My opinion is that a stiff sentence for a drunk that kills somebody is the right thing to do because it will stop THAT drunk from ever hurting anybody again.

It also might make the social drinker get more serious about making sure he/she has a designated driver.

For the true "drunk", the potential repeat offender, I don't think the thought of a possible life sentence or any OTHER thought goes through a drunk's mind when he's drunk. That's why they get behind the wheel again, license or no license. I have known drunks that don't even REMEMBER they don't have licenses once they've had a few.

Driving after drinking is no different than driving by a McDonald's and firing random rifle shots through the windows. It needs to be treated as the violent crime it is.