Persuasion, Indoctrination, and Inoculation 04/18/2013 Sarah K. Martinez PSY 285 Instructor: Chris Shreve
PERSUASION, INDOCTRINATION, AND INOCULATION 2 There are many dangers that plague us in today’s society. One of the most pressing issues is that of driving under the influence of alcohol. This is a problem for many reasons. Firstly, driving while intoxicated is illegal. It shows the rising problem of substance abuse, and most importantly, driving drunk is deadly. According to "Drinkinganddriving.org" (2008-2013), "900,000 are arrested each year for DUI/DWI and a full 1/3 of those are repeat offenders”. None of us are perfect. We all do things every day that People with a higher education are more likely to drink. Higher income people are more likely to drink”, ("Learn About Alcoholism", 2013).
PERSUASION, INDOCTRINATION, AND INOCULATION 4 It can be easily seen that alcohol has quite a reputation in society. It is frightening to see these statistics and to see the impact that it is having on not only adults, but also teenagers and children. Did you know that in America on average, nearly 12,000 people die every year in DUI-related accidents? (Drinkinganddriving.org, 2008-2013) High schools actually simulate drunk driving accidents to discourage teens from drinking and driving. The impact that such a selfish act can have on a family, or on a community is staggering. “The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) released new data today showing 9,878 drunk driving fatalities in 2011”, (MADD, 2012). Who am I to be lecturing you on the dangers of drinking and driving? Am I just another left wing conservative trying to take away everyone’s rights and good times? Well, first of all, no one should have the right to take someone else’s life, and when you choose to drive under the influence, you are doing just that. My cousin Eddie McCrory was 24 years old. He had just completed his training for the Montgomery Police Department in Montgomery, Alabama and had been working in the department for almost a year. His nickname was ‘the gentle giant”. He was around six feet eight inches tall, but he had the
