Chaos Ranch
Well-Known Member
My husband and I have 5 kids in our school district. Grades 3, 7. 8. 10, & 11. After Marty's beautiful son was lost to a drunk driver, his story has pulled at us and we wanted to find some way to get involved with the kids. My eldest son did a report at school about drunk driving, and he spoke of Michael and his family and what happened as he knew it. That just didn't seem like enough, even though it was a great effort on his part.
My husband is on our volunteer fire department and he has used that position to do something wonderful. Right this minute there is an inactment of a prom night drunk driving accident being played out for grades 7-12. My husband called many many people to get this set up and going for the kids. He's involved the fire department, an ambulance service, the town's police, the county coroner, an air evac helicopter unit, some of the school's "D.A.R.E." students, and a couple of other students.
The school's policeman (who is also a city cop) took the students into the auditorium and told them some stories, and statistics. Then the students will be lead out to the parking lot where two vehicles have been set up to look like an accident. There are 3 students in one car, (one of which is my son that did the report) and two students in the other car. One student will not make it, some will be severely injured, and the drunk driver will not be hurt, but will be arrested and taken away in a police car. One of the students will be so severe that the air evac team will show up in the hellicopter and load the student, and fly away with them.
It's going to be very realistic, having one mother show up at the scene and react accordingly. I watched my husband make and take so many calls this past month to help set this up. They've had several meetings with all who are involved. It is a great labor of love by many of our local parents, students, civil workers, health care workers, sisters, parents, brothers, and friends. I was going to be one of the parents on scene, but I just could not have managed to keep myself composed enough to do any good. I was going to go as a photographer, but again, I just couldn't bring myself to see it. It makes me want to cry just thinking about it. I know it's all an act, but things like that really get to me.
If this helps even one student, saves even one life, it is very worth the great efforts put forward by so many. Kudos to the school and all the men and women who put this together. I am so lucky to have such a great husband who has a passion in his heart to try to make a difference.
I have been working a little myself to try to make a difference in another way. It pales in compairison to the efforts of so many others to do this accident scene... but to me, it's something my heart is heavily involved in, as a mother of 5 children. I have gotten many reports by my kids that there is sexual activity going on right there IN the school. Students skip classes and meet up in the janitors closet, or the empty locker room, and they do things they really shouldn't be doing. I decided to take a step forward when my 15 year old daughter's boyfriend tried last week to talk her in to having sex with him there at school. She refused. Then he tried to get their friends to talk her into it. Again, she refused. Then he tried to pressure her in to it by shaming her though peer pressure by classmates and his friends. Again, she refused. I am SO very proud of my girl. I told her many times over how proud I was of her and that she did the right thing even though it hurt her, and he broke up with her, then proceded to have everyone calling her a wh**e, and a sl*t and many other horrible things.
The good thing about this is I keep an open communication between my kids and me. We talk about everything and anything. No shame is allowed, no embarassment is allowed. The only requirement is to speak honestly, and ask any questions that pop into your head. My daughter and I had just watched a movie about a month or so ago called "Mom at 16" and the movie not only held her attention, but it had her and me both crying like a baby at the end and she developed a passion to let her friends and classmates know the reality of teenage sex. I sometimes bump heads wtih the school principle, mostly because my second son is a bit of a fighter, and won't take and crap from anyone. So, I had my husband speak to the principle about what happened, and about the movie. He (the principle) googled the movie while my husband was on the phone with him and they are going to purchase it and show it to the students before school lets out for the summer.
Oh, and as far as the young man who humiliated my daughter, he was paid a very scarey visit by my daughter's older brother first thing the next morning. He didn't hurt him at all, but he did put him against the wall and give him a very loud very stern warning about any future contact with his sister. My kids may fuss with one another, but when someone has hurt or threatens to hurt one of their siblings, they tend to rise up together and make sure nothing happens. (which is why the principle and I butt heads sometimes.)
My husband is on our volunteer fire department and he has used that position to do something wonderful. Right this minute there is an inactment of a prom night drunk driving accident being played out for grades 7-12. My husband called many many people to get this set up and going for the kids. He's involved the fire department, an ambulance service, the town's police, the county coroner, an air evac helicopter unit, some of the school's "D.A.R.E." students, and a couple of other students.
The school's policeman (who is also a city cop) took the students into the auditorium and told them some stories, and statistics. Then the students will be lead out to the parking lot where two vehicles have been set up to look like an accident. There are 3 students in one car, (one of which is my son that did the report) and two students in the other car. One student will not make it, some will be severely injured, and the drunk driver will not be hurt, but will be arrested and taken away in a police car. One of the students will be so severe that the air evac team will show up in the hellicopter and load the student, and fly away with them.
It's going to be very realistic, having one mother show up at the scene and react accordingly. I watched my husband make and take so many calls this past month to help set this up. They've had several meetings with all who are involved. It is a great labor of love by many of our local parents, students, civil workers, health care workers, sisters, parents, brothers, and friends. I was going to be one of the parents on scene, but I just could not have managed to keep myself composed enough to do any good. I was going to go as a photographer, but again, I just couldn't bring myself to see it. It makes me want to cry just thinking about it. I know it's all an act, but things like that really get to me.
If this helps even one student, saves even one life, it is very worth the great efforts put forward by so many. Kudos to the school and all the men and women who put this together. I am so lucky to have such a great husband who has a passion in his heart to try to make a difference.
I have been working a little myself to try to make a difference in another way. It pales in compairison to the efforts of so many others to do this accident scene... but to me, it's something my heart is heavily involved in, as a mother of 5 children. I have gotten many reports by my kids that there is sexual activity going on right there IN the school. Students skip classes and meet up in the janitors closet, or the empty locker room, and they do things they really shouldn't be doing. I decided to take a step forward when my 15 year old daughter's boyfriend tried last week to talk her in to having sex with him there at school. She refused. Then he tried to get their friends to talk her into it. Again, she refused. Then he tried to pressure her in to it by shaming her though peer pressure by classmates and his friends. Again, she refused. I am SO very proud of my girl. I told her many times over how proud I was of her and that she did the right thing even though it hurt her, and he broke up with her, then proceded to have everyone calling her a wh**e, and a sl*t and many other horrible things.
The good thing about this is I keep an open communication between my kids and me. We talk about everything and anything. No shame is allowed, no embarassment is allowed. The only requirement is to speak honestly, and ask any questions that pop into your head. My daughter and I had just watched a movie about a month or so ago called "Mom at 16" and the movie not only held her attention, but it had her and me both crying like a baby at the end and she developed a passion to let her friends and classmates know the reality of teenage sex. I sometimes bump heads wtih the school principle, mostly because my second son is a bit of a fighter, and won't take and crap from anyone. So, I had my husband speak to the principle about what happened, and about the movie. He (the principle) googled the movie while my husband was on the phone with him and they are going to purchase it and show it to the students before school lets out for the summer.
Oh, and as far as the young man who humiliated my daughter, he was paid a very scarey visit by my daughter's older brother first thing the next morning. He didn't hurt him at all, but he did put him against the wall and give him a very loud very stern warning about any future contact with his sister. My kids may fuss with one another, but when someone has hurt or threatens to hurt one of their siblings, they tend to rise up together and make sure nothing happens. (which is why the principle and I butt heads sometimes.)
