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Mothers
Against Drunk Driving |
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Spring 2000 Newsletter (continued) Contents:
As a victims' rights organization, victims play an important role in MADD's programs. At our 1999 Community Recognition event, it was especially meaningful to hear the voices of the children, victims at such an early age, express profound losses due to impaired driving. These children are learning that they too can make a difference; their small voices made a huge impact. As the voices were heard, everyone listening learned how impaired driving had affected their lives. This was an excellent motivation to those being awarded, to hear that their efforts are truly appreciated by all ages. Stopping drunk driving is important to me because if we don't stop it, someone special to you, like yourself, will die. Drunk driving will kill someone that doesn't even die. Here's a story. Imagine a little girl. She loves her daddy very, very much. Whenever she came home from school, she gave her dad a giant hug and told him what a fabulous day she had. He worked at night, and she loved being the person to wake him up for work. She was a little black girl, and her name was Jasey. Her dad was a kind loving man. He loved his daughter and his wife very much. But most of all he loved bringing his family down to the park to play. One day his daughter did not come home to kiss him. Instead, he was woken up by a phone call telling him that there had been a terrible, terrible accident. A drunk driver had hit his daughter's car head on. His wife had died at the scene and his daughter was in terrible condition. He had no time to cry about his wife because he was rushed to the hospital to see his daughter. After ten days of sitting by her side, it happened. Jasey, his daughter, died at only four years on this earth. In that way, her daddy died too. His body is still alive, but everything he had and loved was gone. This isn't just a story. It's a true story. It happened to my best friend when I was only four. The man who killed this family never got to say he was sorry because he was killed in the crash too. I don't know how many people who loved the driver were hurt by the crash, I only know that had he chosen not to drink or not to drive drunk there would still be a daddy getting hugs from his little girl, and I would still have a friend instead of sad memories. Who can stop drunk driving? You can. You have the power to stop drunk driving. Elizabeth - Fourth Grade Stopping drunk driving is important to me because innocent people get hurt by drunk drivers. I do not think anyone has a right to drink and then get in a car and crash into someone else. I have an uncle who was hit in his car by a drunk driver. He is now in a wheelchair and he is a quadriplegic. T his makes me very sad and it ruined his college football career. He was going to the professional teams and this drunk driver ended that part of his life for him. It makes me very mad. I think you should not have more than one chance. You should go right to jail when you drink and drive. John - Second Grade There's No Excuse For Drunk Driving Re "Infant Victim of Hit-and Run Dies of Injuries" (Dec.
23, 1999): PAMELA, Orange © Copyright 2000, Los Angeles Times. reprinted with permission. |
