Plenty of people have seen articles about Texas State student, Tara Monroe, this past week. Monroe has been in the Internet spotlight for driving a Barbie Jeep around campus after her license was taken away for a DWI. Many people find this humorous. Seeing a 20-year-old girl driving a battery-powered toy across a college campus is funny, right? Sure, I suppose I would find it funny if someone at my school got around that way.
What's not funny is the cause of Monroe's commuting that way. She was arrested for a DWI because she refused a breathalyzer test. This is a serious matter, which people don't seem to be recognizing with this story.
I find this story extremely frustrating. I don't understand why a girl that chose to drive under the influence is receiving viral attention. I find it frustrating that people don't seem to care about the cause of her driving the Barbie Jeep. I find it even more ridiculous that it seems like Monroe didn't take the situation seriously. Driving under the influence is dangerous and life-threatening. It's not something to be joked about. It's certainly not a laughing matter when nearly 30 people a day die from accidents involving alcohol-impaired drivers (Center for Disease Control and Prevention, 2015).
Monroe may have not been in an accident, but she could have caused one. Luckily, she was pulled over before anything could have gotten worse. People don't seem to be thinking about that based on the response and attention that has been given.
To those reading this article: I ask that you consider the severity of drunk driving. Think of how you can affect your own life with an arrest. Think of how you can ruin, harm, or end someone else's life when driving under the influence.
To Tara Monroe: I understand driving a Barbie Jeep is just meant to be a joke, but after reading several articles, it seems like you didn't learn a lesson. You are lucky that you were pulled over. You are lucky that you didn't injure yourself or anyone else. Please be more sincere in understanding the severity of what happened.
Drunk driving is not a joke. You can ruin someone's life. You can ruin your life. You have the choice to get behind the wheel. Make sure you make the right choice.
