THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Sunday, January 14, 1996 TAG: 9601120219
SECTION: CHESAPEAKE CLIPPER PAGE: 06 EDITION: FINAL
TYPE: Letter
LENGTH: Short : 40 lines
Ernest Hunt is gone. Or is he?
At 15 years old, his life and his future were taken early New Year's Day by a drunken driver.
I never question God and his infinite wisdom. I, therefore, know that some good has to come of this tragedy. So, in explaining the whys of Ernest's death to my son and so that Ernest's death would not be in vain, I realized that I had to tell this story to anyone who would listen in hopes that at least one person who drinks will not get behind the wheel of a car.
Ernest was wonderful. Although I only met him a few times, I was impressed by his smile, his mannerisms and his attitude. He was an honor student who described himself as a young, ambitious black male. According to a poem he wrote last year, Ernest ``wanted to be liked by everyone.'' In this poem, Ernest spoke of his dreams, and said that he wondered if he would ever live a successful life.
Well, I am here to declare that Ernest Hunt's short life was successful. It was successful because someone will read this and think twice about driving a car while under the influence of alcohol.
We may never know how many lives were saved by the sacrifice of Ernest Hunt. All the young people who mourned the death of their friend Ernest must not let it end here. You will all be getting your driver's license in the near future. When you start to drive, don't forget Ernest. Please, please, please don't drink and drive.
Ernest's life was far more than a statistic of the road deaths of the New Year's holiday. As long as we share and spread the message concerning drinking and driving, Ernest's dreams will continue to live.
Eleanor L. Freeman
Gawaine Drive by CNB