In days of old, a popular saying across the United States was that if you were born an American, you already won the lottery. Indeed, this was historically a fairly accurate statement for many, as the country provided unparalleled opportunity to seemingly anyone willing to assimilate, work hard, and contribute. Contemporarily, people from all across the world continue to flock to the 50 states, but in truth the America of today is not the prosperous place of old. The nations middle class, which has been shrinking for years, has been crushed by the skyrocketing cost of living and wage stagnation. Things have been on a general decline for the United States for decades, but since President Joe Biden took office in January of 2021, the domestic situation has drastically worsened in a very short period of time.
While things may seem gloomy domestically in the long run and internationally, people across America are continuing to live their lives the best they can. In modern times, a popular saying is, “you only live once”; many individuals have adopted this mantra and centered their entire lifestyle around it. Some people often use the phrase as an excuse to make impulsive, questionable decisions. In California on September 10th, a man was charged with a DUI (driving under the influence) for riding a horse while intoxicated. According to the New York Post, Officer Kody Brackett discovered the individual on the highway mounted upon the horse holding a bottle of alcohol. He was quickly arrested. The animal was safely transported back to its place of residence.
While the California man was clearly irresponsible, at least he wasn’t attempting to intoxicate the animal along with himself. In 2019, a Florida man was apprehended for allegedly trying to get an alligator drunk. Timothy Kepke of the sunshine state gave an alligator beer after his friend captured the creature. The gator then bit him. Kepke was then arrested.
