October 2 - Pet Peeve Monday - Drinks On The House (of Representatives)

Representative Mark Foley (R-FL) sends vile emails and IMs to a 16-year-old male page. He resigns in disgrace on Friday. Foley enters alcohol rehab today.

Actor Mel Gibson gets pulled over for DUI and unleashes a barrage of anti-Semitic remarks. Gibson enters alcohol rehab.

Representative Patrick Kennedy (D-RI) drives his car into a concrete barrier. Kennedy enters alcohol and drug rehab the next day.

This week’s PET PEEVE MONDAY is people that fall back on alcoholism as a disease defense only when they have been caught when their hand or another appendage in the tequila jar.

I won’t argue the definition of addiction and its association with diseases like cancer, diabetes, or heart disease. That is a clinical diagnosis that I’m not going to address. It’s a touchy subject. And you know I don’t tackle sensitive issues like politics, religion, or sexual preferences.

What bothers or PEEVES me is that people don’t want to take DIRECT RESPONSIBILITY for their actions. Alcoholism is not a “GET OUT JAIL FREE” card from Monopoly, or a MULLIGAN from golf.

I would like to see some reverse logic displayed. Here are some prospective dialogue exchanges I would like to see.

Reporter: “Rep. Foley, How did you pass that landmark legislation outlawing guns and assault weapons?”

Rep. Foley: “Not sure, I was wasted at the time, but it sounded good to me.”


Reporter: “Mr. Gibson, what made you sign on to do Lethal Weapon 4?”

Mel Gibson: “Not sure, I was wasted at the time, but it sounded good to me.” (OK -- that conversation probably did happen. Come on, weren’t the characters fully developed and completed in Lethal Weapon 3?)

My point is that people should correct their deviant behaviors before they get caught and try to excuse their conduct with the “I forced myself to drink too much” defense.

It’s about PERSONAL ACCOUNTABILITY and DIRECT RESPONSIBILITY FOR YOUR OWN ACTIONS.

OK. I’m off my soapbox. It’s time for a Mulligan joke.

An American is golfing at the Old Course in St. Andrews, Scotland.

He slices his opening drive out of bounds onto the beach. So he tees another one up and smacks it right down the middle.

The golfer turns to his old Scottish caddy and tells him that in America that is called a "Mulligan" and asks him if there is a name for it in Scotland.

The caddy replies, "AYE, we call it a three."