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Page 4 THE REVERE ADVOCATE – FRiDAy, NOVEmbER 18, 2022 ~ LETTER TO THE EDITOR ~ Dear Editor, Motorists are illegally passing stopped school buses at epidemic levels. 41.8 million violations throughout a 180-day school year, in fact. According to the 2022 survey conducted by the National Association of State Directors of Pupil Transportation Services, America’s motoring public are illegally passing school buses at “epidemic levels.” Four Massachusetts children were struck by motorists who failed to stop for the bus in 2014, 2021 & 2022. Violations are increasing at an alarmingly rapid rate and motorists are not only endangering the lives of children, they are getting away with it. It’s the law to stop for a school bus on both sides of the road when the red lights are fl ashing. When the yellow lights fl ash, drivers need to slow down and prepare to stop. Red fl ashing lights and the extended stop sign indicate the school bus has stopped to let students on or off . This is one of the fi rst rules of the road we learn in driving school. Children are taught and should be able to expect that cars will stop for them so they can safely get on or off the bus and also cross the street. This is my child’s fi rst year taking the bus. I had no idea motorists were ignoring this law until I saw it for myself. I did some research and realized that unless you are driving a school bus, or actively involved in combating the problem, people have no idea how bad the situation is. I also discovered there are multiple bills “concerning the safety of school children embarking and disembarking school buses” that can be found on MAlegislature.gov and that for 11 years, the Massachusetts State Legislature has failed to pass a bill that will authorize the use of a camera system to capture live video imaging of vehicles illegally passing the school bus and would therefore enforce the law by issuing a citation in the mail. I’ve been researching this “bus stop-arm camera” program and learned that technology companies can provide the cameras and implement the program with no up-front cost to the state. Some are also fi nding that this type of video monitoring not only enforces the law but also reduces the number of repeat off enses by 98%. (STREETSBLOG 9/13/22). “At least 24 states have school bus stop-arm camera laws,” says the National Conference of State Legislatures. Technology exists, our lawmakers are aware of the problem, they can amend existing laws to work around any obstacle and yet they continue to kick this can down the road. I’ve heard privacy is a concern. Since when does the privacy of someone endangering children’s lives outweigh protecting them? I’ve been told that it takes a long time to pass a bill. While the clock is ticking, kids are getting hit by cars and drivers are getting worse. How many kids need to get hurt or killed before anything is done? Why isn’t there a massive “Stop for the bus” or “Don’t hit a kid” awareness campaign from the state? Is “minding the plows” more important than our children? Bus companies welcome the technology. Mark Healey, owner of Healey Bus Company says, “Keeping the kids safe is our number one priority. Every day we talk to our drivers about safety, we provide safety education classes regularly and we are doing everything that we are supposed to be doing to keep the children safe, but we need the public to do their part too.” This mom is doing her part. I am making some noise and talking to anyone who will listen. I also started an online petition urging the MA Legislature to pass the School Bus Stop-Arm Camera bill into law. This is a no-brainer folks – put the cameras on the outside of the buses, issue citations and reduce the number of repeat violations – all with no upfront costs to the state and taxpayers – to save kids’ lives. To support this initiative, please visit https://www.change.org/stopschoolbuspassing To voice your support, call the leader in your district and urge them to pass the School Bus Stop-Arm Camera law. Their information can be found on https://malegislature.gov/Legislators/Leadership. Maria Scheri Peabody, MA ~ THINKING OUT LOUD ~ What Veterans Day Should Mean To All Of Us By Sal Giarratani L ast week I celebrated my 56th anniversary of my enlistment soon after high school graduation with the United States Air Force. I remember November 16, 1966, like it was both yesterday and a million years ago. I was just a kid from Roxbury who joined up with a lot of other kids to do our duty and in my case avoid the draft. I like making my own choices. Did then and still do today. I graduated from the English High School of Boston on Avenue Louis Pasteur over in the Fens across the way from Boston Latin School. Back then, students still were required to take military science class and do drill. Once a week, we all traveled to school on the bus looking like the lost battalion in our World War II khakis. A few months after graduation, however, I was sitting in a real barrack in a real uniform. This time blue. I was no longer in the English Army but the real Air Force down in Lackland AFB outside San Antonio, Texas. All of a sudden, I was in the real military with a war going on halfway round the world in a place called Nam. I had older friends already over there and others who would eventually get there, too. As bad as the world looks today, it seemed that much worse back then when you were four years out of St. Francis de Sales Grammar School in Roxbury. I ended up very lucky like one of my Irish uncles, my uncle Joe Harrington. He enlisted in the Navy a few days after Pearl Harbor. He was deployed to the San Juan Navy Yard, where he did his whole wartime tour. He even met his future wife there, got married, raised four kids and called Puerto Rico his new home following the War. The only action he ever saw was on Saturday nights, as he once told me, and he once told me that World War II was the best thing that ever happened to him. I must have gotten my Uncle Joe’s good genes because I spent my time in the air force and never stepped foot out of Texas. In the 56 years since I fi nished my service, I have continued to be as active as possible when it comes to supporting military veterans. Today, I am a member of the DAV in Boston over in Dorchester, a member of the ITAM Post in East Boston and the Abraham Lincoln GAR Post 11 in Charlestown. I also work with the Veterans Voice Network here on the South Shore, helping to ensure that our older vets are getting enough food to eat, and volunteer down a monthly food distribution program put on by the Veterans Voice and WATD and WMEX in Marshfi eld. When I think of Veterans Day, I think of all those Pearl Harbor survivors I knew as a kid. I think of a World War I veteran who also rode with Teddy Roosevelt as a Rough Rider up San Juan Hill. I think of a good friend of mine who is still with us today, Col. Enoch “Woody” Woodhouse [retired]), a member of the Tuskegee Airmen unit during World War II. I also remember my great friend from Revere by the name of Morris Morris who passed away a few years ago. He never stopped working for veterans and he loved his country and praised all who served in both peacetime and in war. This Friday I plan to be marching in the City of Quincy’s Annual Veterans Parade as usual with many of my friends. All I ever ask for is that everyone else doesn’t forget how important this holiday is and turn out for the parade to thank all those who stood up for us all and to keep America free. I will be marching for as long as I can because I will not forget all the sacrifi ces made over America’s lifetime.

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