Never Forget

(The above picture is of Amit's wife, Deepika, at the children's hospital, where her child now fights for his life).

As this year comes to a close, I look back on 2008 and it makes me sad, angry, regretful, and not quite at a loss for words. Amit Tandon was not the only unfortunate victim of someone else's selfish choices or a judges actions in a travesty of justice...he is one of many...too many...

How many more people have to die? How many more families must suffer this grief? How many more wives, husbands, children, parents, friends, and so on must see their loved ones die and the perpatrators of such crimes essentially go free?

How can a judge, or anyone, in their right mind or heart believe that justice is served when a murderer gets minimal time in jail, if at all, probation, and only loses their driver's license for a year? Where is the punishment? Where is the justice? How many more have to die? Does it take someone famous? Someone in power? the loved one of a judge or legislator? When will the punishment fit the crime? When will the punishment be a deterrant to the behavior? because obviously a moral barometer doesn't work, the punishment does not deter, doing the right thing takes too much time or is inconvenient...What will it take?

I am just one person and my words are just that, words...Troy Hovey and all the other murderers like him continue to kill and walk away (yes, I said murderer...Hovey and the others like him, made choices, choices that resulted in death...not an accident, not an icy spot on the road, not swerving to miss a deer, choices...The choice, to drink and to drive and kill)...Judges continue to allow this to happen...Legislators turn a blind eye to the need for change...and I just don't know what to do anymore...what can we do to make a difference? I talk of taking action but I just don't know what to do. It is an empty false hope to believe that people can make the right choice on their own, for as much as so many people do do the right thing, it only takes one person and one selfish choice, to tear a life from this world and leave a family in grief.

We try to be good, to not wish ill will...but people like Troy Hovey and Judge Glusman, and all the others out there that walk that same path, make that very difficult...we continue to try and move beyond that anger and hurt...it will take a great deal of time...for some...a lifetime...