Stop Me If You've Heard This Before...

Scott in MI sends in a story with a subject that's a bit of a sore spot with me...

Grandparents struck, killed by driver with DUI arrest history, police say

Two grandparents who just moved to Washington from the Midwest to be near their newborn grandson were struck and killed by a suspected drunken driver whose license was suspended.

Retired teachers Dennis and Judith Schulte had moved to Seattle from Kokomo, Ind., in February and were crossing the street near their apartment Monday during a walk with their 10-day-old grandson and the boy’s mother when they were killed, the Associated Press reported.

The driver's BAC was 0.22, which is more than double the old limit for DWI. He has had numerous arrests from driving under the influence, including two from last year alone, and his license was currently suspended. But since we treat drunk drivers as a joke up until the point where they kill someone, he was out on the street, free to get behind the wheel of a car and - finally - murdered two people.

But, like Scott said in his e-mail, at least he didn't have a 30-round death machine shoulder thing that goes up, right?

Two retired teachers senselessly slaughtered. A new mother - a nurse - fighting for her life. A newborn in critical condition. All because one man was repeatedly slapped on the wrist by our "justice" system. Someone with a known history of breaking the law - the same way - over and over climbed behind the wheel of a motor vehicle while seriously impaired and made the decision to drive anyways. With two arrests for operating under the influence in a year's time, it's hard to see how he could be out on the street without any supervision - until you realize that we treat drunk driving like a joke up until someone gets killed.

I don't hear calls for bans on high-capacity assault pickups, though. No one's screaming for a 7 ounce limit on all beer cans (although we probably shouldn't give Bloomberg any ideas). Why is it ONLY in the case of firearms that we blame the tool, rather than the person misusing the tool? Those two people are no less dead than had they been shot by a deranged gunman, yet no one focuses on the make and model of truck he was driving, nor the alcohol he consumed prior to the accident. We focus - rightly so - on the fact that this was a repeat offender who did not hold a valid license and yet was still free to climb behind the wheel of a motor vehicle.

Perhaps if we started treating serious crimes like, you know, serious crimes we might see some results regardless of the tool used?

That is all.