Former president of MADD arrested on DUI charge
Published: Thursday, February 24, 2011 at 11:58 a.m.
Last Modified: Thursday, February 24, 2011 at 11:58 a.m.
Last Modified: Thursday, February 24, 2011 at 11:58 a.m.
A former president of the defunct local chapter of Mothers Against Drunk Driving was arrested recently by the Gainesville Police Department on a DUI charge.
Debra Oberlin, 48, was arrested after she had difficulty on a field sobriety test. She registered a .234 and .239 on breath alcohol tests. Florida's legal limit for driving is .08.
Oberlin, a Realtor, had no comment when contacted Thursday by The Sun.
On Feb. 18 at 1:10 a.m., an officer spotted Oberlin driving erratically on Northwest 19th Street, swerving and crossing lanes, an arrest report states. Oberlin was pulled over in the 3600 block of Northwest 39th Avenue.
The officer wrote that Oberlin smelled of alcohol and had watery, bloodshot and dilated eyes. The report states that Oberlin told the officer she had four beers.
Gainesville's MADD chapter existed for several years in the 1990s before closing in 1996 because of lack of financial support. Oberlin was the chapter president for three years.
Disclose.tv - Former President Of MADD Arrested On DUI Charge Video
Blogger Jeremy Witteveen (Le Café Witteveen) posted a blog entry entitled "I love you, Debra Oberlin" and got this response:
"This hippocritical bitch should be public beat to death or better yet,turned over to any 100 of the thousands whose lives she helped ruin with her holier than thou bullshit,and let them deal with her.It would be too much to ask for that the system will subject her to the full extent of the law. They will probably coddel her because of the income flow she helped create."
Mothers Against Drunk Driving "was originally formed by Candice Lightner, who later left the organization. In 2002 she said that MADD 'has become far more neo-prohibitionist than I had ever wanted or envisioned ... I didn't start MADD to deal with alcohol. I started MADD to deal with the issue of drunk driving.'" MADD, like AA, the "recovery" system, and IDIP providers here in New Hampshire like Amethyst Foundation, Inc., Serenity House, Inc., REAP, Inc., don't want to eliminate drinking and driving--they want to eliminate drinking entirely in keeping with the religious/cult doctrines of AA (while making quite a nice, tax-free, profit doing so).
Good job, AA! You took an organization that once had merit (MADD) and ran it into the ground, trampling people's civil liberties, creating a legion of people that absolutely despise you.
My comments are related to the whole of your blog. For the most part, I agree. For the lesser, I do not. Let’s start with the bigger portion. I believe that the penance for a DWI in NH is off the charts. My first complaint is that NH does not offer a restricted driver’s license. Many (in fact, most) jobs in semi-rural NH cities/towns require driving, not just to work, but for the entire workday. Does it help the economy, job market, property values, foreclosure rates, ability to pay taxes (e.g. the prosecutor’s salary) etc. if a first time offender loses his managerial job, which is 70% driving, as a result of the unbending system? Sidebar, the job is still intact, but with penalties…Thank the Lord! That’s part of the lesser I’ll get to later.
ReplyDeleteThe person I am speaking of made the terrible mistake of driving after drinking too much. That is not to be disputed. This is not a regular occurrence, nor is there a problem (not denial, the absolute truth….and I’m not talking about myself). Thankfully, nobody was injured, but the BAC result was .2. Aggravated! That was an immediate indicator to the IDIP/LDAC that more treatment is necessary. It doesn’t matter how you dress, if you’re clean and present yourself well, if you participate or show distain, you’re prejudged on the numbers alone. Therefore, the three day IDIP program ultimately proved nothing. The results were in hand before it even began. Not to mention the fact that it is impossible to pass the exams, scientifically speaking.
So, a minimum of ten therapy sessions and a net of twenty AA meetings for someone who is a happy person, good provider, no DMV record prior, tax payer, mortgage payer, rare drinker etc. is possibly becoming depressed over a DWI conviction. Who’s going to pay for that therapy? Don’t get me wrong, the guilt, ashamedness and wrongdoing hit home from the get go. Yet, the punishments continue.
So, you go to your three weekend day counseling sessions that are run by one person, yet the final ruling from the exit interview is decided by someone completely separate? Again, it’s truly based on your BAC and intake exam. By the way, refuse the field sobriety test and don’t blow. You may (I don’t know for sure) get a bigger fine, but suspicion of DWI is a lot better than proof of DWI (that I know for sure).
What’s funny, not ha-ha funny, but ironically funny, is there is knowledge of several true (and I mean TRUE) alcoholics who managed to pass the course without further treatment. Hmmm, what is the problem with this system?
Costs so far:
$200 to retrieve the car
$1,500 to attorney to reduce the charges (well worth it)
$1,100 in court fees
$460 to IDIP
$15 to DMV to get driving record
20% pay decrease for six months as a result of license loss – net $3,600
Future Costs:
10 therapy sessions at whatever the government decides – est. $1,000
$100 to get the license returned. Paid $50 for it once, why not double that?
Insurance – ridiculous amounts, but unsure at this point
Many, many hands in the pot.
Cont'd
ReplyDeleteThere are a few “rules” that need to be investigated based on IDIP’s/LDAC’s procedures. I’m sure nothing will come of it. After all, funding for these programs is being reduced/eliminated in the next year or so. They have to collect while they can. Speaking of, I have a really hard time swallowing an incorporation being a non-profit. Somewhat of a paradox, don’t you think? I was not speaking of Amethyst Foundation, Inc., but it sounds somewhat worse than the unfortunate experience I know of. This one has no website to speak of and no specific hours of operation which makes it pretty ambiguous in the eyes of the law. One of the requirements for an IDIP facility is to be properly staffed. I don’t consider that to be the case with CRP. Rarely can you speak with someone and rarely do your calls get returned.
I have more to say, but I am going to end with my lesser point in the grand scheme of all this. I was raised Catholic and pray to my God every night. I know very little about the goings on of AA, so I can’t comment on the pressures to conform to one God or another (or any for that matter). I also don’t judge anyone with differing opinions so long as no one is endangered. You may judge me for my beliefs, but other than religion, ours are very similar as they relate to this topic. I do, however disagree with AA as a form of treatment for those who have been convicted of DWI. The true AAers don’t want them there, nor do they want to be there. It’s wrong all around and the counselors should know that.
I may write more another time. You okay with that? I do appreciate the information and links.
Thank you very much for your two extremely thoughtful comments.
ReplyDeleteI try not to judge people on their religious beliefs, but I will absolutely judge them when they try to impose them others. Further, when the State does this, it is unconstitutional.
Our country began with refugees from England escaping religious persecution. Our founding fathers (who were deists, by the way, NOT christians), did not want these abuses to repeat themselves and explicitly forbade the establishment of any law "respecting religion." The Supreme Court and multiple Federal Circuits (including NH) has ruled that AA is a "religious organization" for purposes of the Establishment Clause.
The founders (and Roger Williams, whom this blog quotes) thought that a government espousing ANY religion was repugnant to freedom.
Evangelical AA "true believers" that have over-run the recovery industry with NH's blessings are Anti-American in the truest sense of that word. Their ignorance and unbridled abuse of power is harming thousands of people a year in this state, and is blatantly illegal.
AA is a religious organization that has been shown by multiple clinical studies to be completely ineffective. I resented going to AA as much as the AA members likely resented me.
My intention was certainly not to judge in any way, I just wanted to make my position clear. I will continue to check in on your blog as I have learned some interesting information.
DeleteDo you,or does anyone else have any advice on how to act, behave, react to, etc. the upcoming counseling sessions with the LDAC? Be honestly, somewhat lie, blatently lie? It is imperative that this person receives his license back as soon as the twelve month suspension is up. Risking a delay based on the LDAC's "opinion" is not an option.
Thank you!