Scene from Today's Pro-Life Protest On Van Ness
Why Are You at Work Today?
Sarah Palin Quits
A Meme Is Born: Flagging CitiApartments' Craigslist Ads
India Legalizes Gay Sex
Just after the Britney Spear/drug test bit, y'all.
Also, when did the local news start getting all flippant and cinéma vérité? And in Sacramento, no less!
Thanks, Julia, for passing this along to us.
Just after the Britney Spear/drug test bit, y'all.
Also, when did the local news start getting all flippant and cinéma vérité? And in Sacramento, no less!
Thanks, Julia, for passing this along to us.
add to digg
add to stumble upon
add to reddit
email this
add to facebook
add to del.icio.us
Migden got off too damn easy.
She should have been charged with DUI for taking medication that caused her to drive impaired. She even confessed ON TV NEWS that her medication caused her to drive erratically. That's enough evidence to convict her.
If you read the DMV manual, they tell you the real truth of being caught DUI: Thousands of dollars in legal fines, insurance rates go up, loss of driving privileges for a year, and pay to a fund for families of victims that are killed by people who are DUI.
I'm sorry, Akit. I couldn't hear you above that grinding sound, what with the axe and all.
Saying a woman should be more severely charged for erratic driving as a result of taking her leukemia medication speaks more to your character than hers. She didn't pop a few happy-fun-time pills and go for a joyride. Those cytarabine injections aren't really optional when you have Migden's prognosis.
She made an error in judgement for which she has paid a reasonable and public price. If I recall, she didn't actually commit vehicular manslaughter.
If you disaprove of her sexual orientation or her legislative achievements, fine, speak to that.
Otherwise, further commentary on this issue is in bad taste.
Medication
California law does not distinguish between prescription, over-the-counter (OTC), and illegal drugs in DUI cases. You can face DUI charges if you drive under the influence of OTC allergy medicine if it has impaired your ability to operate a motor vehicle.
Always check the label of your OTC and prescription medication for warnings regarding dizziness, sleepiness, impaired vision, or other side effects that could affect your ability to drive. If you have questions about a medication, call your doctor or pharmacist.
http://www.dmv.org/ca-california/automotive-law/dui.php
From the letter Migden sent to me and her other constituents, she is in remission from her leukemia. This never went to trial, so we'll never really know why Migden was driving recklessly.
Oh, and I'm gay, and have voted for Migden in the past, so I'm not axe grinding. She's a politician, she broke the law, and some people think she got off easy because of her position of power. All that makes it fair game for commentary.
Sangfoird-- please stop apologizing for this embarassment to CA and the GLBT community. It wasn't her medication, it was the fact that she was distracted jabbering on her *cell phone* that caused Migden to crash her car. It was shameful of her to blame her *cancer* meds in an naked attempt for sympathy.
Well, not as shameful as her early attempt to evade responsibility.
Queer in SF
PS: throwing around false accusations of homophobia like that just diminshes actual homophobia when it really does happen.
1: I approve of her sexual orientation.
2: I don't know about her legislative achievements.
3: My opinion of Midgen was not influenced by your LOW BROW "disapprovement" statements. You should be ashamed for going that low.
Also, I will do further commentary it is in "fair" taste.
Here's how I made my opinion of why she should have been punished more:
--She did not just cause harm to herself, but also to others (i.e. hitting guardrails, swerving, speeding, and rear-ending, causing a woman to go to the hospital). KEYWORD: "HARM TO OTHERS" is just cause to put a harsher punishment.
--She did it on the highway system, where the risk of injury and death is much higher at high speeds.
--What's the risk of her doing it again? If she continues to take medication (OPTIONAL OR NOT) that is not recommended to use while driving, she should have someone else drive. Why risk DUI, injury, or death? It is ALWAYS recommended that if the primary driver is under the influence of alcohol, drugs, or is just too tired, it is always best to leave the driving to a friend.
Would someone drink alcohol and drive? No.
Would someone take sleeping pills and drive? No.
Would someone that is very tired, drive? No.
Would someone taking prescribed medication not recommended to operate vehicles, drive? No.
I've made my point.
You're absolutely right. You have made your point. The question is whether you, having made the point, can now stop flogging the dead horse and turn the page.
What would be great is if we could impose some kind of penalty on Carole Migden. You know, like, as a consequence for her actions? I don't know -- I'm just brainstorming here -- maybe she could pay some manner of fine or forfeit a privilege for an extended duration.
I'm guessing this punitive measure sure would be contentious! Because Carole Migden is a controversial figure, right? I wonder if the person who hands out this penalty could be removed from the rough-and-tumble of the public sphere. Maybe we could get some kind of professional judgement-maker ... some sort of official magistrate type of guy. It would help if he knew the law and good track record in mediating these thorny subjects.
Hopefully he could make sensible distinctions between someone who was seeking the euphoric effects of drugs versus someone suffering the negative side effects of pharmaceuticals.
That person could make the call whether the plaintiff in question was a batshit-insane cellphone driver worthy of a felony conviction. Maybe that guy could take into account the person's prior history and mete out justice accordingly.
These are radical ideas without precedent in common law, I know. But in a perfect world, it could happen.
Of course, then the ball would be back in our court. And I'm sure we could all act like grownups and take it from there.
The VOTERS will all get to choose between Veronese, Leno or the drugged, cellblabbing chick with the license "S 3".
where are the guest posts?