Looking For Glimmers Of Hope In Tragedy
November 3, 2018 at 3:41 a.m.
By Gary [email protected]
It’s the nature of humanity.
When you put humans in control of large machines, there will always be the potential for tragedy.
People make mistakes. People have lapses in judgment. People get distracted.
All of us have.
But fortunately, only a tiny fraction of us have ever caused the kind of tragedy that happened last week when a pickup truck struck and killed three kids trying to board a school bus.
Who among us hasn’t looked up at the last minute to see a car braking in front of us, jammed on our brakes and swerved to avoid a collision?
I watched as social media displayed its vile side this week. Keyboard warriors from around the nation vilified the driver on her Facebook page – calling for the death penalty, or worse. Finally, mercifully, the page was deactivated.
I don’t know the driver. But what little I do know about her tells me she had no ill intent the morning this tragedy occurred.
She made a terrible mistake, nonetheless. And she will pay dearly for it, both through the judicial process and through the deep emotional scars she will carry the rest of her life.
On the other side of this tragedy is a family that has suffered an unimaginable loss. There is little anyone can do to ease their pain.
In the aftermath, we see schools re-evaluating bus routes. We see police departments ramping up enforcement. There likely will be a new law or two passed in a future legislative session. There might be new safety equipment installed on school buses.
All of this is worthwhile, but I am afraid that no matter what we do, nothing can fully protect us from the hand of fate.
I can’t make sense of things like this, but I always try to find glimmers of hope and positivity afterward.
One such glimmer in this case is being provided by Warsaw signmaker Ed Roberts, of Roberts Signs Inc.
Roberts said he was approached by his friends Hilary Kiser and Ashley Vervaet about making signs that could be posted in neighborhoods. The signs would alert drivers to children in the neighborhood and urge caution.
Roberts liked the idea.
None of them know the family involved, but they all agreed they wanted to do something to help.
“We thought it was a great idea," Roberts. "We said we would make them at our cost and anything above that would go to the family.”
Roberts is making bright yellow corrugated plastic signs with black lettering on both sides.
The signs have the word “Slow” in large letters with the words “Kid Zone” underneath.
At the bottom, the sign includes the phrase “In loving memory of: Xzavier, Mason and Alivia 10.30.18.”
The signs, available for $15, include the wire stakes needed to display them in your yard. Cost to make a sign is $5, so $10 from every sign goes to the family.
When I talked to Roberts on Friday, nearly 190 signs had been sold, including some to Michigan, Illinois, Connecticut, Florida and California.
To order your sign, call 574-267-2068 or email [email protected].
Signs will be available as long as there is demand, Roberts said.
You can help a family suffering a grave loss and raise safety awareness for the kids in your neighborhood.
It’s a true win-win.
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It’s the nature of humanity.
When you put humans in control of large machines, there will always be the potential for tragedy.
People make mistakes. People have lapses in judgment. People get distracted.
All of us have.
But fortunately, only a tiny fraction of us have ever caused the kind of tragedy that happened last week when a pickup truck struck and killed three kids trying to board a school bus.
Who among us hasn’t looked up at the last minute to see a car braking in front of us, jammed on our brakes and swerved to avoid a collision?
I watched as social media displayed its vile side this week. Keyboard warriors from around the nation vilified the driver on her Facebook page – calling for the death penalty, or worse. Finally, mercifully, the page was deactivated.
I don’t know the driver. But what little I do know about her tells me she had no ill intent the morning this tragedy occurred.
She made a terrible mistake, nonetheless. And she will pay dearly for it, both through the judicial process and through the deep emotional scars she will carry the rest of her life.
On the other side of this tragedy is a family that has suffered an unimaginable loss. There is little anyone can do to ease their pain.
In the aftermath, we see schools re-evaluating bus routes. We see police departments ramping up enforcement. There likely will be a new law or two passed in a future legislative session. There might be new safety equipment installed on school buses.
All of this is worthwhile, but I am afraid that no matter what we do, nothing can fully protect us from the hand of fate.
I can’t make sense of things like this, but I always try to find glimmers of hope and positivity afterward.
One such glimmer in this case is being provided by Warsaw signmaker Ed Roberts, of Roberts Signs Inc.
Roberts said he was approached by his friends Hilary Kiser and Ashley Vervaet about making signs that could be posted in neighborhoods. The signs would alert drivers to children in the neighborhood and urge caution.
Roberts liked the idea.
None of them know the family involved, but they all agreed they wanted to do something to help.
“We thought it was a great idea," Roberts. "We said we would make them at our cost and anything above that would go to the family.”
Roberts is making bright yellow corrugated plastic signs with black lettering on both sides.
The signs have the word “Slow” in large letters with the words “Kid Zone” underneath.
At the bottom, the sign includes the phrase “In loving memory of: Xzavier, Mason and Alivia 10.30.18.”
The signs, available for $15, include the wire stakes needed to display them in your yard. Cost to make a sign is $5, so $10 from every sign goes to the family.
When I talked to Roberts on Friday, nearly 190 signs had been sold, including some to Michigan, Illinois, Connecticut, Florida and California.
To order your sign, call 574-267-2068 or email [email protected].
Signs will be available as long as there is demand, Roberts said.
You can help a family suffering a grave loss and raise safety awareness for the kids in your neighborhood.
It’s a true win-win.
Have a news tip? Email [email protected] or Call/Text 360-922-3092