Charles (Chuck) Kensinger

I am sure that you have pet peeves. One of mine is the fact that people continue to be murdered by impaired drivers, and our legislators do not seem to care. My opinion, as a non-drinker, is that something drastic needs to be done about curbing the ability of repeat offenders to continue to drive when they should not.

The first thing that should be done is for those of us who care that innocent people are being indiscriminately killed to become angry enough to do more than we have been. If you are driving intoxicated, high, or impaired in any way, you must be forced to stop.

In the 1980s, the sister of a friend of mine was killed when a man who had previous DUI arrests hit her car. In the 1990s, I witnessed an accident where a drunk driver ran a red light and flipped a small truck on its side, injuring the driver and passenger.

The case never appeared before a jury because the defendant agreed to enter rehab for the third time. At that time, I questioned the validity of a court system that allows this to continue. I have a suggestion for each of us that craves a change in the way we deal with these atrocities.

The first step is to eliminate all legislators in every state who have ever had an arrest for driving while impaired. I suggest we run a CaseNet search for anyone that we are considering voting for. If you are prone to visit candidates at their small local events, and these infractions show up on their records, you should bring this up in public.

We cannot bury our heads any longer. These offenders need to be called to task for their violations. A friend of mine had to have a device installed in the vehicle he drove that gave him a test to determine if he was intoxicated before the engine would start. These are expensive and can be bypassed by someone else providing the breath. It is difficult, but not impossible.

A second step would be to eliminate all judges with similar problems. We could recall local judges at elections, but few of us research who they are and how they rule in any case. A search for their personal legal records is also appropriate. A judge with a substance abuse problem will be less likely to enforce our laws properly.

I’d also like to see vehicles impounded when unlicensed drivers with prior offenses are the drivers. It should not matter who the owner is. Family, friends, or others who allow their property to be used illegally should lose it and not penalize the innocent who will be murdered.

I would like to see the manslaughter charges that most of these criminals are convicted of being charged to murder. It is not an accident when you use alcohol or drugs and then drive. It is intentional and should be called premeditated murder. Especially for repeat offenders. I believe the reason there are no harsher penalties is that legislators don’t care. Your vote can fix that.

©Copyright 2026 by Charles Kensinger