A tremendous act of compassion

Some deep thinking has been going on, and its helping.

Last week, many local professionals in law enforcement, emergency medicine, and other first responders, — the folks who have to live with the possible trauma of a car crash to which they only responded to help — took time to show every local high school student just what happens in a crash. Many of them worked for weeks or months in preparation and planning.

Teenagers as a group are far more likely to be involved in car crashes, and this area has too often seen the worst side of those statistics.

So, folks who work at the Colville Tribal Police and other departments put on the “mock crash” scene last Thursday to try to do something to help kids see the reality of their own vulnerability, something their age doesn’t usually allow, almost by definition.

Even if some of them put on a cool, skeptical face during the exercise, it had to register. Maybe they were a little shocked at the realistic makeup on their friends, or interested in the methods and procedures of the responders, or surprised by how long it took for help to arrive.

Or maybe they couldn’t help but feel a visceral reaction to the sights and sounds of human suffering, by their friends.

It’s just not possible the exercise didn’t have an effect on every one of them, because no matter what their reaction was, the fact is they know that a lot of people went to a lot of trouble, time and care to make a very important point: Life is precious and fragile, and when you’re driving, it can be wiped out before you can blink if you lose focus.

Thanks to all those involved for making the point. There’s a thank you ad on page 7 that lists them.

Scott Hunter

editor and publisher