Drunk cop busted traveling to dive training - Utah

[DandyDon]

Officer pleads guilty to impaired driving on way to police training | KSL.com

 

[Compressor]

Alcohol is such a public health hazard. It costs lives, employment....and causes disease.
Not good.

 

[COWSskateGOOD]

Sad story, I obviously do not know the details nor do I excuse drinking while driving but he was out on leave already makes you wonder if he was having some substance abuse problems, PTSD, or any other numerous amount of problems prior to this incident. I recently stopped drinking, not because I felt I was having a problem personally. I just decided alchohol is taking a lot of time, money, energy, and health.

 

[blac86]

The sad thing about Utah is the stigmatized way mormons view alcohol leads to people with trouble not seeking help out of shame.

 

[RhodeDiver]

Alcohol is such a public health hazard. It costs lives, employment....and causes disease.
Not good.

The same could be said about pretty much anything that can be abused or not done reasonably. It could be said scuba causes disease and costs lives also, but it would be ignorant not to look at the big picture.

I am more disturbed that the very people we pay to enforce the laws feel they are above them.

 

[Caveeagle]

The sad thing about Utah is the stigmatized way mormons view alcohol leads to people with trouble not seeking help out of shame.

Give me a break. I am not Mormon an advocate, pro or against them. But do have a couple friends that are really great people.

This is about a single person who was irresponsible, broke the law and put the lives of innocent people at risk. Not to mention the livelihood of his family that will now suffer from this. And probably was already suffering from misuse/abuse of alcohol.

This is about a weak person, making bad decisions. Trying to pass blame over to an entire segment of people (ie: Mormons) is just wrong. And I suspect you don't really have any DATA to back that up.

Why is it ok to stereotype and discriminate against Mormons in this case? I could give you MANY examples of similar stereotypes and half-truths with no context that would get me labeled as a racist bigot!

But somehow the assertion that Mormons in Utah are stigmatizing alcohol users and shaming them into becoming uncontrolled drunks is ok? ....really?

 

[blac86]

Give me a break. I am not Mormon an advocate, pro or against them. But do have a couple friends that are really great people.

This is about a single person who was irresponsible, broke the law and put the lives of innocent people at risk. Not to mention the livelihood of his family that will now suffer from this. And probably was already suffering from misuse/abuse of alcohol.

This is about a weak person, making bad decisions. Trying to pass blame over to an entire segment of people (ie: Mormons) is just wrong. And I suspect you don't really have any DATA to back that up.

Why is it ok to stereotype and discriminate against Mormons in this case? I could give you MANY examples of similar stereotypes and half-truths with no context that would get me labeled as a racist bigot!

But somehow the assertion that Mormons in Utah are stigmatizing alcohol users and shaming them into becoming uncontrolled drunks is ok? ....really?

Only experience from living there and talking to people. A lot of people that need help don't get because they don't want to be ostrasized from the church and community. But you're right it's just anecdotal experience. Your assessment of the function of alcoholism is wrong though, it's not just 'a weak person' it's a serious malfunction of the glutamatergic Interneurons in the basal ganglia and the pathway between the Ventral Tegmental Area and the prefrontal cortex. In the chemical system of the brain alcohol becomes the most important thing above food, water, sex, and staying alive because it hijacks the reward circuits in the brain of an alcoholic.

 

[Caveeagle]

Only experience from living there and talking to people. A lot of people that need help don't get because they don't want to be ostrasized from the church and community. But you're right it's just anecdotal experience. Your assessment of the function of alcoholism is wrong though, it's not just 'a weak person' it's a serious malfunction of the glutamatergic Interneurons in the basal ganglia and the pathway between the Ventral Tegmental Area and the prefrontal cortex. In the chemical system of the brain alcohol becomes the most important thing above food, water, sex, and staying alive because it hijacks the reward circuits in the brain of an alcoholic.

OK.. thanks for the brief on addiction syndrome. I am not going to bore you with my background.. but I am no stranger to addictions and the trauma that plays out in the lives of people and families.

Are you aware that the subject in this story is a diagnosed alcoholic? Or just someone with a drinking problem and making bad decisions? I have seen plenty of evidence so support my opinion that this is not a 'black/white' issue that you can apply to all cases. There is no "test" to determine the degree to which someone is addicted to alcohol.

In any case.. I am all for giving care and support for people going through rough times. Although (again) not a Mormon. I hate what appears to be an unfair generalization when nearly all Christians that I have ever known have modeled generosity, forgiveness and support when confronted with friends and family who need help.

..Obviously, your experience might vary.. we are all far from perfect.

 

[divad]

Give me a break. I am not Mormon an advocate, pro or against them. But do have a couple friends that are really great people.

This is about a single person who was irresponsible, broke the law and put the lives of innocent people at risk. Not to mention the livelihood of his family that will now suffer from this. And probably was already suffering from misuse/abuse of alcohol.

This is about a weak person, making bad decisions. Trying to pass blame over to an entire segment of people (ie: Mormons) is just wrong. And I suspect you don't really have any DATA to back that up.

Why is it ok to stereotype and discriminate against Mormons in this case? I could give you MANY examples of similar stereotypes and half-truths with no context that would get me labeled as a racist bigot!

But somehow the assertion that Mormons in Utah are stigmatizing alcohol users and shaming them into becoming uncontrolled drunks is ok? ....really?

But.......how do you really feel about it?

 

[Scared Silly]

I just decided alchohol is taking a lot of time, money, energy, and health.

Living in Oootah and wanting alcohol does take a lot of time, money, energy, and health. One has the gas up the truck, drive to Nevada, Colorado, Idaho, or Arizona, or Wyoming, then there is the stress of the drive home worrying about being pulled over for illegally importing adult beverages.