B6'- The Terrace Standard, Wednesday, December 17, 1997 , Please, no deaths this Christmas By DALE MARTEL, Campbell River RCMP THIS IS an open letter to all parents of all young people everywhere, I am writing in response to some of the ques- tions you ask-me daily. I am not one police officer, but I represent every officer in every city and town im Canada. You may know me only as the cop who gave you a ticket last summer, but ] am also the guy who lives down the street from you. I am the parent of three children and | share with you the same hopes, ambitions and dreams that you have for ‘your children. The scene is a long siretch of highway with a sharp curve atone end. It had been raining and the roads were slick. A car traveling in excess of 126 km/h missed the curve and plowed into an embankment where it became airborne and struck a tree. At this point, two of the three young per- sons were hurled from the vehicle, one into the roadway, where the car landed on him, snuffing out his life like a discarded cigarette on the asphalt, He is killed instantly and he is the lucky one. The girl thrown into the tree has her neck broken and al- though she was voted queen of the senior prom, and most likely to succeed, she will now spend the next 60 years ina wheelchair. When I artive the car has come to rest on its top, the ' broken wheels have stopped spinning. Smoke and steam our out of the engine ripped from its mounting by a terrible , force. An eerie calm has setiled over the scene and it appears deserted except for one lone traveler who called it in, He is sick ta his stomach, leaning against his car for support. The driver is conscious but in shock and unable to free himself from under the bent steering column. His face will be forever scarred by deep cuts form broken glass and jag- ged meial. Those cuts will heal, but the ones inside cannot be touched by the surgeon’s scalpel. The third passenger has almost stopped bleeding; the seat - and his clothing are covered in blood from an artery cut in his arm by the broken bone that protrudes from his fore- . am, just below the elbow. His breath comes in short gasps as he tries desperately to suck air past is blood-filled air- ; way. He is unable to speak and his eyes, bulged and fixed on me pleadingly, are the only communications that he is _ terrified and wants my help. I feel a pang a pang of guilt and recognize him as a boy I let off with a warming the other night for an open container of alcohol in his car. Maybe if I had cited him then, he wouldn’t be here now. Who knows? I don't. He diced soundlessly in my arms, his pale blue eyes star- ing vacantly, as if trying to see into the future he will never have, I remember watching him play basketball and wonder what will happen to the scholarship he will never usc. Dul- ly my mind focuses on a loud scream and I identify it as the girl who was thrown from the vehicle. 1 race to her with a blanket, but I am afraid to move her. Her head is tilted at an exaggerated angle. She seems un- - aware of my presence and whimpers for her mother like a little child. In the distance, I can hear the ambulance wind- ing its way through the rainy night I am filled with in- - Get away to it all! Stay'n Save Inns welcome you to five af British Columbia's most popular vacation destinations at irresistible getaway prices. Enjoy twa nights in a comfortable, cosy room plus continental breakfast for two. Discounts are also available for local shopping and NY dining at some locations. One night packages also available. Stay nN ma INNS wwe take pride Call tall. fier for reservenions 1-800-663-0298 Vinchites wo mehis aecommoadanon, single or tloule aceuponcy fares cedinpna! Subject to avo.latubity Vala For. Sut. Sunt, Nov 14? to Atar, 31/98 “VICTORIA ’ VANCOUVER AIRPORT.“ VANCOUVER BURNABY + KAMLOOPS - KELOWNA The KitimatTerrace Area White Pages are about to close. Closing date December 24, 1997 Now’s the time to check your company’s White Pages listing to make sure it's accurate and complete. Do you want to add names and positions of key employees? Do you want to include cellular phone or pager numbers? Also, now is the time to check your home listing. Is everything spelled correctly? Do you want to include family members? Remember charges do apply to changes and extra listings. Call your BC TEL Customer Service Office now because there's § not long left. Call: 1-888-811-2828 (Business) BCTEL Ad 1-B88-811-2323 (Residential) credible grief at the waste of so valuable a resource, our youth. Iam sick with anger and frustration with Parents and leaders who think that a little bit of alcohol won't hurt any- thing. I am filled with contempt for people who propose lowering the drinking age because they will get booze anyway, so why not make it legal. 1 am frustrated with laws, court rulings and other legal maneuvering that restricts my ability to do my job, pre- venting this tragedy. The ambulance begins the job of scraping up and remov- ing the dead and injured. I stand by, watching as hot tears _ mingle with rain and drip off my cheeks. I will spend several hours on reports and several months trying to erase from my memory the details of that night. I will not be alone. The driver will recover and spend the rest of his life trying to forget. I know the memory of this fatal accident will be diluted and mixed with other similar accidents I will be called in to cover. Yes, I am angry, and sick at heart with trying to do my job and being iagged the bad guy. I pray to God that I might never have to face another parent in the night and, say your daughter Susan, or your son Bill, has just been kilied in a car accident. You ask me, why did this happen? It happened because a young person, stoned out of his mind, thought that he could handle two tons of hurtling death at 128 km/h. It happened because an adult, trying to _ bea “good guy,’’ bought or sold a case of beer to some minor. It happened because you as parents weren’t concerned enough about your child to know where he was and what he was doing. It happened because, as people say, you belicve this kind of thing only happens to someone else. For your sake I hope it doesn’t happen to you. But if you continue to regard alcohol abuse as just part of growing up, then please keep your porch light on. Because some cold, rainy night, you will find me at your doorstep, staring at my fect with a message of death for you. (July 8,1996) (Mar 24, 92: June 3,94) Financing OAC Up to 60 Months. Until December 31/97 TERRACE Terrace Motors Toyota CO wales 492 Hwy 16W. Dealer $5957 1-800-313-6558 The Hansard record of the Provincial Legislature shows: In the last two years Mr. Giesbrecht has only spoken 6 times in the legislature. Wuly 8, 96 July 15, 96; April 3, 97, May 7, 97, June 13, 97; July 30, 97) ¢ In the last two years, Mr. Giesbrecht has not made a single formal request in the’ legislature’ for the-government to act on a local issue. ¢ In the last two years he Aas spoken on the punishing stumpage rates. He alluded to them as something good that the NDP has done for BC. « In the last two years he has spoken on the govemment’s extreme increase in angling fees. But rather than taking the concerns of the anglers and fishing guides regarding the fees to the government, Mr. Giesbrecht defended government fee hikes. (May 7, 97) « In his previous term (1991-1995) Mr. Giesbrecht was equally ineffective. Only one time in the six years Mr. Giesbrecht has been in office, has he spoken to a local issue in a setting in the legislature where the govemment was required to respond to it, (June 22, 92) ¢ Only two other times, in six years has Mr. Giesbrecht dedicated a speaking time in the legislature to speak to a local issue raised by his constituents. * MLA’s from all parties have addressed many issues in the legislature on behalf of their constituents many times over the amount that Mr. Giesbrecht has. He has almost the lowest speaking record of all MLA’s in the legislature. He simply hasn't done his job. ¢ In the last two years it has cost taxpayers about $300, 000.00 to pay Mr. Giesbrecht’s wages and expenses, and run his office, not including the $450,000.00 pension, he will be eligible to receive in one year. If you believe Skeena needs better representation Sign the petition to Recall Mr. Giesbrecht. If you would like a list of every date that Mr. Giesbrecht has spoken in the Legislature in the last six years so that you can read his statements for ‘yourself, you can pick one up at the Terrace recall office, You can sign the petition at 4519 Lakelse Ave., Terrace, or you can call 638-7739 or 632-5311 and we will send a canvasser to your door. This publication is authorized by W.A. Sandhals, Financial Agent for Lorne Sexton, Skeena Recall Proponent, 638-7739 —