The Lounge - CodeProject

First Prev Next

Of This Day In 1979...

Roger Wright15-Dec-14 19:58

Roger Wright

15-Dec-14 19:58

There died a young man of 22, on his way from Christmas shopping in Oceanside, CA, to meet with friends at church in Fallbrook. On his way home he was murdered by a 50-something, career drunk leaving the bar plastered, as he had every night of his worthless life for 30 years. Kevin McDonald Wright was my only sibling, and after a short lifetime together fighting as brothers often do, was just becoming my best friend. His little truck was wrapped around a power pole and filled with crushed presents and bloody pulp; his killer's truck was filled with empty beer cans. While the murderer was in jail awaiting trial, the police received a number of anonymous calls begging the cops to arrange an accident for him, as he'd left a trail of destruction throughout his career of Olympic-class drinking. When he came to trial, he was sentenced to one year in County jail, and that was suspended because he promised to do better.

My mother has never recovered - she still leaps to the window when a little truck trolls down her street, in the hope that it's Kevin coming home. Dad went to his grave crying himself to sleep in this season. Tonight I type almost unable to see the screen for eyes swollen almost shut from crying; I apologize for the typos. One thoughtless, selfish drunken a**hole turned a season of joy and celebration into an enduring nightmare to be survived for not only my family, but the hundreds of others who cared enough about Kevin to attend his funeral - over 400 filled cars when I lost count, at a small, country church. Our family is Protestant, but the local Catholic church held a Mass for Kevin - unheard of in those days.

I've done my share of stupid drinking, even collected a DUI conviction for which I spent a bit of time in jail, which I richly deserved. I'm ashamed that I didn't stop drinking when Kevin was killed, but it's really not that drinking is a bad thing. It's not - as Ben Franklin said, God made beer for Man's happiness (I paraphrase a bit). But engaging in risky behavior while under the influence of alcohol, or any other mind-altering substance, is just, plain irresponsible. I have been guilty of that, and I'm eternally grateful to the Almighty that I hurt no one along the way to my learning.

I post this not in pursuit of sympathy; I deal with my loss in my way, and I endanger no one else ever again. I post it to beg all of you to think hard, in this season of celebration, about your alternatives when you go out to celebrate. By all means, go have fun! Our Savior drank His fair share of wine, and if He'd had access to brandy, I'm sure He would have enjoyed that, as well. But after a night of drinking, I'm sure he would have laid Himself down to sleep, or hired a mulester to get him home safely.

In this season when we celebrate our Savior's birth, we have every reason to have fun - after all, He interceded with our Father to erase all of our sins, and that's thirsty work. Drink up and enjoy! But, please, take a cab, or take a room wherever you're drinking, or sleep in the truck in the parking lot if you can do so without being arrested. I've done that.

Above all, enjoy this season of celebration of our Savior's birth, and try not to kill anybody who doesn't deserve to die. I'd really like to see you all on the other side of this awful holiday, alive and well and not in jail.

Will Rogers never met me.

Welcome to the Lounge

“That which can be asserted without evidence, can be dismissed without evidence.”