Texting and Driving Kills

The Artist

 

Three years since that fateful day,

The atmosphere is a cold, lifeless gray,

The town talks about an artist that left a masterpiece,

But they do not want to give their expertise.

 

Four years since that horrible moment,

She was taken down by her fierce opponent.

The town talks sadly about a young chef;

A recipe for disaster is what she had left.

 

Five years since that dreaded hour,

The town talks about her as a beautiful flower.

They remember a composer that was taken too soon,

But there’s one idea  they don’t acknowledge: the orchestra was in tune.

 

A tragedy, a tragedy is what they say,

She was so wonderful in every way,

She was a hero in their eyes,

As big as a star in the night sky.

 

 

When it had happened, the town was shocked,

They were frozen solid; their mouths locked.

“But she was a hero!” Everyone had shouted,

Before the truth hit their minds and her actions were doubted.

 

She was a hero, that’s for sure,

But there was a flaw she chose to endure.

No one had wanted to hear the truth:

That she was responsible for the catastrophe produced.

 

The artist with her masterpiece,

She created such a centerpiece,

The crunched metal and broken glass,

had taken her out of the small town's grasp.

 

The chef with her perfect recipe,

She thought her flaw was a necessity.

It was an addiction she had to feed;

Sending that text was such a need.

 

The composer of her own tragic tune,

The melodies that ended that afternoon,

The people still wonder to this very day,

Why she had to go this way?

 

She became a local celebrity,

Wearing a golden crown of infamy,

Her castle lying under the ground,

Getting several visitors from all over town.

 

A tragedy, a tragedy is what they say,

She was so wonderful in every way,

She was a hero in their eyes,

As big as a star in the night sky.

 

 

 

 

Jorden Falker

Early College High School

2050 Hwy. 501 E. Conway, SC 29526

(843)-349-3131

jfalker16@gmail.com

 

Letter to the Editor

The Sun News
P.O. Box 406,
Myrtle Beach, SC 29578

 

Dear Editor –in-chief:

Lately there has been an issue with texting and driving in America.  It seems that people who text while they drive are unaware of the consequences, or they just think that the consequences won’t apply to them.  I feel that when people text and drive; they put themselves in much more danger than they put others in.  Some might argue that others are put into more danger, but I think it’s the person that chooses to text and drive that is most at risk.

People who choose to text and drive are making a horrible decision.  Texting and driving is like driving with your eyes closed.  Most people wouldn’t even think about closing their eyes while driving, but they think it’s okay to text while doing so.

I appreciate you taking the time to read this letter.

Sincerely,

Jorden Falker

Jorden Falker

English II – Block I

Ms. McKoy

11 September 2013

Is Any Text Worth It?

            Imagine yourself driving down a street; there are runners training for the next marathon, people taking their dogs to the dog park, and kids playing kickball peacefully in the field to your right.  You notice all of this because you’re driving with no distractions.  Now imagine you get a text that you think you can reply to quickly with three simple words, your attention is now focused on answering that text and not the scene around you.  You’re so caught up in answering that message that you do not notice that the runners are crossing on the crosswalk that you are supposed to stop at.  You do not notice that the dog somehow managed to get away from its owner and is running right into the middle of the street.  You do not notice that the kickball was kicked into the road and a child is chasing after it, not paying attention to cars.  Three things that are very important to notice, but you did not see them because you were texting.  You could have ruined someone’s life while answering that text, but you did not.  What about next time?  You got away with it once, so you could do it again, right? Wrong.  Now picture yourself texting and driving again, but instead of almost harming others you are only harming yourself.  You do not see the tree that you are about to run into or that you are headed straight for oncoming traffic.  Texting while driving is like driving with your eyes closed.  It is not a matter of if you will get into an accident because of it; it is a matter of when.  When will you hit something? When will you kill someone?  When will your luck run out?

            Although I have not ever texted while I was driving, I know several people who have before and still continue to do so.  I’ve been in the car with them before and I felt anything but safe.  When I told these people to stop texting while they were driving, I got all sorts of silly replies and responses like “Look! I can still see!” and “No one’s going to get hurt because of it.”  My favorite response would be “Jorden, I’m still in the lines, relax.”  That might have helped me relax if it weren’t for the fact that we WERE NOT staying in the lines.  Like I have said before, texting while driving is like driving with your eyes closed.  You would never close your eyes while driving, right?  When you text and drive, you are doing the same thing basically.

            I have learned multiple things while conducting my research on texting while driving.  During my research, I came across an article that I not only did it immediately catch my eye, but I found the facts shocking.  According to the article “Word to Youth:  Texting, Driving Don’t Mix”, “In 2008, 5,870 people died and more than a half-million were hurt in crashes involving a distracted or inattentive driver.”  Mariah West was a teenager killed in a car crash the night before graduation because she was texting and driving.  She was on her way to a baseball game while texting the player that invited her when she lost control of her car.  She was partially ejected and her skull was crushed.  The message she died over: “Where U At.” Mariah is not the only one; John Bradley Breen was a young marine and father.  He was home on leave while he was texting and driving.  He was replying “Yeah T-.” when he lost control of his truck and was ejected 200 feet. 

            The facts have been stated.  Texting and driving will kill people.  The question is who?  Who does it kill?  Who does this issue affect more?  You or others?  It’s true that both groups of people are killed from this, but I feel that you are more affected by this.  You can run into the back of cars, into objects like trees and walls, and into oncoming traffic.  Even if you don’t run into those things, you can run over other people and possibly kill them because you weren’t paying attention.  Imagine having to live with the fact that you killed someone because you were too preoccupied texting to notice them.  It seems pretty horrible, doesn’t it?