Quote:
Originally Posted by saden1
What I mean is why is it not murder if you get piss drunk, get in the car and kill someone but if you get piss drunk and shoot your wife in the head it is? Why is being drunk a valid excuse when we all know drinking and driving can result in a fatality?
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Because when you get in a car piss drunk and drive around you're being ridiculously dangerous but there is no reasonable shred of intent. When you shoot someone piss drunk it also isn't necessarily murder either (see Jayson Williams). If you intend to shoot someone and kill them it's murder and your being drunk is irrelevant. If you intend to drive a car at someone and kill them it is murder and being again would be irrelevant. But if you drive drunk or handle a gun drunk and you kill someone accidently or out of plain negligence then it is manslaughter. Fine line I guess but society has deemed the two acts differently.