For every action there is an equal and opposite reaction. Ryan Dunn, one of the stars of Jackass the movies, died in a car crash on the 20th of June. There is a lot of controversy surrounding the crash over many different topics but really if you break it down to the simplest level, it’s all about choices. The choices he made leading up to the wreck were his and his passengers alone, fortunately.
That may sound crass but let’s be honest. This was not a tragedy, it was a tragedy averted. I know that everyone is arguing about alcohol and speed and curves in the road but look at it from a basic level. Occam’s razor. Take a man with a prior DUI conviction, add friends and fans, a bar, pictures of him holding a liquid beverage, a Porche 911 and 100-150 feet of skid marks on an exit ramp, what do you get? The simple and probably most obvious age old solution, a man who got too drunk, drove too fast and died. Argue all you want that the autopsy results aren’t in, he could have been below the legal limit, maybe there was mechanical failure and that led to the crash, its all hearsay anyway. Speed, distraction or alcohol, it’s all reckless driving.
Friends, family and fans are nearly rabid when it comes to defending him, with some saying things about now not being the time to debate drinking and driving and how those who would condemn Ryan have clearly never lost a friend in a car crash. Well I’m going to be that guy. I have had friends seriously injured in a alcohol related car crash, and I have watched COUNTLESS family members mourn those who have died from drunk driving accidents. I’ve stood by helpless while a mother mourned her daughter who was killed, while fathers begged for someone to do something, while brothers and sisters swore that their sibling was smarter than that. I’ve also seen innocent lives destroyed, young bodies broken all while the drunk walked away without a scratch. When is the time to talk about it? Who do we condemn when people die from stupid PREVENTABLE actions that people seem to forget the consequences of.
It’s easy to fall into a MADD DWI support stance when it’s a town drunk who just got their 8th DUI but when it’s a celebrity, well let’s not get too out of hand. After all being famous is hard, we all know what it did to Lindsey Lohan, she doesn’t even have to show up for court on time. Often times sentences for celebrities are reduced, a month in a rehabilitation facility and community service. Addictions a hard disease they say, well so is apathy. These are the role models our children are supposed to look up to?
Back to Dunn. Do I feel compassion for his family, of course. Do I feel for their loss, absolutely, but what I feel more than that is relieved that the crash didn’t involve anyone besides he and his passenger. Would those people be so quick to defend him if the article had read, “Dunn suffered minor injuries in the crash, the driver of the other vehicle was killed, along with his wife, said to be 4 months pregnant and their 3 year old daughter.” It’s easy to get caught up in the foggy details of who and why but in reality all that happened because he chose to drink, then get behind the wheel of a sports car and travel well in excess of 100 miles per hour per the police reports.
Any loss is sad and I hope that his family can grieve in peace, then learn to move forward however we should not forget when the brevity of the moment has passed. He made choices and his family and friends are suffering the consequences. These are the same choices that thousands before him have made and realistically thousands after him will make. Though unfortunate, situations like this should serve as a wake up call to those who have danced on that line of being “just a bit to buzzed” to drive. It should be an example to the young generations in school that it can happen to anyone. We have far passed the time to “sugar coat” this issue. Drinking and driving is irresponsible, many don’t want to recall times when we ourselves may have had one to many and felt we were fine, regardless it is still just as reckless.
They say Ryan was a nice guy, I don’t doubt that but nice guys can still make bad decisions. We need to start taking responsibility and accepting accountability for our actions. Fines and suspensions are not enough. What ever the method, I can tell you that ignoring it or placating the offense by chalking it up to being famous, now not being the time or you’ve never been there will do you no good. I say kudos to Robert Ebert for having the stones to say what no one else would, albeit in a direct manor. I feel he has nothing to apologize for.
