IT'S SOAPBOX TIME

I've spent a lot of time thinking about two tragedies this past week and how I could talk about them without seeming cruel.

Last weekend, there was a horrific traffic accident in the Bronx.  According to news reports, an SUV went out of control on the highway, went through the guardrail and fell several feet to the ground, killing 7 people in the car.  I know it's all about semantics, but the wording bothers me.

The car didn't go out of control, the driver lost control, possibly because of excessive speed.  Then, all the reporters went on and on about the "dangerous" road.  Granted, there are some curves and there have been several accidents, but roads aren't inherently dangerous, it's the drivers who are the danger.  Now, there's a push to increase the height of the guardrails to prevent an out of control car/driver from going off the road and onto the road below.

My sympathies go out to the families of those killed, but it's not the fault of the car or the road or the guardrails, it's simply the fault of the driver who, for whatever reason, lost control of the car and went through the guardrail.

The other tragedy that got my attention last week was the suicide of a former football player, Junior Seau.  According to reports, he had been a star linebacker in the NFL.  This has resulted in calls for investigations into the head injuries received by football players, although this particular player had no record of concussions.  Is it possible that after being told he was special, a wonderful player and a star probably since his early teens that he just couldn't adjust to becoming just another face in the crowd?

If any field warrants an investigation into concussions, I believe it should be boxing.  Those men take a lot of head hits, and they don't wear helmets.

Time to get off the soapbox, but I want to reiterate that I don't mean to be cruel and I feel sorry for these families' losses, but, let's stop blaming outside influences and look more closely at the facts.