Have you heard of Matthew Cordle? He\’s the Ohio man who confessed to killing a man after a night of binge drinking, in a notorious YouTube video. The video has been viewed more than 1.9 million times, and has received a lot of attention in social media networks.
In the video that went viral, Cordle\’s face is blurred and his voice is muffled. He somberly says he was bar-hopping with some friends that night, blacked out and decided to drive home. He says he made a mistake, \”when he got behind the wheel of a car that night.  \”My name is Matthew Cordle and on June 22, 2013, I hit and killed Vincent Canzani,\” he says gravely. \”This video will act as my confession.\”  22-year-old Cordle has formally pleaded guilty. He faces a maximum sentence of 81/2 years in prison as well as the permanent suspension of his driver’s license.

Sentencing is set to take place Oct. 11.

Cordle has stated that he confessed to killing 61-year-old Vincent Canzani because he couldn\’t live with himself, knowing he was guilty. He had not been named a suspect in this case.

The Question is: Do we exonerate this man because he\’s shown a rare level of remorse about his actions?

In the video, Cordle asks viewers to make a promise – to not drink and drive. \”I beg you and I say the word, beg specifically, I\’m begging you, please don\’t drink and drive,\” Cordle says at the end of his online confession. \”Don\’t make the same excuses that I did. Don\’t say it\’s only a few miles or you\’ve only had a few beers…your victims can still be saved.\”

Some punishment or no punishment? This question becomes more relevant in light of the fact that according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, more American women are drinking more heavily than ever before: one in eight women binge drink—defined as four drinks or more in one sitting—about three times a month. A recent survey of 178 countries found 30 to 40% of road deaths are caused by alcohol.

Matthew Cordle took full responsibility for causing a fatal car crash. I\’ve seen the video—he seems repentant and sincere. Does he or doesn\’t he deserve leniency?

WHAT DO YOU THINK?