"I am become Death, destroyer of worlds."
J. Robert Oppenheimer, one of the creators of the first nuclear weapon, deemed this technological design worthy of the title of Death, aligned with this quotation from a Hindu holy book. He considered the atomic bomb to be the equivalent of Shiva, the Hindu god of destruction.
He was wrong.
Yes, men created atomic weapons that flatten the Earth, turn humans to ash and spread clouds of radiation and dust for miles around. But this unit of destruction, though devastating, loses the efficiency of destruction through cleverness and subtlety.
And thus, it was inevitable that man brewed alcohol, a creation capable of destroying a man from the inside out.
Yes, only lovely ethanol can push a person to piss on public property, yell at strangers, fight with loved ones, battle Decepticons naked and insult a police officer all at the same time. It provides the perfect opportunity to rot one's liver and social status at the same time.
By no means am I bashing alcohol as a substance all on its own - trust me, I am a consumer. I am simply addressing my distaste for a chronic irresponsibility associated with alcohol that some people find not only acceptable, but defensible.
Alcohol can be delicious and useful (both for courageous actions and entertaining nights). But when abused, it becomes an absolute nuisance.
People not only manage to act like fools in public while intoxicated, but have the audacity to drive around while their reaction time, decision making ability and vision are severely impaired, showing absolutely no concern for the well-being of others.
People who consciously drive intoxicated should have a limb ripped from their anatomy in a public forum. Or better yet, shot right in the f****** head.
People drive intoxicated for only one of three reasons:
1) They are selfish assholes who couldn't give a shit for the well-being of others. 2) They are f****** stupid, or 3) They are so pathetic that in a situation where there is a real emergency, they are incapable of finding one friend or even acquaintance to help them in a time of need.
Or maybe it's all of the above.
Again, I stress my hatred for people who drive intoxicated. People complain about the limit being too low, but it is based on experimental testing. Yes, individuals have different levels of tolerance, but it would be painfully expensive to test the tolerance of each American citizen. The level is what it is, so you can suck it.
I personally think the fact that the legal drinking age is 21 is absolutely absurd, but the level of DUIs and arrests for drunken misconduct in America are equally absurd.
These problems result from more of a cultural issue than a global issue. Americans place so much negative stigma on the dangers of alcohol instead of encouraging responsibility and moderation.
In Europe, it is commonplace to have a drink with each meal, but you don't see Europeans with excessive DUIs. Americans need to place the emphasis on proper training and upbringing, so people know how to responsibly consume alcohol rather than blaming the substance itself.
Perhaps with appropriate guidance, Americans can recognize alcohol as a godsend when used responsibly and eliminate all this negative stigma attached to it.
On a side note, alcoholism is an absolute joke. Stop blaming your issues on "something that is out of your control." Learn some restraint, gain some discipline and stop being a pussy.
Shea Ford is a psychology senior at UF. His column appears on Tuesdays.
