If you all don't already know, I am a media whore... I have FB, FB Fan Page, my Blog and Twitter... Yada Yada Yada.... Anyway, I just posted a new video on YouTube which automatically post onto all my other media.  This afternoon I get this message on Twitter from a family that recently lost a son in a drunk driving accident and has started a foundation in his name.  All though I can not relate to such a loss, the following is the message I received.

Video Updates! Great Idea! are you aware:9/11 attack killed 2,870-Iraq war killed 4,500-drunken drivers killed 12,000 in 2011!

Really...?  Again I sympathize with the loss, but how does one rectify in thier minds the loss of the souls lost on 911 and the men and women who died fighting terrorisim. Are those lost to terrorisim less important than our fighting men and women?  I replied in 140 characters...

How can I not be aware? My son is a 2 x war vet. Your message offends me. I am sorry for your loss but pls dont use War to compare DD stats

Both losses are senseless.  But our fighting men and women have put themselves in harms way knowing that they may never again see thier loved ones.  They do this with out hesitation or reservation.  Am I wrong in being offended by this? I am not easliy offended,  I just think that this family should not use stats like this to get thier point across.  The fact that 12000 people die in a year needlessly is enough...

I don't get it either, not everyone who dies in a drunken car accident is an angel, some of them cause the accidents and kill others as well... some people just drive like idiots from the get go, I can't understand how ANYONE could make such a bogus comparison... more ignorance and I applaud your response!

You're not wrong to be pissed off by someone using unrelated statistics to make their plight more important. Statistics are readily available to most, and unfortunately misused or incorrectly interpreted. Their loss may may/may not be any more significant than those compared to, but their just trying to drum up focus toward their issues.

It's trolling, plain and simple... I'd feel sorry for a moment, and move on... they are just knocking on the wrong door...

Relax, you might be correct feeling the way you do but stupid analogies are  de rigueur these days - Christians to the Talaban - Boy Scouts to Nazis - Marksmen to serial killers

Nothing you can do about it except live you life in ways of your chosing

Probably a Starbucks lawyer wannabe!

99Savage, I believe that there is something I can do about it. And that is to educate them. They live in an area that is highly populated by the USMC, it's veterans and those that are highly supportive of them. I would hate to think they they could loose ground by offending them and setting off a fire storm. I know this community too well, you don't want to piss of the wrong people. The USMC and supporters have already boycotted one of the casinos for not allowing them to wear their colors.

We live on old Fort Ord here in Seaside and it's all about military support here! My wife is still in the Army so I support her and all the rest of our troops 100%!

Hi Darla,

I am a Viet Nam Vet and have seen numbers used from the Viet Nam war as well as many other wars and disasters as comparisons for deaths caused by what can be described as preventable or at least reducible.

I think you may be taking it a little out of context as it was intended to be used, or at least the way I hope they meant. I really don't think they are comparing that one death is more important than the other, that would be senseless and not help support their cause at all.

The way I see it is since deaths from drunk drivers are so spread out in both time and locality, they are trying to get us to see how devastating this is by comparing it, in number only, to a large number of deaths at one time or in one place. You know as well as I do that if 12,000 people were killed in one place at one time EVERYONE would support any and all ideas to prevent it.

So I wouldn't be all that pissed off, I don't think they are in anyway indicating that one death is more important than the other, or belittling those who died via terrorism or military service. I don't consider it an insult to my service at all and really can't see them alienating the service men and women in their area.

Thank You Uncle Charlie. I am sure it was not the intentions of the writer... But I was really stunned by it... Black9 Used your "hit by" by story on my Blog. Also included were Boof, FeFe and Lucky :]

heh... funny

I saw - on network television - truth, no bull - Michael Moore say that 09/11 was nothing to be upset about, more people die in traffic accidents, or drunk driving accidents or something.
Of course I was upset, thought my daughter-in-law was at the Pentagon that day (she wasn't) but for all my getting upset he got invited to a national convention, to sit next to a former President.
Save your emotions to promote causes you believe in & gather people to your side.

Michael Moore is a bloated sack of lying shit! Cholesterol will claim him I'm sure but sadly not soon enough!

Michael Moore is a fucktard... he needs to have his yapper closed... forcibly. I am not really emotional, as I am saddened by the fact that people are not more thoughtful when they say shit. The day after my son came home from Iraq, I took him to lunch, It was apparant he had just gotten home, the waitress asked him when he came home, He replied, "Yesterday." She says... And I am not kidding... "So, did you kill anyone?" He just looked at me. I looked at her and she walked away. After lunch I let my son go out to the car, I said I would be right there I had to use the ladies room. Miss Waitress had I had a discussion. She knew as soon as I walked up it was not going to be good and apologized right away, She said, " I just didn't know what to say." I told her, "Thank you and welcome home would be a good start."

People say stupid shit all the time. But I do think it is up to us to correct them, as in the case of miss waitress. I doubt she made that error again. IN the case of this family, I hope they discontinue the use of this comparison, as there is none, not in theory, relativity or by it's numbers.

Yeah I used to be speechless when someone would extend their hand and say "Thank you for your service and welcome home!" I wasn't sure how to respond but then I realized what it was I should respond with to share my dignity in a small phrase... "It was my honor!"
Then I've encountered the stupid that have some really vile shit spewing from their gobs and instead of lowering myself to their subterranean level I just say "I'll take that as a 'thank you' and you're welcome asshole!"

Unless they bring in a total ban on drink driving like they have in Europe, then DD death will continue to rise. It is an issue that was created from the first automobile. Down here in Oz land, young drivers under the age of 25 get a 0.00 alcohol limit...over 25's get an 0.05 limit and professional drivers get an 0.02 limit. Yet deaths still occur. Even with such disrupting occasions like Random Breath testing by the police. Its called random..but when they pull up every car going along a street, its not very random. Here you just blow air from your lungs down a hollow tube..your register you for it!...bugger sobriety tests like they have in the states...wanna get serious use the alcotesters and the tube...

yes and no

I don't think you're wrong to be offended, but I would also encourage you not to take offense where none is intended. When your first response is to express your offense at her words, you've already lost the opportunity to educate. Nobody wants to be lectured to, especially on the internet. There are times when you just have to take a deep breath, swallow the anger, and figure out how to get your point across in a way that the other person will listen to. You have a good point to make; the other woman has a good point as well, and just needs to find a better way to express it.

He can fall off the earth and then I will be happy!

what wolfpack said

  I think the MIB should "talk" to him...  in a dark room, with water....

IEDarla,
I'm sorry you were offended by those statistical comparisons. But like UncleCharlie, and Wolfpack, I don't think that was the intention. Or maybe, they consider drunk drivers, more like terrorists. And the waitress, she had an awquard moment, and just didn't "think" before she opened her mouth. Whatever the case, I know your passion.
I, too, have strong feelings and opinions on things. The problem with our passions, comes when we try to force our will on someone else. They have just as much right to their opinions and passions, as you or I do to ours. And you or I wouldn't want to be "corrected" for our opinions, would we??? Like Wolfpack said, sometimes we all just "need a better way to express it". But, IF, we try to "express it" in anger, we've lost our credibility to make a valid point. That and the fact, that if we tried to "correct" everyone who has offended us, we'd be really busy, for the rest of our lives...
"Be a duck", and let it roll off you, like water. You're too young, to be so serious, all the time.
Go have some fun, before you end up like me. Older, and alone with MY opinions. K?

Ride Free
Tweek

Jonesy said: "Unless they bring in a total ban on drink driving like they have in Europe................."

I don't know of any place in the United States where it is legal to drink and drive. And that doesn't stop anyone from doing so.