[ARCADIA]

How about a little perspective. Lets show the coffins of all Americans who have died within the last couple of weeks from accidents and foul play. The military loses would make up a miniscule corner of the total. People die every day; they die while driving to work, and while at work. Yes, we honor our soldiers for dedication, but are our firemen, police officer, construction workers, or parents on their way to pick up their kids, any less dedicated? For all we know our troops are actually safer while fighting this war then they would be at home.

[GailA]

About 14,000 men, women and children become victims of homicide per year. That's the population of a decent sized city. According to BJS stats 45% of them are committed by some one on probation and parole...i.e. under government supervision. I think the auto accidents is 30,000 or more per year. Don't know what the DUI is.

[GailA]

1999 Fatalities Were Lowest Since 1982

ABOUT.COM

Alcohol-related traffic deaths decreased in 1999 to the fewest since record-keeping began in 1982, but still accounted for more than one-third of all U.S. traffic fatalities.

In 1998, 15,935 people died and 305,000 were injured in alcohol-related traffic crashes in the United States, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's reported in the December 3, 1999 issue of the Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report.

The number of fatal motor-vehicle crashes involving alcohol decreased by just under two percent between 1997 to 1998 -- but far short of the target of 5.8 percent decrease the CDC wants to meet national health objectives for 2000.

In Perspective

Although alcohol-related deaths have declined steadily over the past 15 years, 1999 Mothers Against Drunk Driving president Karolyn Nunnallee said the statistics show that Americans have "become complacent about the drunk driving issue."

Nunnallee put the 15,935 deaths into perspective this way, "When one person is killed every 33 minutes in this country -- that's the equivalent of two jumbo jets crashing and all the occupants perishing each week. If that happened in this country, the American public would be up in arms -- every airplane on the planet would be grounded."

"Drunk driving is the most frequently-committed violent crime in this country," she told Reuters Health. "It's something that the nation must get serious about and stay serious about."

[Irish_Thatcherite]

"How about a little perspective. Lets show the coffins of all Americans who have died within the last couple of weeks from accidents and foul play. The military loses would make up a miniscule corner of the total. People die every day; they die while driving to work, and while at work. Yes, we honor our soldiers for dedication, but are our firemen, police officer, construction workers, or parents on their way to pick up their kids, any less dedicated? For all we know our troops are actually safer while fighting this war then they would be at home."

It's the same with Irish peacekeepers out in Lebanon, as far as I know more have died through accidents, than through military action.

[Milligan]

Your absolutely right! Just ask MADD. People driving under the influence and having a good time kill more people on our highways. We just had a tragic accident last week. Our neighbor kids were drag racing with another car and they T-Boned another car coming out from another road. Impact speed about 100 mph. Our neighbors car was totally smashed. The 17 year old driver was DUI and broke his leg. His passenger's were not so fortunate. One passenger is still in a coma and might be paralyized. The 16 year old was crushed in the back seat and he died hours later. The driver is being charged with man slaughter. And we worry about the war dead in Iraq? Over 17,000 people were killed by drunk/drugged drivers last year alone in this country!