I remember September 11, 2001, the day your son died as the planes rained down. I sat before the television with disbelief, knowing it was no accident. I watched in horror as the towers fell to the ground in the midst of the huge, ugly, brown/gray dust that bellowed forth. I grieved for your loss then, not fully understanding the true depths of your heart aching, overwhelming, unending, undying grief. Your son died as the result of international terrorism that outraged all Americans.

Do you remember January 26, 2002? The day my son died, as the corvette bore down upon them on a Kansas highway. Probably not. You probably never even heard about my son's death as it didn't warrant national attention. Fortunately, my son died instantly in the explosion caused by the corvette bulldozing its way underneath the car my son was a passenger in. He didn't have to suffer the pain of ensuing fireball and being trapped inside the burning wreckage. My son died as the result of a national, internal tragedy, domestic terrorism.

His death was not the result of a few international thugs, bringing their terror into our midst. Rather he died as a result of a single thug bringing his terror onto our streets and highways. It was a hot, local news story for a few days, but then all but forgotten. Where was America's outrage at the death of my son? Where was the national outpouring of support for his family and friends, both emotional and financial that you have received? Your son was memorialized, mine was all but forgotten. Do you think you grieve any more for the loss of your son, than I so for the loss of my son?

However, you should stop and remember my son, James Noone. He died as the result of a single, drunk driver. You should remember and memorialize him and Jeremy Pawlak, the driver of the car my son was in, and every other victim of the single drunk driver. About 6 times more people are murdered each year and every year, by the single drunk driver than by the hand-full of international thugs that murdered your son. Why do we as a nation get outraged and want justice from the international terrorist when we turn a blind eye to the domestic terrorists loose on our streets and highways each and every day and night. If America put forth the same emotion, devotion, and pursuit to eliminating the thousands of single drink drivers who travel our streets and highways every single day and night, as we do going after the few terrorists who rarely get the chance to commit their acts, we could save thousands of lives each year and every year.

We need to remember, memorialize, and give annual tribute to each and every victim of drunk drivers without fail. We as a nation need to get outraged and direct that outrage to motivate us to eliminating this national disgrace. Until we do, no one who travels anywhere by vehicle, or walks along any path a vehicle might travel is safe from the single drunk driver. In the meantime, be ware of the car behind, beside, or even in front of you. The single drunk driver blends in with every other vehicle on the road. There are no FBI profiles that can pick him out of the crowd. No neon signs advertising his existence. He is able to strike without warning often times seeming to come out of nowhere. The survivors of the victims of the single drunk driver experience the same heart-breaking, overwhelming, unending and undying grief that you experienced at the loss of your son. I hope and pray that no one else ever has to experience this grief themselves.

Brenda Noone