Those who cry “He’s guilty until proven innocent!” and a San Francisco sheriff display indications of alcoholism in their own ways
Runners-up for top story of the month:
Those who have cried, “Guilty until proven innocent!” and would like to form a lynch mob (including Jesse Jackson and Al Sharpton) in the killing of Trayvon Martin by George Zimmerman, who seemingly support Napoleonic “justice” when it suits their ends. BothTrayvon and Zimmerman exhibited behavioral signs of alcohol or other-drug addiction (Trayvon recently in spades—he was described as a “troubled teen,” which is usually a euphemism for “he’s into drugs”—see the article here; Zimmerman in a case of domestic violence, years ago), so this could easily be a case of addict v. addict. However, sober-minded people are much more likely to admit that because we weren’t there, it’s impossible to know what actually occurred with certainty and that justice must be allowed to take its course.
San Francisco Sheriff Ross Mirkarimi, days before his trial on charges of domestic violence, pleading guilty to one misdemeanor count of falsely imprisoning his wife, Eliana Lopez, during an argument on New Year’s Eve. Nearly all domestic violence is committed by alcoholics. Since it was New Year’s Eve (even if it was lunch time), the odds of alcoholism approach 100%. This is especially true when the abuser screams obscenities, tells her she “didn’t deserve to eat” and threatens to take their two-year-old son away from her, after she had simply asked permission to visit her family in Venezuela after his January 8 inauguration. (The list of clues to alcoholism in How to Spot Hidden Alcoholics includes the use of obscenities, but not even I thought of an assertion that one doesn’t deserve to eat and threats to take a spouse’s child, but I digress.) Moreover, Lopez was apparently not the only woman in Mirkarimi’s past who was bruised and tearful; an ex-girlfriend, Christina Flores, made similar allegations. The conviction does not preclude Mirkarimi from keeping his job (and of course his pension), which he had ascended to after winning election to the post only two months before. Whether he is fit for a job that is largely about arresting other alcoholics and preventing them from committing mayhem is now in the hands of the city ethics commission and Board of Supervisors. Mirkarimi was sentenced to three years of probation, 100 hours of community service, 52 weeks of domestic violence classes, a $400 domestic violence fine and parenting or family counseling. Nothing suggests he will be required to wear an ankle bracelet that would continuously test for alcohol in his system or otherwise be coerced into abstinence.