I posted part of this story on FB as a note but there was more that I wanted to share about this incident the other day so I am going to start blogging and share with you a bit more with a little more personal insight, as I was readying my post for the day I kept coming across the same story from over ten different site and it got me thinking, and here is what I came up with: Oklahoma State WR Justin Blackmon, who leads the nation in receiving yardage, was arrested for DWI after the Monday nights football game in Dallas. He has received so much media coverage that it seems as though no other star athlete has ever committed this crime before and that the press is in shock that it happened. Mr. Blackmon, as he stated, did make a mistake. Luckily he was caught before it became a deadly one. But, he was not the only one of 91,375 people in attendance that night that made the choice to drive after he had been drinking and was most likely not the only underage drinker there. The problem is that this happens all the time and there is no great effort to stop it from happening by those that put on events like this. It seems as though it’s accepted as just what happens at events like this, really? Just what happens is that people die! Just what happens is that families are devastated! Just what happens is that lives are forever ruined and dreams are destroyed! This is the reality that we live in and those that chose to ignore it need to wake up and see that we are in the middle of a dangerous epidemic and things need to change. The guy at the game that was sitting two rows in front of you was entertainingly intoxicated and continued to drink as you watched both him and the game. Now he’s on the road right behind you and it’s no longer funny it’s downright dangerous. How can we keep this from happening? That’s the million dollar question; a reported once asked me if what I was advocating for was more personal responsibility, I said of course I am but it’s not just that, we must attack this problem from every side. Let’s get the public to see drunk driving for what it is, it’s a crime. This must be done on a one to one basis. where we speak out to our friends and family. And it must be done in the public realm where we demand change from those that sell and provide alcohol and from law enforcement sending out constant reminders of it penalty’s. Then we must address it at the legislative level, where we work to provide the laws needed to bring it to its end. All these are easier said than done but what do we do give up because it hard, or do we stand up and push forward because we know that it’s the right thing to do and because lives are on the line. I say press forward for my sons’ life and all those that lost their lives to a drunk driving crash, because their lives did matter and they did mean something to us and they will not be forgotten.
Well this is it for my first blog; I look forward to sharing more with you later till then
Stay safe
Edward
