I just wanted to thank all of you for your kindness.
One of the issues we have really struggled with is getting people to understand what happened. All of the initial news reports stated the most obvious fact: My son ran across the street and wasn't in a crosswalk.
It was a HUGE story here (the accident happened one week before Christmas). It took 6 weeks, a lawyer and a round of media interviews explaining that the school administration was stonewalling us before enough pressure was applied to the Superintendent to defy the lawyers and tell us what happened that day.
By that time, the story was old news. Everyone thought they knew what happened. As a result, very little has changed, because my husband and I are the only people who think changes need to be made.
How do we tell our story without coming off as the lunatic grieving parents who want to blame everyone BUT their kid?
So, I'm noisy whenever I think I might be able to effect change in individuals. Thank you for allowing me the opportunity.
I'm so sorry for your loss. You made very good points in your story that I hope make people stop and think. It goes along with one of my earlier posts. When you are in charge of children you must assess the potential risks. It doesn't make you a lunatic, it makes you the person with common sense who is trying to avoid a tragedy. Yes, we want our children to become independent, however, we should allow them to do so in safe environments since they are still kids and don't make the best decisions. Your story is a great example of how the outcome might have been different (and less tragic) had different decisions been made by the adults.
My heart goes out to your family and all the others with losses who have posted. I can't imagine your pain.