You know, I long wondered why, aside from the obvious reasons, the Ted Kennedy incident always bothered me. As I waded through their stupid rationalizations just now(ie he didn't know how to get someone out of the car) it finally hit me! I had two friends go over a canal in their car back in the late 80's. High school girls and the one driving was newly licensed. She misjudged the length of the road and was going way too fast. The road curves sharply at the entrance to the Marina(Black Point Marina). In they went.
BOTH girls hit their heads and it was pitch black outside. One friend got out and came to the top. She assumed at first Adrienne was going to do the same in the panic. She did not see her. B swam to the shore and pulled herself out of the canal(a feat down in Florida where the banks can be steep).
Now, back in those days, there wasn't much around the marina. It was 2 or 3 miles of the same road they just road in on. My friend B didn't know how to get our friend out either and she really didn't know if Ad was still down there. It was nighttime after all. But, B walked as many of those miles back as it took and found the first house and had police respond to the car as quickly as she could(this was pre-cellphone days too folks).
Adrienne did not make it. She had a head injury that had knocked her out and eventually took in water. She was able to be rescuscitated but had essentially lost brain function by that point. Her family got their daughter for several hours from what I understand to say goodbye. The point is if a SIXTEEN year old girl can do the right thing, even injured, then so can a drunk grown man.
Her friend is on my friend's list still on facebook. The one who bravely walked back to get help with a head injury. She served, btw, honorably in the military following all of this.
Adrienne has a youth center named in her honor at the same Episcopal church that we heard her eulogy at and her family were members of. RIP friend. Sweetest, goofiest, lovable girl ever. I miss her!
I hate the dummies, I really hate them.