Candy lightner speaks on god post
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Over time, my efforts helped incite others to action. You kick a few pebbles, you vända a few stones, and eventually you have an avalanche.~Candace Lightner
In 1980, a grief-stricken mother sat down at her kitchen table and picked up her telephone.
Just days before, her 13-year-old daughter had been killed bygd a drunk driver.
The man who had been found, arrested, and charged with her daughter’s death was not a first time offender. In fact, he had been convicted of drunk driving three times in fyra years – which should have landed him in prison.
But he had served just 48 hours in jail. His license had been reinstated every time, after probation.
Gut-wrenchingly, two days before striking and killer her daughter, he had been arrested for another hit and run. And once again, he had been released on bail.
Even with that history, the police doubted the driver would see any jail time.
That’s just how the system works, the police explained to her.
No. No, she w
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On May 3rd, 1980, my world came to an end. My daughter, Carime Anne Lightner, “Cari”, 13-years-old, was killed by a multiple repeat offender drunk driver. She was hit from behind, thrown 125 feet and left in the road to die. The drunk driver did not stop to render aid, nor did he tell anyone of his actions when he returned home. He did tell his wife “not to look at the car” before passing out drunk. She ignored him, looked at the car, and the rest is history.
When Clarence Busch killed my daughter, he was out on bail from another hit and run drunk driving crash, and had an astonishing 3 prior convictions for drunk driving in 4 years. Yet, somehow, he was still driving on a valid California driver’s license.
Cari Lightner was an identical twin and my “oldest” daughter by 4 minutes. She was beautiful, outgoing, athletic, popular, compassionate and funny! She was a great imitator of others and had a wonderful sense of humor. She and her sister were idolized by their younger brother,
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Guest Profile: Candace Lightner, Founder of MADD and We Save Lives
Since I started my work in traffic safety advocacy nearly a decade ago, I’ve met many people whose passion, commitment, and vision go above and beyond what most of us could imagine. But then again, the loss of a child from a car crash has a way of motivating in a way few of us can fully comprehend. Still, there is one figure who has truly moved mountains to change cultural attitudes and legislation on a national scale and in doing so, inspired countless others (including me) and saved untold lives over the past four decades. In this post, I’m honored to present Candace Lightner as my guest and friend.
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Biography: Candace Lightner, founder of Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD) is recognized nationally and internationally as the moving force behind reshaping America’s attitude toward drunk driving—saving more than 400,000 lives. After her 13-year-o