Focused outrage

Being somewhat of a news junkie, I read and watch a lot of local, national, international news and opinion. 

For a significant period, the "news" has been filled with stories and commentary conveying considerable emotion about the loss of life.  These stories and commentary, from the widest possible spectrum of writers, reporters, pundits, commentators, and bloggers have addressed a wide variety of causes for the loss of life, the focus depending upon the author's/writer's sense of justice or concern.  Wars, natural disasters, mass killings, and the like have all resulted in self professed moral outrage by the author, pundit, writer, or whomever.  Each exhorts us to join with them in the outrage at the loss of life and to join with them in some action or another to address and eliminate the cause.

Like several, I happen to believe the so-called mainstream media is compulsively liberal.  Being liberal, however, does not mean one can't be sincerely outraged by loss of life.  To those who stand up, from the left and right, in moral outrage at loss of life, we should admire this sincerity. 

However, while the left and right may disagree about the moral outrage attendant to causes of the loss of life, I believe they can come together and jointly focus their outrage on one specific senseless, preventable cause for the loss of life.  Driving under the influence of alcohol.

While reading our local news this weekend, I was saddened to note one particular story about a death resulting from someone allegedly driving under the influence of alcohol.  This particular description caught my attention.  "The wife told authorities that one moment her husband was leaning into her open driver’s window, talking to her, and the next moment he was gone, thrown hundreds of feet by the impact of the other motorist’s pickup, said California Highway Patrol Officer Brian Pennings." (Cited from the Union-Tribune)

The couple were driving two vehicles along the freeway when one of the vehicles experienced problems, so they pulled off the side of the freeway. That's when the above occurred.

I wonder why there is no moral outrage from both sides of the political spectrum?  Where is the outrage at the senseless, preventable loss of life?  Where are the protest marches along the main streets of our towns and cities?  Where are the news programs filled with self-appointed experts calling for action?  Where are the politicians speaking with passion on C-SPAN?  Why can't we mobilize for this cause?

According to Mothers Against Drunk Driving, in 2011 alone, 9,878 people were killed due to drunk driving.  By comparison, 469 of our soldiers, sailors, airmen, and Marines died in combat on 2011 (Iraq and Afghanistan), with 6,630 in 11 years of combat through 2011 (Washington Post - Faces of the Fallen).  110 died in Hurricane Sandy (LA Times) and 1,833 in Hurricane Katrina (Wikipedia).

I'm perplexed and hope there will be focused outrage at the senseless, preventable loss of life from drunk driving.  As a nation, we accomplish much when focused.  Let's focus on this cause and work together to end the loss of life.