Give demon rum a break

Congressman Mark Foley blames his misbehavior in propositioning legislative pages on the fact he suspects he is an alcoholic. Actor Mel Gibson gets pissed up and launches into an idiotic anti-Semitic diatribe when he’s busted for DUI on his alcoholism. Back in 1974 Congressman Wilbur Mills got up to all sorts of monkey-business with a stripper named Fanne Fox and blamed his moronic behavior on his alcoholism.

OK. Let’s take alcoholism as a defence for stupidity and worse. Then, what I am waiting for is for some legal sharpie to cite alcoholism as a defence for a DUI charge. I mean alcoholism is already considered a mitigating factor for deeds as dastardly as sexual assault, and even murder, so why not drunk driving?

“Your honor, my client pleads not guilty to the charge of driving while intoxicated because he was drunk at the time the incident took place, therefore he could not form the mens rea to carry out the act for which he is accused. As his judgment was impaired, how could he be charged with a crime for which he could form no premeditation.”

Could work. I hope it never does. I also wish people would stop blaming demon rum for their stupidity and take some ownership of what they have done and who they are.

Basically what alcohol and most other drugs do (and alcohol is indeed a drug) is to lower the inhibitions and make people act impulsively. But, whatever some yoyo does while drunk, that is because of who they are and what is festering inside. Foley wants to screw pages drunk or sober. It’s just that being drunk gives him the balls (metaphorically speaking) to carry out his aspirations. Mel Jew-bashes when he’s drunk. Mel wants to Jew-bash when he’s sober, but recognizes when sober that revealing who he really is might not be so hot for his career.

Ever know a lovable drunk? Of course. We all have. They are lovable drunks because that is who they are drunk or sober – lovable. A lovable drunk doesn’t get into brawls, molest children or make unwanted passes at your wife. That’s because he’s a good guy, even if he is a drunk.

When I was counselling I met dozens of lovable drunks. They may have been killing themselves with booze, but they were going out smiling – or at least they stood the potential to do so unless they got their alcoholism in check.

There is nothing criminal or shameful about being alcoholic. Betty Ford helped to establish that mindset, and God bless her for doing so. But, there is something shameful about molesting children, being a bigoted jerk, driving while intoxicated and committing crimes while out of control.

There’s something even more shameful about blaming the transgression on a neutral substance rather than taking ownership of the behavior.

Foley and Gibson and all others afflicted with alcoholism should indeed get the help they need. But, they should also get a lot of further counselling to deal with their other issues. Booze counselling won’t give them what they need in those realms.