Traffic fatalities
Dear Annie: Ten years ago, when my oldest grandson turned 16 and started driving, I cut out a column about a 17-year-old boy telling of his death in a car accident. I gave that column to our grandson, who taped it to the door of his closet where he read it every day to remind him he wasn't indestructible. Our grandson has since married, has a little boy of his own and is studying to be a policeman.
We live in West Michigan, and there have been several teenage deaths where speed was the culprit. I feel so bad for those parents and grandparents who will not see their children grow up. I would appreciate it if you could print that column again. -- Gram of Five, Greatgram of Five
Dear Gram: Here it is -- one of the most requested columns we have printed: Dead at Seventeen by John Berrio
Agony claws my mind. I am a statistic. When I first got here I felt very much alone. I was overwhelmed by grief, and I expected to find sympathy. I found no sympathy. I saw only thousands of others whose bodies were as badly mangled as mine. I was given a number and placed in a category. The category was called "Traffic Fatalities."
The day I died was an ordinary school day. How I wish I had taken the bus! But I was too cool for the bus. I remember how I wheedled the car out of Mom. "Special favor," I pleaded. "All the kids drive." When the 2:50 p.m. bell rang, I threw my books in the locker ... free until tomorrow morning! I ran to the parking lot, excited at the thought of driving a car and being my own boss.
It doesn't matter how the accident happened. I was goofing off -- going too fast, taking crazy chances. But I was enjoying my freedom and having fun. The last thingI remember was passing an old lady who seemed to be going awfully slow. I heard a crash and felt a terrific jolt. Glass and steel flew everywhere. My whole body seemed to be turning inside out. I heard myself scream.
Suddenly, I awakened. It was very quiet. A police officer was standing over me. I saw a doctor. My body was mangled. I was saturated with blood. Pieces of jagged glass were sticking out all over. Strange that I couldn't feel anything. Hey, don't pull that sheet over my head. I can't be dead. I'm only 17. I've got a date tonight. I'm supposed to have a wonderful life ahead of me. I haven't lived yet. I can't be dead.
Later I was placed in a drawer. My folks came to identify me. Why did they have to see me like this? Why did I have to look at Mom's eyes when she faced the most terrible ordeal of her life? Dad suddenly looked very old. He told the man in charge, "Yes, he's our son."
The funeral was weird. I saw all my relatives and friends walk toward the casket. They looked at me with the saddest eyes I've ever seen. Some of my buddies were crying. A few of the girls touched my hand and sobbed as they walked by.
Please somebody -- wake me up! Get me out of here. I can't bear to see Mom and Dad in such pain. My grandparents are so weak from grief they can barely walk. My brother and sister are like zombies. They move like robots. In a daze. Everybody. No one can believe this. I can't believe it, either.
Please, don't bury me! I'm not dead! I have a lot of living to do! I want to laugh and run again. I want to sing and dance. Please don't put me in the ground! I promise if you give me just one more chance, God, I'll be the most careful driver in the whole world. All I want is one more chance. Please, God, I'm only 17.
2008.03.01
Deporting HIV-infected foreigner could violate human rights: panel
The National Human Rights Commission said yesterday that the immigration office's order that an HIV-infected Korean-Chinese must leave the country could violate his basic rights. The commission last week submitted its opinion to the Seoul Administrative Court, which will rule on his petition against the order.
"The HIV virus is not transmissible through normal contact. Living together with his family members here, the plaintiff can get active and voluntary treatment, meaning that the possibility of HIV infection by him is extremely low," the human rights watchdog said in a statement.
"Because of the situation in China - where such people are quarantined, and only rudimentary human rights protection exists for HIV patients - deporting him could adversely affect his health and life. By international human rights standards, such an order is excessive."
The ethnic Korean, surnamed Huh, filed a suit with the court last spring following the May 4 order by the immigration office. The court ruling is due on March 13. Huh was invited to Korea by his mother last year. He had a check-up at a local hospital, was found to be HIV-positive, and was subsequently reported to the authorities.
The human rights commission discovered the case during its routine monitoring of possible rights violations. By law, the commission can issue its opinion to a court whenever the judiciary deals with a case that could have a "grave" impact on human rights protection and advancement.
Immigration authorities issue the deportation order to foreigners with certain contagious diseases, those who are addicted to drugs, or have other problems which could jeopardize public health. 2008.03.0