Since December, several children in North Carolina have been hit by drivers while going to or from a school bus. The numbers I've seen have been between four and seven, one of which ended in a fatality.
Now, as far as I'm concerned, this shouldn't happen ONCE. It's disgraceful - and the excuses I've seen sicken me. "I couldn't see because of the sun" was one of them - and the person driving hit her niece. Thankfully, the kid is okay in that case, mild scrapes and bruises, no major injuries.
But it makes me think we need stricter laws for this. Nobody has the right to put a child in danger - and if they think they do, they need serious mental help. After all, these kids haven't had a chance to live life yet - you never know how they're going to turn out. Maybe they'll be some brilliant scientist, maybe they'll be just some dumb thug - but they at least deserve the chance to make the choices to get them to that point.
I have my own ideas on how this could be handled, though people may disagree with them, but it's become a problem in this state. And though it may not be in the entire U.S., it seems to be a trend here in NC. And what trends in one state has the potential to trend in another.
It's my personal belief that anyone who passes a stopped school bus, and is caught or reported with sufficient witnesses should lose their license, permanently. In all states. And if they get caught driving beyond that point, felony prison time. Obviously, they've shown they cannot be responsible enough to operate a motor vehicle around people, so why should we allow it to continue?
If they hit a child, and the child survives, they should be looking at life in prison. Period. If they kill the child, well. This is one of the few cases I believe the death penalty would be a fair punishment. No, it won't bring the child back, and yes, it deprives them of the time to live with the guilt, but realistically, the time that it takes for them to be processed.. they'll get to live with it for a while.
Yeah, it's extreme. But a child dying because of someone's negligence isn't right. I'll be the first to admit that it's an extreme reaction, especially for a single man with no children. I have a total of six nieces and nephews, and I'll not have someone put them in danger due to their stupidity.
Now, as far as I'm concerned, this shouldn't happen ONCE. It's disgraceful - and the excuses I've seen sicken me. "I couldn't see because of the sun" was one of them - and the person driving hit her niece. Thankfully, the kid is okay in that case, mild scrapes and bruises, no major injuries.
But it makes me think we need stricter laws for this. Nobody has the right to put a child in danger - and if they think they do, they need serious mental help. After all, these kids haven't had a chance to live life yet - you never know how they're going to turn out. Maybe they'll be some brilliant scientist, maybe they'll be just some dumb thug - but they at least deserve the chance to make the choices to get them to that point.
I have my own ideas on how this could be handled, though people may disagree with them, but it's become a problem in this state. And though it may not be in the entire U.S., it seems to be a trend here in NC. And what trends in one state has the potential to trend in another.
It's my personal belief that anyone who passes a stopped school bus, and is caught or reported with sufficient witnesses should lose their license, permanently. In all states. And if they get caught driving beyond that point, felony prison time. Obviously, they've shown they cannot be responsible enough to operate a motor vehicle around people, so why should we allow it to continue?
If they hit a child, and the child survives, they should be looking at life in prison. Period. If they kill the child, well. This is one of the few cases I believe the death penalty would be a fair punishment. No, it won't bring the child back, and yes, it deprives them of the time to live with the guilt, but realistically, the time that it takes for them to be processed.. they'll get to live with it for a while.
Yeah, it's extreme. But a child dying because of someone's negligence isn't right. I'll be the first to admit that it's an extreme reaction, especially for a single man with no children. I have a total of six nieces and nephews, and I'll not have someone put them in danger due to their stupidity.