When the Phone Rings………..

I was awakened in the morning yesterday by the phone ringing at 7:30 a.m.  Never a good thing when the phone rings too early or too late!

It was my daughter and her voice was quivering as she blurted out “the car”………now working at MADD and working with car crashes those are tough words to wake up to “the car”. 

Well during the night someone broke into their car. Stealing everything they could out of the dashboard, breaking windows and jamming the doors.  It appears the car will be totaled.

As my daughter talked excitedly about what had happened to their worldly possession I have to admit that all I was thinking, selfishly, was that luckily nothing happened to my worldly possession – my daughter and son-in-law.

She called Lincoln Police Department, they dispatched an officer.  Now I did not know that this time frame is a tough time for LPD: with shift changes and routine workweek traffic.  With that stated I do want to say that LPD was more than supportive, respectful and understanding of the incident that took place.  To a mom that means a lot!

Crime is a tough pill to swallow and even tougher when it involves your family.  That is why I want to remind everyone that MADD is here to support you when you or your family member has been impacted by a drunk driver.  We can help be a shoulder, support your conversations with insurance agents, educate on how the criminal justice system works and if needed accompany you to court.  Contact us here at MADD: www.maddnebraska.org 

Last, remember to support your local law enforcement agency by supporting them through the annual budget process.  When budgets are tight do we really want less enforcement?  It is important that community members let their city councils and county boards know that they want and need enforcement on the ground – it could be you answering the phone and your daughter saying “the car”.

Simera Reynolds, M.Ed.

 

Forward From the President

Today, I will take a break and make sure that everyone has a chance to read the response from MADD regarding The Washington Times editorial on Friday, April 24, 2009.

Back again Tuesday –  Until then Stay Safe!

The Washington Times

MADD National President, Luara Dean-Mooney

May 1, 2009

 Commentary:

 In response to “MADD about regulation,” let me be clear–MADD does not support lower blood alcohol concentration (BAC) levels for the general public and does support ignition interlocks and checkpoints for good reason:  they save lives and prevent needless injuries due to drunk driving. 

 The illegal BAC for the general public is .08 because that is the level everyone has been found to be impaired behind the wheel of a vehicle.  The .04 level seems to be getting some limited play in certain media because some segments of the alcohol industry, as well others intent on arguing fiction versus facts, want America to believe that MADD aims for no alcohol use.  That is not true.  It appears that the only way in these tough economic times these groups can try and protect profit and politics is to attack a victim-centered, mother and father-driven, child and family protecting organization that literally put drunk driving on the map.  Unfortunately for us the map is a lot more crowded than it used to be.  We support responsible drinking by those 21 and older and believe the safest choice is to never drive after drinking.  That doesn’t mean you’ll likely be arrested after one or two drinks, but it is the safest choice.

MADD is hurting too during these tough economic times.  We understand protecting jobs.  We employ people too.  With drunk driving sometimes being perceived as a “solved problem,” we are working diligently to let the public know it is not solved when nearly 13,000 people die in the U.S. and over a half million are injured in crashes involving alcohol. .

 MADD is nearly 30 years old–old enough to be wise, still young enough to be working hard to improve the quality of life for all Americans.  We have helped save more than 330,000 lives since 1980.  We served more than 50,000 victims/survivors last year at no charge to them and our efforts are leading to safer roads.  We hope MADD’s supporters, won’t be misinformed by those that do not check their facts.  If naysayers would focus all of their energies into supporting the best tools available to combat drunk driving—ignition interlocks for convicted drunk drivers (not all drivers) and sobriety checkpoints, we would see lives saved and  injuries prevented due to drunk driving. 

 Laura Dean-Mooney

MADD National President