The pictures were all stacked neatly and bound together with a rubber band. Sitting at the cafeteria table he pulls them from his backpack and hands them to her. That he says, is what is left of my truck. She stares dumbfounded at the twisted heap of green metal. All that is recognizable is the bed and the Sierra logo on the back of the tailgate. Looking up at him she tells him how lucky he is to be alive. She asks, “What did you hit?” His gaze will not meet hers. Those dazzling green eyes to ashamed. He reluctantly replies “a fence, a gas meter, and a tree about four feet in diameter.”

Teenagers, alcohol, driving, and drugs don't mix. Why is it that teenagers are willing to risk their lives and the lives of others just to have a night of “fun?” Peer pressure and the the invincibility teens feel contribute to drinking and driving. Sometimes it takes a near death encounter or a close friends huge mistakes to open a young adults eyes. No matter how much you drink you're not safe to drive. No matter how good you feel after swallowing a couple of Xanex, you're not safe to drive. No matter if you only took one hit from the blunt or ten you still are not capable of driving safely.

A young adults mind is already so crowded with the latest gossip, advertisement, music, and their own random thoughts that adding the confusion of alcohol or drugs is an overload for the brain. So why is it that parents have seemed to relaxed the grip on their youngsters? Why do teens only receive community service or just have to call a parent when found at a party or driving? My friend not only did not go to court for his wreck, but he still has his license. No matter how much I care about him I still find this unjust.

In first grade one of my classmates was killed by a drunk driver. As a first grader I was not fully aware of the circumstances for her death. I couldn't fathom why someone would intentionally run over someone. Now, at the age of seventeen, I drive and I comprehend much better the reality of what that little girl and her family went threw. The driver of the vehicle is already out of prison. Her life in jail was barely longer than the life of the little girls. How is that fair? How can someone willing drink and drive? How can that woman live with herself each and everyday knowing what she did?

By drinking and driving and/or doing drugs and driving I believe that you willingly put yourself in the place of a murderer and should be charged as such. Driving under the influence of any substance endangers not only your life, but the lives of other innocent people. Each and every vehicle you pass is at risk. Driving drunk means that you consent to the fact that you have no value for your life or anyone else's.

Looking down at her friend, she smiles. “Your one of my closest friends” she says, and I don't want to lose you anytime soon. He closes his eyes, takes a deep breath, and hugs her. “That story about that little girl is sad he says, I can't imagine what her family must feel like.” She looks him in the eyes and says, “Imagine that you were the drunk driver, and that I was the little girl, does that put things into perspective for you?”