Haven’t we all had enough? Time and time again, we have seen grown adults giving in to the bullying tactics of the left and the politically correct, over-sensitive, anything-you-say-must-be-racist crowd. Well, it’s happened again, and this time the Oakland Police Department is taking heat for efforts to curb drunk driving during Cinco de Mayo celebrations.
Here’s the story… As reported by SFGate.com, the Oakland Police Department has issued a formal apology for the crime of being “insensitive.”
The Oakland Police Department apologized Tuesday and retracted a community message they acknowledged used “insensitive” language regarding DUI saturation patrols for the upcoming Cinco de Mayo holiday.
“The Oakland Police Department would like to apologize for the recent press release addressing traffic safety enforcement during the Cinco de Mayo holiday,” the department said in a statement. “We acknowledge that the language in the message sent was completely insensitive to the cultural holiday.”
It was unclear how many people had contacted the department about the message, but on social media some groups were clearly not happy.
“Oakland Police has posted on their Twitter account they’re going to put out Extra Patrols for you drunk Mexicans on Cinco de Mayo,” someone wrote on the Facebook page Oakland Latinos United. “How does it feel. As a Mexican Chicano I wonder if OPD will be posting DUI PSAs for every ethnic & culturally based holiday?”
What did the police department do that was so bad? It turns out they were trying to warn folks about drunk driving during the holiday, and issued this press release titled “Fiesta Time or Jail Time”:
In the United States, Cinco de Mayo has become synonymous with festive fiestas and salty margaritas. Historically, the fifth of May commemorates Mexico’s 1862 victory over France at the Battle of Puebla during the Franco-Mexican War, but present-day celebrations often lead to drunk driving–and there’s no victory in that.
The Oakland Police Department is continuing its ongoing efforts to stop and arrest impaired drivers, deploying extra officers on DUI saturation patrols May 5 to lower deaths and injuries. The DUI operation will be operational from 4:00 p.m. to 11:00 p.m. this coming Thursday.
In the rush of party preparations and getting dressed up for a night out, it’s easy to forget the most important Cinco de Mayo plan of all: designating a sober driver. Some fiesta-goers think they can play it by ear and wait until after the party has started to decide whether they’re “okay to drive.” By this point, it’s too late. Going out for a night of drinking without a plan to get home safely is a recipe for disaster.
Remember: Buzzed Driving Is Drunk Driving. And when you drive drunk, you run the risk of killing yourself or someone else. You will be looking at jail time, the loss of your driver’s license, higher insurance rates, plus other unanticipated expenses ranging from attorney fees, court costs, car or motorcycle towing and repairs, and lost wages due to time off from work. The average DUI costs about $10,000. Wouldn’t you rather pay for a ride home?
So before your first margarita, cold beer, or shot of tequila this Cinco de Mayo, make sure you have a designated sober driver or arranged another safe way home.
The California Office of Traffic Safety DDVIP (Designated Driver VIP) mobile app is available for free download on iOS and Android devices. The DDVIP app allows users to “Map a Spot” with their current location to find DDVIP partnering establishments in their area or use “List of Spots” to search all participating bars and restaurants throughout California.
Users can stay up-to-date with the latest from DDVIP and see what other users are saying via its social tab. Also through the app, for those who want to imbibe but also make it a point to plan ahead, users can easily order a sober ride from Uber, Lyft or Curb – all from one screen.
Designated sober drivers can use the app to view the profile of the bar they choose and use the “Offer” tab to redeem exclusive deals, with the ability to share the deal with friends on social media. Partnering bars and restaurants throughout the state have volunteered to offer nonalcoholic specialty drinks (“Drinks”), among other perks, to designated sober drivers.
Recent statistics reveal that 30% of drivers in fatal crashes had one or more drugs in their systems. A study of active drivers showed more tested positive for drugs that may impair driving (14%) than did for alcohol (7.3%). Of the drugs, marijuana was most prevalent, at 7.4%, slightly more than alcohol. Everyone should be mindful that if you’re taking medication – whether prescription or over-the-counter – drinking even small amounts of alcohol can greatly intensify the impairment effects.
A final statistic to remember: drunk- or drug-impaired driving deaths are 100-percent preventable.
This enforcement effort is funded by a grant from the California Office of Traffic Safety, through the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration reminding everyone to “Report Drunk Drivers, Call 911!”
According to The Mercury News, “the department had received a half dozen email complaints.” Wow… a half dozen… and some social media “outrage.” Come on!
Because of this “outrage,” the police department issued the following apology:
The Oakland Police Department would like to apologize for the recent press release addressing traffic safety enforcement during the Cinco de Mayo holiday. We acknowledge that the language in the message sent was completely insensitive to the cultural holiday. We have worked extensively to build trust with all our communities and value the amazing cultures that make up the heart of our City. We are taking appropriate steps to insure that this does not happen again. Our intentions were to raise awareness about drunk driving and notify the community of traffic safety during the important holiday. As for every holiday and celebration, we want to remind everyone to celebrate responsibly and safely.
On the Oakland Latinos United Facebook page, there is a post regarding the Oakland Police’s DUI plan. It received sixteen comments. Sixteen! How many more people are going to be in danger, because police officers are afraid to do their jobs? Is political correctness really more important than public safety?
Things have just gotten stupid. Can people please get backbones again and stand up to this nonsense? This is why the left keeps pushing and pushing and pushing and working to get more fringe activities recognized as normal… because they can. Because no one speaks out. Aren’t we all tired of this?
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