Saturday, May 31, 2008

That's Why They Call Themselves Mad

Radley Balko asks what the hell is wrong with MADD?

Many juniors and seniors were driven to tears – a few to near hysterics – May 26 when a uniformed police officer arrived in several classrooms to notify them that a fellow student had been killed in a drunken-driving accident.

The officer read a brief eulogy, placed a rose on the deceased student’s seat, then left the class members to process their thoughts and emotions for the next hour.

The program, titled “Every 15 Minutes,” was designed by Mothers Against Drunk Driving. Its title refers to the frequency in which a person somewhere in the country dies in an alcohol-related traffic accident.

About 10 a.m., students were called to the athletic stadium, where they learned that their classmates had not died. There, a group of seniors, police officers and firefighters staged a startlingly realistic alcohol-induced fatal car crash. The students who had purportedly died portrayed ghostly apparitions encircling the scene.

Though the deception left some teens temporarily confused and angry, if it makes even one student think twice before getting behind the wheel of a car while intoxicated, it is worth the price, said California Highway Patrol Officer Eric Newbury, who orchestrates the program at local high schools.

4 Comments:

Blogger McMc said...

I can't even believe that's a real story. I'm at a loss for words too because I just can't believe how stupid some people are. Pathetic. Worse is, that's something Michael Scott or the parents of South Park would do. In fact, the parents of South Park did something similar by using actors as "future selves". I hope someone gets into serious trouble for that.

2:59 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Obviously MADD is wrong here. But I'm sure this thing is being orchestrated by people who have first hand experience with DUI related deaths. Either people with family members who have died, or police officers who see it all the time. It is still wrong, but it is understandable since these people are making emotional, not logical choices.

The school administrators however...no excuse.

12:05 PM  
Blogger lonely libertarian said...

Lyings okay, if, you know, it's about drugs or alcohol.

1:52 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Maybe dumbass kids will learn from a dumbass lesson. Nothing else seems to work... at least they're trying.

6:25 AM  

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