is stumbling drunk. When Campbell got into his vehicle, he must have known he was well over the legal limit. When he put his keys in the ignition, I'm sure he knew he was taking a risk. And I'm sure he thought "I won't get caught" --- NOT, "I'm not doing anything wrong".



I think the issue of the penalty for drunk driving in Hawaii is a non-starter. So what if it isn't as illegal there? We don't object to it because it's illegal. We object to it because it's reckless and irresponsible behaviour. If he had gone to Bangkok to sleep with child prostitutes, I don't think we'd be saying, "well, it's okay there, so I guess it's no big deal." And in fact, if Campbell made his travel plans around the local regulations for drunk driving, he's got a far more serious problem than I'm willing to consider.



I actually don't think Campbell should resign for this, though considering his constant demand for resignations from others, it would have shown a man of character if he'd held himself to the same high standard. But there are some things he should do. He should voluntarily give up his licence for twelve months. And he shouldn't be ferried around by a personal driver, either... let him ride the bus. Let him rub shoulders with his fellow citizens. Let him face the humiliation of having to arrange for a ride any time he wants to travel outside of urban centres. Let him have his licence back when he endures drunk driver school, and has a device installed in his vehicle that forces him to prove his sobriety to his steering column. And let him, bussing or driving, stop every day at a church, fall to his knees, and thank the Grace of God that he didn't kill anyone.