A Lesson From Josh Rake

[SteaminWillieBeamin]

With Drew Smith, it was obvious that we shouldn't drive under the influence.

With Germain Dawson, it is also obvious that dealing/delivering drugs is dangerous/

I say this without judgement and fully in the spirit of learning from every mistake -- Josh should have been wearing a seat belt. His life would likely have been spared.

I am disappointed that not once have I read how he wasn't wearing his seatbelt and how important it is and how this could have been prevented. I have a couple of friends who don't put on their seatbelt if they aren't driving over 35 miles an hour and/or going further than 5 miles from their home. Plain stupid. It is beyond ignorant -- it is selfish. I will be incredibly mad at my friends if they die in a car accident by being thrown from the vehicle. It takes 1 second to pull the belt over your lap, but takes years to get over losing a loved one. I hope that all 104 remaining players on this team learn the lesson about seat belts.

Also, I hope that we can get over the negative stigma of donating organs. Young healthy adults who die in a hospital should absolutely be proud to donate their organs to save others. It is the the ultimate way to honor the life lost, to save another person. It is so rare to have a healthy person die (and you must be in the hospital to donate) and in a position to donate.

Buckle up, it really is the difference between life and death.

Edited October 7, 2010 by SteaminWillieBeamin

[The Fake Lonnie Finch]

Dude, people don't like truth. Especially when it involves people they knew well. It's not that people won't, at a certain intellectual level, agree with you. But, with the wounds so fresh and close, people won't want to hear it.

[Green92]

I saw that it said he had been ejected from the vehicle, but not that he in fact hadn't been wearing a seat belt. Correct, no one should ever ride in a vehicle without being belted in. I know, free country, whatever. I hope if I go before my time I can donate as many organs as people can use.

[SteaminWillieBeamin]

Dude, people don't like truth. Especially when it involves people they knew well. It's not that people won't, at a certain intellectual level, agree with you. But, with the wounds so fresh and close, people won't want to hear it.

It is directed at those that aren't immediately affected and wrought with emotion overload.

Most the football team didn't know Rake, he just recently started suiting up for practice. It is still a powerful lesson, far beyond the "life is short" "live like there is no tomorrow" "better get to know god" generic talk about death. In Lewisville there is a billboard with the graphic of some HS student that killed himself driving drunk. It looks like it was put up by his family to help drive the point to the general audience how it is a critically poor decision to drive drunk.

Be sure to tell your family that you are a registered organ donor. All the time surgeons are in a bad spot trying to tell a wife that her husband is an organ donor and there is a nearly violent reaction to say it isn't the case.

Any how, carry on. I just thought it was important enough to talk about and get into the collective mind.

Edited October 6, 2010 by SteaminWillieBeamin

[foutsrouts]

add texting to the list as well.

[Coffee and TV]

I always thought Andrew Smith fell asleep, I didn't know there was alcohol involved.

[Cr1028]

I always thought Andrew Smith fell asleep, I didn't know there was alcohol involved.

I thought I had read marijuana was involved.

[Bryan316]

add texting to the list as well.

Yep. Saw that on the MGR blog, sourced from unnamed players that it might have played a role, but was redacted (I think).

[SteaminWillieBeamin]

I thought I had read marijuana was involved.

My bad. It was weed. DUI ..