Never Again

Last September, a young, good looking man set to get married in a few months made a decision. A decision too many of us make; to drink and drive. The logic: I am fine. I can drive. I got this. How dare you suggest otherwise?

     As a result of that decision a family lost three children, aged nine, five, and two, and their maternal grand father. This morning I heard part of the mother's victim impact statement and could not much imagine the intensity of her pain.

     “I don’t have anyone left to call me mom …. You killed all my babies.” 

       The horror and the grief. Unimaginable.

       And what is worse, the knowledge that I know people who have in my presence had a few drinks and slid in behind the wheel of a car, while I have maintained silence for fear of offending, or made a few pathetic objections, only to back down. I hate conflict and alcohol seems to bring out belligerence in everyone. I am not the only one though who hides behind silence in the face of bad judgement. Lots of us keep quiet and allow that foolhardy drunk to drive. But what of the consequences? What if that idiot destroys more then just his/her own life? Isn't some portion of the blame ours as well? To keep quiet means to condone and to condone makes you, complicit. 

     Well, never again. If people are offended at not being allowed to drive away from my home with alcohol in their bloodstream, too bad. Be offended, but be safe.

http://news.nationalpost.com/news/canada/you-killed-all-my-babies-mom-who-lost-three-kids-dad-to-drunk-driver-tells-him-at-sentencing