Liquid irresponsibility

For some reason, people still think it's alright to drive after a long night of drinking. That is absolutely the most insane thing in the world, and there is no excuse for it. Every time I hear someone say 'Oh, it's no problem. I do it all the time', I become enraged. These people would rather put countless other people at risk than shell out the $10 for a cab ride home. It seems these selfish people would understand that they actually run the risk of ruining their own lives, but somehow they don't make the connection.

I have firsthand experience with that fine characteristic in dealing with my biological father.
The man who helped create me with my mother, Ken. I will never, ever call him ‘dad’ or ‘father’. He’s undeserving of ever getting that respect, due to the amount of disrespect he’s shown to the world and himself.

He and my mother had a long history of domestic problems, alcoholism and drug use. The two of them had about as much business having a child as Iran does with nuclear weapons. The fact that they stopped fighting long enough to have me was a miracle in itself.
Having me around the house didn’t solve the problem, as they continued to fight things out on a daily basis. Sometimes their arguments got physical, but nearly all of their arguments involved alcohol. These weren't just arguments, they would go on for hours. There would be screaming, the police would show up and one or the other would leave the house.

I can only remember a few specific occasions, but one of their fights stands out vividly in my mind.

As usual, my parents were engaged in another fight over something trivial. Once a small disagreement becomes fueled by alcohol, the situation can turn volatile in a second. Drunk and angry, Ken decided that he'd be leaving the house. He wouldn't be going it alone though, as he picked me up and carried me down the stairs of our town home to the old red Jeep in the driveway. It was a summer evening, so the top and doors were taken off the Jeep. There was only a seatbelt between me and the road with this madman at the wheel.

We only made it a few minutes down the highway before there were blue lights all around and we were pulled over. I had no idea what was going on, but I was later told that Ken had gotten his third DUI that night. This one was slightly worse, with his 3-year old child in the car.
Not only did he put himself in danger, he put every single car that came within 100 feet of us that night in danger and he put his own 3-year old child in danger.

He lost his license that night in 1989, and still has managed to pile up six additional DUIs since that night.

That means on at least six other nights, he's endangered families going on road trips or a father working a late-shift to support his children.
In his irresponsibility, he's also managed to wreck his own life. He lives in low-income housing due to his inability to hold a steady job. People have given him job, but he's lost many after not showing up at work after a hard night of partying.
From that, he's developed a strong need to blame everyone else in the world for his problems and look for handouts at every opportunity.

Everything about alcohol abuse screams of irresponsibility. From drunk driving and bar fights to promiscuity, there are so many things that can go wrong when people don't know their limits. Alcohol abuse is just another way to escape to a world where others have to be responsible for you. You can only say 'Oh, it's alright because I was drunk' for so long. One day at age 49 you'll wake up in a one-bedroom apartment, unemployed and without your family.
Picking up a case of Bud Light seems a lot easier than doing the work that it takes to right your situation.

But is several hours of fun worth the years of pain it causes?