Take some time to read and think about this

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d.mcknight

5-Year Member
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Jul 22, 2010
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Okay, I thought this would be a good place to talk about this because there are quite a few teenagers and parents of teenagers on this site. This week at my school they are doing something with Every 15 Minutes. If you aren't familiar with the program, here's the link: http://www.every15minutes.com/enter/

Basically what happened at my school today, is every 15 minutes a sound would be played over the loud speaker and someone would be removed from a class, signifying a person dying from a drunk driving accident. There was also a staged accident in front of the school where two seniors "died" as a result. They read their obituaries over the intercom during 5th period. Possibly the weirdest part for me today was one of the girls who "died" sits right in front of me during that class. Even though this was all staged today, I could imagine the impact if it really happened. Our teacher told us in his 10 years as a teacher, he's been to too many graduations with a moment of silence and flowers placed in the seat of a graduate.

In a slightly related note, here's an essay I was told to read recently. Although it isn't directly related to Every 15 Minutes, it has a good message.
http://www.pianet.com/Publications/pleasegodbrochure.htm
 
They did this at my old high school once every few years. I hope it helps teens to not drink and drive. (Or, for that matter, not get drunk!)
 
It's unfortunate this program isn't more widespread. Today was essentially part two of the Every 15 Minutes campaign at my school.

All the juniors and seniors were brought into the gym. They first played the video they made of the events leading up to and the actual "accident" yesterday. It moved a few people but of course there were the few people being jerks and getting all excited when they showed the partying and drinking.

The first speaker after the video was someone who shared her story about her life being changed forever because of a drunk driver. I won't go into detail because there was a lot too it, but it sent the message that by driving drunk you can affect the lives of other people.

The next part is what really hit a lot of people I think. Last night all the students who were pulled out yesterday (the ones who "died") stayed together away from home to write letters to their families. It was basically a letter with what they would say if they had one last chance after they died. The parents of those students also got together and wrote what they would say to their kid if they had one last chance. Some of those were read out loud by those who wrote them. The emotions were real even though the situation was not. I have never seen 1000 teenagers more quiet than they were then. And there were tears even in the audience. I admit, most of the time I was fighting them back.

Like I said, it's unfortunate this program isn't utilized more. The message isn't that you should never drink or that you are a horrible person for doing so, but if you are going to drink, do not even think about getting behind that wheel, because you could forever ruin your life, or someone else's.
 
Outstanding, my school used to have a car totaled in a drunk-driving accident displayed in the student parking lot to serve as an effervescent reminder about our decisions. Luckily drunk-driving has never struck close to home for me, but a friend of my sisters had a full ride soccer scholarship to Duke a few years ago and due to a bad decision one night after a party put his car through someone else living room and threw it all away.
 
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