Why are we so easy on drunk drivers?

If your city is anything like mine, you can discover something horrifying by going to your local news site. Type in "DUI" "Drunk Driver" or "Driving drunk".

If it's anything like the Houston Chronicle website, you will discover a horrible litany of slap-on-the-wrist punishment, repeat offenders, permanent disabilities, and destroyed families.

Why are we so easy on drunk drivers? While speaking with a professional driver recently, I mentioned I felt first-time offenders should lose their license for 6 months. "Why six months?" the driver replied, "I'd say at least a year!"

I agree! We have at least one case, a woman killed someone while driving drunk. She got 4 months in jail. For killing someone. Someone died, and she lost 120 days of her life? She can drive? WHY is this considered OK?

As far as I know, no one in my life has been affected by a drunk driver. No one is driving drunk and no one's been affected. My husband's accident was caused by a night-shift-zombie on a cell phone, and in a hurry. Don't get me started on cell phone drivers; I'm a firm believer in "Hang Up and Drive!".

But I don't understand why society is so forgiving of drunk drivers. You are operating a dangerous machine, while impaired. You don't need to be impaired. You don't need to operate the machine - I don't drive anything and I have a full life. Why do they get tiny sentences and why, in God's name, are they allowed to continue to drive?

Don't feed me that "I can't have a life without a car" crap. I've never driven a car. I work, play, and live a productive life without a car. When I'm in a car, I'm the passenger and someone is etiher paid to drive me, or getting gas money for doing me a favor. I'm fine with that.

I made a deliberate choice not to drive, because I can't process the necessary information fast enough to be an adequate, safe, driver. Since I can't drive safely due to my disabilities, I don't. Why? Because I don't want to kill or maim an innocent person, myself, or my husband. It's simple and selfish. Let someone else have the worries about safety, while I work on my knitting or read a book.

I truly believe we need to get "meaner" with drunk drivers. First time offense? Take the license for 6 months to a year. They'll live. If they're caught driving in that period, they lose the license for 5 years. Drive drunk while your license is suspended, lose your license for life and go to jail.

Second offense? Lose your license for 10 years. That's a long time for someone to grow up. Throw in some prison time/probation too. If you injure someone while driving drunk, lose your license for life - period.

I have seen many tragic stories of repeat offenders driving drunk, again, and killing whole families, or injuring people so severely they'll never recover. Some of them have injured people driving drunk, went to jail for a bit, got out, and then killed someone while driving drunk again. Driving is a not a right, it's a responsibility. If you're not up for the responsibility then you don't get to drive. Period.

It seems simple to me.

We need to get meaner.