Obligatory Paris Hilton Post

As many of you are aware as of this writing, Paris Hilton was "released" from jail. Now,I could go into a rant about 1) how there's two sets of justice (but Greg beat me to it), or 2) how Paris Hilton is nothing more than an attention-seeking, spoiled brat...but that would be too harsh. (Plus, you can easily go to Podcrapular and submit your own Paris Hilton jokes).

So I'm going to take the high road and bring attention to the reason why Ms. Hilton was jailed - reckless driving and violation her probation on a drunk driving charge. In that spirit, rather than criticize her, I would rather educate on drunk driving.

That's right - as a public service to you, the reader, I'm including some links on drunk and drugged driving. I know, it's not the usual pop culture shtick you're used to...but in a way, maybe, just maybe, one of Ms. Hilton's "fans" will read one of these sites and realize the big deal.

It's not just about her, or her popularity or lack thereof - it's about frickin' public safety.

(And for an obligatory comics reference, you can get tons of information on the net Iron Man movie at Screen Rant. Much of it is spoiler-free, and it's also a really cool site. Check it out after reading this entry).

MADD (who started doing a lot of public education about drunk driving)

Wikipedia Entry

About.com article

AMA information sheet

NIDA Infofacts

DSM - 4 Criteria for Alcohol Abuse (yes, it's relevant)

CDC Information

National Safety Council

Now I realize that I may sound rather shrill, but I'd rather not do the typical "I-hate-Paris-Hilton" post. Rather than give her more coverage, I would rather focus attention on something more important - encouraging people not to get behind a wheel after consuming a lot of alcohol. (I'm not talking one or two drinks - in fact, a member of the St. Louis Cardinals died in a drunk driving accident, and the aftermath is a real mess, folks)

Here's my challenge to the blogosphere - either head to Podcrapular and make a joke about Ms. Hilton, or feel free to use the links above to educate. Rather than give Ms. Hilton more air time - let's make sure that the public is reminded why she was in jail in the first place.