Attention

The opinions expressed by columnists are their own and do not represent our advertisers

Tuesday, January 18, 2011

Driving Drunk May Lead To Facebook Shaming

If you're arrested more than once for drunk driving in Huntington Beach, Calif., you may face shaming on Facebook, at least if a proposal by a city councilman is approved.

Devin Dwyer is asking his fellow council members Tuesday to approve Facebook-posting the mug shots of anyone who is arrested more than one time for driving under the influence. The city's police department has a page on the social networking site, where most recently it politely asked citizens on New Year's Eve "to be safe tonight. If you see a drunk driver, call 911."

But Dwyer's idea is not polite.

"If it takes shaming people to save lives, I am willing to do it," he told the Associated Press. "I'm hoping it prevents others from getting behind the wheel and getting inebriated."

Out of 56 cities in the state, Huntington Beach is known for its surfing but also for being the No. 1 among California "cities of similar size for the number of alcohol-related traffic fatalities," AP reports. "In 2009, 195 people were killed or injured. Drunken driving laws are aggressively enforced, and in 2009, there were 1,687 DUI arrests."

GO HERE to read more.

6 comments:

lmclain said...

So, this POLITICIAN wants to start shaming citizens in a personal vendetta against a crime HE thinks is particularly wrong? Better that he sticks to his field of choice. Bribery. Stealing. Kickbacks. Cheating taxpayers. Backroom deals. Yeah, I said it. And I meant it.

Anonymous said...

I think it's a great idea!

Cathy said...

if you are going to put the public at risk, why shouldn't you be publicly shamed?

i thinks its awesome.

lmclain said...

Why?? Don't be so short-sighted. What's next in HIS agenda? What other things does HE want to "shame' or "embarrass" citizens for....I think its dangerous and ill-advised when people like him start deciding what crimes people get publicly "shamed" for. The COURTS decide your punishment and if THEY say you are to be publicly shamed, then do it. But a politician doing it? They aren't the ones to be pointing at people doing "shameful" things. And no, I don't drink liquor at all and have NEVER been charged or arrested for ANY DUI/DWI offense.

Anonymous said...

I think it's a great idea too. It's not like whether or shamed you or not is out of your control. It's easy, if you don't want to be shamed, make the choice not to drive drunk. It's not even like he wants to do it for first offenders. If you make a dumb choice like that twice, you are making the choice to be shamed.

Anonymous said...

That might work in a culture that has a concept of shame but here Im afraid those days are long gone. Even church folk these days live shamelessly.