Brush with death
[Quote:]
Many juniors and seniors were driven to tears – a few to near hysterics – May 26 when a uniformed police officer arrived in several classrooms to notify them that a fellow student had been killed in a drunken-driving accident.
The officer read a brief eulogy, placed a rose on the deceased student’s seat, then left the class members to process their thoughts and emotions for the next hour.
The program, titled “Every 15 Minutes,” was designed by Mothers Against Drunk Driving. Its title refers to the frequency in which a person somewhere in the country dies in an alcohol-related traffic accident.
About 10 a.m., students were called to the athletic stadium, where they learned that their classmates had not died. There, a group of seniors, police officers and firefighters staged a startlingly realistic alcohol-induced fatal car crash. The students who had purportedly died portrayed ghostly apparitions encircling the scene.
[..]
“I want them to be an emotional wreck. I don’t want them to have to live through this for real.”
In other words, child abuse is a good method to prevent drunk driving, and lying and cheating are acceptable to promote your cause. What’s wrong with these people?
June 2nd, 2008 at 15:41
Nothing is wrong. You can rule through fear. If you make people afraid of life, you won.
June 2nd, 2008 at 15:43
And that’s what you call terrorism. In fact, the teachers, the police officers, the firefighters who participated in this are all terrorists, in the truest, most original sense of the word.
*I hate touchpads*
June 3rd, 2008 at 1:37
There was a very similar program done at my daughter’s high school (approx 2,500 students) about two months ago. This is a relatively well-to-do school district near Valley Forge outside Philadelphia, PA, USA. This was organized by one of my daughter’s friends as her Senior Project, and as far as I know MADD had nothing to do with it. There was significant participation by the local police, fire, and emergency services personnel. The entire project was reviewed and approved ahead of time by all the appropriate school district and local government authorities.
It started with a general announcement that two students had been in an accident, which was staged in the school parking lot. Two previously wrecked vehicles had been brought in, placed as if there had been an actual collision, and local emergency personnel used the “jaws of life” to extricate the two bloody “victims.” A helicopter landed on the football field and they were medevac’d out. All of this was broadcast live through the school’s CCTV system. Everything was shown in real-time as realistically as possible. As the day progressed, there were reports broadcast as the “victims” made it to the hospital and went into surgery, including videotaped segments including both victims’ real parents, acting appropriately distraught. The surviving victim came back before the end of the day bandaged and on crutches. The distraught “dead” victim’s family announced the date of the viewing and funeral.
At least in this case, everyone in the school had a general idea of the plotline before it happened. Even so, there was a lot of crying and emotional impact.
From what I have heard through various student, faculty, and other parents, this was a very successful program. Most of these kids (like I said, suburban and relatively well-to-do) have never seen something like this. Philadelphia kids are much more familiar with death, since Philadelphia averages one gunshot killing every day. This is not to say that our kids do not know death at all, but those are mostly old people or strangers. This was immediate and personal, because it happened to their friends.
It made a big impact, which the Chief of Police verified to me over Memorial Day weekend. He said that this was the first year in memory that there were no local high school kids involved in a serious traffic accident after the Prom. In fact, he had not had to stop any local students for anything more serious than playing rap music at high volume since this educational exercise. (He understood this would not last forever, but he was enjoying it for the time being.)
Real terrorism is something completely different.
June 3rd, 2008 at 20:08
Yes, that’s what the Communist leaders told.
When you see the light, and accept the rule of terror. Now, that is something. That’s an achievement. Just ask Stalin.
June 3rd, 2008 at 21:42
And just one more thing before anyone starts to say it’s a marvelous idea.
I have lost two classmates when I was in elementary school. The feeling is not something I wish to anyone.
This thing. Is. Pure. Evil.