Not a wise move

With all due respect, Gov. Tenorio, I find it incredible that you would ignore the safety and welfare of the general public by extending the hours to buy and consume alcohol in business establishments (nightclubs) on New Year’s eve. Is drunk driving a new phenomenon in the CNMI? Are there not 30-40 DUI convictions in traffic court every month? Do not traffic fatalities rip family members apart?

This unhealthy tradition is a recipe for disaster. Granted, I have been told that no serious incidents have happened in the past on this occasion, but does someone have to die before this practice is stopped? We all know that New Year’s eve is a night of heavy drinking. If anything, the hours to buy alcohol should be significantly cut back to force irresponsible people to stock up and stay home. It is the government that will shoulder the cost of traffic accidents, emergency room visits, and overtime for law enforcement officers.

All business profit gained on this night will not make up for one lost life. This tradition must be viewed from a social perspective, not a political one. What about the man that is forced to rush to the hospital in the wee hours of the morning because his wife is ready to deliver, or the parent whose child is sick and needs medicine, or the friend or relative that is a designated driver? The fact is, there will be many drunk drivers on the road this night, and DPS cannot catch them all. The irresponsible drinkers and drivers in the CNMI have just been given a license to kill, themselves or others.

Anthony M. Gomez

Chalan Piao