In July, 2003 my brother Bill was killed by a drunk driver while coming home from work.  He was 47 years old, had a wife and daughter and enjoyed life immensely.    He will never get to walk his daughter down the aisle for her wedding.  He will never get to retire and enjoy traveling like he wanted.  He will never get to spend the rest of his life riding his motorcycle, which was his passion and also what he was doing when he was killed.  He will not be with them at Christmas this year or ever in the future except in their hearts.

We are grateful to the citizens of the Los Angeles for their willingness to be involved in apprehending the driver.    They chased the driver in to an alley and held him there until the police arrived.  They then testified in court.  When the trial ended the driver was given a 7 year sentence and will be out in 3.5 years.  

We as citizens need to hold firm. Never turn your eyes to the drunk driver. Call the police every time.  Offer assistance to both the victim and family in order to help them through the tragedy and be willing to testify in court to hold the drunk driver accountable.  Actively involve yourself in your community and local MADD chapter to fight a terribly increasing and awful statistic. They were there for us when we needed help.  Stand strong in your resolve as a community and push your state representatives to require stronger punishment and treatment for offenders.  Mostly, hold yourself, your family and your friends to a standard of no tolerance for driving while intoxicated.    (Letter to the editor, Dec. 2003)

Isaiah 40:31