万花筒 Kaleidoscope 2007-06-14&16, 害人害己的酒后驾车(在线收听

It is a celebrity driven circus, one that's caused angst for news organizations with some poking fun at Paris Hilton's saga.

"Ridiculous."

And others like NBC's Brian Williams who blogged, "She won't make the broadcast tonight."

But for Mothers Against Drunk Driving, Paris Hilton's saga should make the news. Her face should be plastered on every newspaper across the country because her crime is more than Hollywood driven gossip. It highlights the most prolific violent crime in our country, drunk driving.

"The deaths should be going down."

But they've been going up. Deaths caused by drunk drivers are at an all-time high since 1992, nearly 18,000 nationwide killed in 2006 alone. And who is most at fault? According to the government, people 20 to 29 years old. The very group, says MADD, influenced by celebrity behavior. Consider this, we did a quick check and found in just the last year and a half at least 16 celebrities were arrested for DUI. Hard to understand when all of them can afford limousines to drive them around. But like all who get behind the wheel allegedly drunk ...

"They know what they're doing. It's just that no one thinks it's ever gonna happen to them."

There are jurisdictions trying to break people of that mindset. In Long Island, New York, prosecutor Kathleen Rice considers drunk drivers criminals. Her change in attitude came after this horrific crash captured by a dashboard camera.

A drunk driving the wrong way on the highway slammed into a limousine carrying the Flynns. Their little girl, Katie, was decapitated. Prosecutor Rice charged the drunk driver with murder. He was convicted.

Hilton's original sentence was 36 months/ probation, a $1,500 fine, and alcohol education. MADD says that's a pretty normal sentence and not nearly enough for a first-time offender.

Carol Costello, CNN, New York.

  原文地址:http://www.tingroom.com/lesson/wanhuatong/2007/42032.html