Page 6

Getting There

I am not sure about anyone else, but I hate going anywhere and getting stuck behind a senior citizen, or anyone for that matter that does not know how to go the speed limit.

Nothing is more frustrating then getting stuck in traffic behind someone with a brand new car, like a Caddy that will top out at 150mph, and the people in the car are going ten miles under the speed limit. It is frustrating to have to follow them for three miles until you can pass.

In my opinion if anyone with a car is either unwilling or hesitant to get into their vehicle and at least do the speed limit, then they need to find other means of getting around.

I understand that senior citizens have led a full life and are getting along in years. And with ageing certain bodily functions do not perform as they once did. Perhaps the eyes are slower in focussing and the reflexes are not what they once were, so they go slower on the way to Wal-mart to avoid accidednts.

With ageing also comes the desire to stay independant and avoid the feelings of uselessness. After all no one wants the hassle of trying to call around and find a ride when you have a new Caddy in the garage, right?

All of this is normal but frustrating to say the least. I believe that the speed limits will keep going up and some people are not able to handle going faster as they are getting older and slower.

The other day, I was heading to Wally World, about 2 miles from my house. And due to the traffic on both sides of me, and the brand new Ford Explorer in front of me doing a whopping 30mph in a 40mph zone, it only took a half hour to get to my destination. I am not trying to be rude, but yes this is frustrating to me.

Drinking(2)

This rather hefty individual may look familiar to some people. This is Hagar The Horrible and this drunken barbarian is handing out some rather sound advice, but it comes too late, as he has already passed his limit.

The cartoon is on this site because it reminded me of a story I read a few years ago in the paper.

The story was about a man by the name of Lynn Gordon Bailey Jr. who accidentally drank himself to death while initiating to get into a frat house.

The following is an exact copy of a letter I sent into my hometown newspaper. I was hoping it would be published but it never made it into the letters to the editor section so I will share it with you.

I just read that a young man by the name of Lynn Gordon Bailey Jr. accidentally drank himself to death while initiating to get into a frat house at the University of Colorado. It was his freshman year and his whole life was right in front of him.

According to the article, the members of the frat hazed him with an initiation rite that required him to drink gallons of wine and liquor. He died the next morning of alcohol poisoning. The level of alcohol in his system was more then three times the legal limit for driving in most states.

What on earth would make a young man want to do this? I never went to college so I don’t know the significance of a fraternity but it can’t be worth the price Lynn paid to try to join.

There are many aspects of the article I found disturbing, like why was there any alcohol on campus at all? Why were the frat boys making Lynn drink that much liquor in order for him to join? What is the point of joining the frat house in the first place? Does it make you more of a man? Does it help with grades? Does a fraternity make you a “big man on campus“? Is it a “my dad belonged to this fraternity so I need to also” kind of thing? Does it increase the chances with the ladies? Or is it mainly for prestige?

By the way, one of the definitions of prestige is “conjurors trick, illusion” and the word in the dictionary is sandwiched between prestidigitation and presto. Prestige is about having a certain reputation, but a reputation can be like an illusion depending on the person in question. People need to just be themselves insisted of trying to be what they think others want them to be.

A survey in the paper stated that 8 out of 10 college students drink. And at the University of Colorado, about 30 students per year are expelled due to alcohol violations. However, only 30 colleges nationwide ban liquor in frat houses. That is staggering to me. There should be no alcohol at all on any campus in the Continental United States. And the laws concerning binge drinking on campus need to be stricter and enforced.

Statistically, the amount of binge drinking is rising, why? Do people feel that getting wasted is cool? Is passing out and waking up in your own vomit the best thing to spend time and money on? Do college students need alcohol to cope or is it a “ my buddy drinks, so I will also” mentality, like lemmings off a cliff? If these people are smart enough to get into college then why are they not smart enough to know that alcohol can kill you?

The article also mentions “fraternity house residents are twice as likely as other students to indulge in binge drinking, according to the Harvard School of Public Health’s 2001 College Alcohol Study.”

And the close proximity of bars to campuses is no accident. Here in town, there are several drinking establishments just blocks off campus. This is by design, business owners know that the students need to “blow off steam” so they set up shop as close as they can and wait for the students, and their cash to start rolling in.

Students need to realize that alcohol may make them feel better temporarily, but it can ultimately ruin their lives in any number of ways. If they are so stressed out that they feel the need to get wasted to feel better, they need to talk to someone. If they are just looking to relax, there are other options available that can cost less and not get you into trouble with the law.

The students need to always remember that someone out there loves them and wants them safe and healthy, alcohol does just the opposite. It can jeopardize not only your life but other people’s lives as well.