Open Letter to Mississippi Lawmakers, Gov. Haley Barbour, Mississippi Highway Patrol, Mississippi Drivers License Bureau

Published 11:40 pm Saturday, May 12, 2007

Thelma and I were tremendously blessed this afternoon at 14th Street and 22nd Avenue, as we were able to stop just before plowing into the driver’s side (door) of another vehicle who was heading west on 14th Street. Our car was coming out of 22nd Avenue into 14th Street at the highly, traveled area wherein a “four-way stop sign” is very prominent and offers full view to all motorists at all points. For about 3-4 seconds, I could just feel (and hear) our vehicle crashing into that lady’s door. Yes, we blew our horn with the idea that maybe she might “just get the idea,” that, hey, “I just messed up … I pulled out in front of the other vehicle.” I pray that she did! Citizens, what is happening to our “common horse sense driving?” Many of us seem to drive as if we are the only motorists on the highways, roads, streets and interstates. Apparently, many of us just don’t care. Just let me through … I’m not concerned about you! That seems to be the mode that we are in these days of confusion, uncaring, no respect for our traffic laws; and doing everything else while we are driving, except “safe driving.” We use all kinds of safe driving interruptions from playing with “the kids” to eating fast foods and unnecessary use of our cell phones.

Citizens, if we don’t take stock and get serious about this traffic situation; if we do not (stand up) and tell our state officials as well as county and city, that we want our safety and traffic laws enforced … something besides just “buckling up.” Sirs, the seat belt push is OK, but if you would enforce the other laws that people are breaking first, there would not be many accidents to worry about. Listen up! My wife and I travel to Jackson about three to four times a year to see an eye specialist that I have to see, and we constantly see vehicles pulling in front of us and other vehicles; they never use turn signals of any kind, and yet we never see or hear of any tickets given to these law breakers. Why don’t you put a push on these violations? Why, just “seat belts.” Yes, Mississippi … you have probably got the media eating out of your hands, but we shouldn’t keep “straining gnats and swallowing camels.” I believe, that there are too many not even qualified to drive and probably are many that should not be driving at all, but we go on issuing license to them over and over! What our state should do, is enforce all traffic laws and stop some of this killing and unnecessary “loss of lives” on our highways. Think about it, folks! It is unsafe to drive anywhere these days. All of us need to “pray a lot” and drive with some common horse sense, all the time! God bless all of us!



Carl E. Fitzgerald

Meridian