A plea for those holiday revelers, and anyone who may drink and drive.
: Please!, think before you drink and drive, you'll save someone's life. Maybe your own.

Tony Bright was on his way home one night, after a really cool party! He met some really great people, and drank a lot of wine. More than he was used to. He simply lost count after awhile, because he was having so much fun. But Tony forgot he came to the party alone, therefore, he had no designated driver. Feeling pretty confident, as most 21 year olds do, Tony left the party around 3:am, and headed home. Afterall, he had classes later that morning. The roads seemed pretty much deserted, so Tony relaxed and drive as carefully as he could. Suddenly, he heard, and felt,a hard thump against his passenger side bumper. Thinking he had hit the curb,Tony preceded on his way, but his heart raced wildly! He didn't know where he was, or when he had driven this far! Had he dozed off?!  Panicking, the young colledge student sped to a gas station to use the phone. That's when Tony Bright saw the deep red blood splatters on the front bumper of his car. Tony grabbed his alcohol-dulled head in anguish. "What have I done! Oh God, what did I hit back there?" The promising, future Doctor moaned to himself. Unsure as to what he should do, Tony called his wealthy father for help. His dad told him to stay where he was, and he would sent his Lawyer to pick him up. "Don't worry about the car, it will be taken care of, too," said the concerned father. "Tony, have you been drinking tonight?", His dad asked. Relunctantly, the young man confessed that he had. "Well son, I'll do what I can, but you understand that you've ruined your life, all for one night of drinking", said his anguish-filled father. "Why didn't you stop to see what you hit, son?", his father pleaded. But, before Tony could answer, he saw a patrol car pull up to the gas station. Hours later, sitting in the holding cell of the county jail, awaiting felony charges, young Tony bright learned that he had struck, and killed, a young girl on her way home from the corner store. She was only 16 years old!   The worse part was, her mom had been standing in the driveway of their home, waiting for her daughter to safely making it home. She saw her child run down. She screamed at the driver, who simply drove on by, never even slowing down to see what he had run over, never knowing the awful grief  he had just caused to a whole family, a grief they would live with for the rest of their lives. Mr. Bright testified to his son's character, he spoke of his son's straight- A academic achievements, and the fact that Tony had never been in trouble before that night. He pleaded for his son's freedom. But, With the grief-stricken mother as the eye witness to the accident, and the testimony from the  patrol officers about the blood on Tony's car, and his blood alcohol level, the jury found Tony guilty of negligent homicide, because he failed to stop and render aid. Tony would lose ten years of his freedom, ten years to think about his actions, but Mrs. Jones would have a lifetime to live with what he had done, because her daughter had lost her life forever. Ten years later, Tony is free and looking for a job. It's not easy, now that he has a felony conviction on his record. But he keeps trying. He can no longer dream of being a Doctor. His life so different than he planned it to be. He'll never take another drink in his life. He hasn't had a good night's sleep since that terrible night of the accident. He lives with his parents, but they want him out, since he can't help support himself. They don't think he's trying very hard, but he is looking everyday. The problem is, no one will hire him beacuse of his record. No one wants to hire an ex-con. He can't even vote anymore! He has to prove that he can be a productive citizen again. He is filled with regrets and low self esteem. All of his friends are gone, now. Gone on to live prosperous lives as Doctors and Lawyers. But Tony struggles to make it from one day to the next, all beacuse he has a young girl's bloodstains, on his letter of recommendation.