And I turned it all over and came on home.  My little 87 Mazda cab+ pickup and me.
Boy does that little bugger love to run and it brought me home in one piece...tired.

The DUI symposium had some good people on panel.  I knew some and then face
to face with others I had only corresponded with by email or phone.  I took the chance
to speak personally with several and hand them a copy of my legislative proposal
which is...god!! 26 years old?!!  But we talked and I told them I was looking for people
of courage so that we could change the things we could.  The symposium was put on
by MADD and the audience contained some miracles.  One of the AA fellows I had not
seen for a year was there...17 months sober and doing service to a new comers
meeting and another old friend I hadn't seen for years was there and I met a new
friend who's name is Tom who I swapped cell phone numbers with and told him he
could call me and vent and scream and cuss as much as he wanted because he has
not yet arrived at dealing with the loss of his two year old daughter to a drunk driver.
Aliyah G...what an angel and he will never be able to feel her wiggle any more or
listen to her whisper in his ear.  Such profound pain for such a profoundly beautiful
little creation.  Tom wanted to know amoung other things why there were approx-
imately 20 to 22 felony drunk drivers roaming free, not in jail, awaiting trial for
drinkin and killin.  Caught me by surprise because I thought all felony DUIs had a
cell.  The answer still would not have bought Aliyah G home.  I'm sad at that and
anxiously pissed because our island has the highest DUI rate in the nation along with
a high fatality rate.

The panel consisted of a retired female doctor who heads an effort to change the
situation.  I like her and I think she is courageous.  Mitch an assistant PA was there;
he's proactive and I like him but the lake is still...no waves coming to shore.  There
was the single police officer who got most of the questions...why is it that they have
to shoulder the brunt of the responsibility it seems?  Over worked and under funded
as always.  3 politicians were there...none from my side of the island but all three
I had shotgunned my proposal to just before the primary election and none of them
remembered it...no matter I had another proposal personally given.  Two of them
read the proposal and referred to it during panel time; and one called it by what it
is designated..."Anti-enabling legislation".   The liquor commission wasn't there.
A sitting judge wasn't there.  Some necessary players were not there however one
of the players who was there I didn't expect...a local manufacturer of alcohol and 
he said his thing and didn't address real responsibility for his investment into our
huge problem.  He talked around it and then I was glad to stand and speak and
exercise the courage I took there from here.   "Why wasn't manufacturing and
distribution a part of the partnership list of partners seeking solutions?"  "Why isn't
alcohol labeled for what it really is; a mind and mood altering chemical listed within
class A drugs?"  "Why is the general population strapped with a bill we cannot hope
to amortize and never have while manufacturing, distribution and sales keep the 
income?"  I had more but not more time and anyway by the time I got the stop
signal I needed to sit and look for what ever courage was left so that I could find
the other courageous people there who might make a difference here on the Big
Island and maybe out where my MIP family lives also.

I didn't blame the manufacturer for anything or accuse either.  I do though want
all of the players on the same court in the same game and I want them to pay
the lions share of the cost on all levels.  Why should any MIP member and Tom
my new friend who is now childless pay such heavy losses alone?  You know I was
caught up; hooked; by his open and probably non intentional display of personal
profit he gets from making and vending alcohol.  If I'm not wrong that was one
hell of a Rolex watch...something in the neighborhood of a couple grand and it
flashed and sparkeled as he spoke about possible litigation if anyone was to seek
justice from manufacture, distribution and sales should a drunk cause a problem.

Well yes we do have a very large drunk problem and that requires a very large
solution from people of courage.  Thanks for holding me up tonight.  I pray this
was not just another "talk story" event cause we're running out of wiggle room.

(((((hugs)))))