Arrogance – A Barrier to Recovery, Fuel for Denial

Maybe you’ve heard this story of Roger Avary, who was sentenced in September for a drunk driving crash that killed a passenger in his car and injured his wife. He was sentence to a year in jail and five years of probation.

Roger Avary is the Academy Award winning co-writer of “Pulp Fiction.” The latest story is that he has been removed from a prison work furlough program and locked up in the county jail – not a happy change for him.

Apparently, Avary was tweeting about his experiences inside the work furlough program and some are suggesting these tweets painting a negative picture of life in the program led to the change to regular jail, although prison officials deny this. They say it was for security reasons. He was chronically in 140 characters or less drug deals, bad food, and various grim goings-on.

Avary has tweeted that his “rollup” to jail was punishment for “exercising First Amendment rights.”

My first reaction to this? I am sure the friend you killed in this accident would be happy to trade places with you. Hmmm. One year in jail – eternity in the grave?  Really, he got a pretty darn good deal.

I certainly can hear the alcoholic in this guy. I mean – you killed a human being driving drunk and you’re whining about a measly one year in prison? Your free speech rights? Someone still clearly doesn’t have his priorities straight or truly grasp the enormity of what happened.

Frankly, I think Avary is confused about his rights. He’s in prison. He’s lost a lot of rights. Here’s a tidbit from the Anti-Defamation League on prisoner 1st Amendment rights.

Because of the particular challenges administrators face running prisons, the Supreme Court has acknowledged there is a compelling government interest which warrants limiting prisoners’ rights. Courts have been deferential to prison officials’ assessments of security threats, and sensitive to their related regulatory decisions, even if such decisions impact inmates’ First Amendment rights.

I worry when a person whose drinking led to the death of another complains about their lot. Perspective, people.   In one year he can go about his business again – a few more years of probation – and life his life. Not too shabby a deal when you really consider it.