Walorski, 3 others done in by distracted driving?

Jackie Walorski (facebook image)

Am beginning to wonder about political types and their ability to drive cars. I am serious. People in politics are so plugged in with communications. There are those cotton pickin' "texts" that demand attention. 

I personally have never gotten into texting. I'm holding steady with a laptop computer, and am quite satisfied. No cotton pickin' "phone" with its mesmerizing effect. 

Political types have to know everything, all the time. They are always looking for an advantage, frankly seeking gossip while in effect drooling. 

All of this might seem harmless, right? I suppose political people find it advantageous to be in the know. That South Dakota attorney general who looks so pathetic now, now that he has been thrown out of office: heaven knows how much ground he was covering with electronic devices on the night when he struck and killed a pedestrian. I guess investigators couldn't prove he was distracted at the precise moment of impact. He had been consuming a conspiracy blog about "Biden and China." 

See? This is the sort of thing I'm talking about. And why am I bringing it up now? Well, it's in the wake of the horrific traffic accident in Indiana. It's disturbing in so many ways. Certainly it illustrates the "frailty of life." And, how we need to give thanks for every day the Lord gives us. 

Remember the abrupt way the main characters of "Dirty Mary, Crazy Larry" died? So haunting to consider, as we leave the movie theater: all four of those people, so alive and buzzing one minute, stone cold dead the next. It was an auto mishap with the driver (Peter Fonda) driving carelessly. Driving distracted is driving careless. Some people are arguing it's just as big a hazard as drunk driving, maybe worse. I'd be receptive to the "worse" argument. 

I am so much more careful riding my bike along roads than I used to be. Never again will I ride along a state highway shoulder. Such is life in 2022: ubiquitous means of surfing news and exchanging comments. And when you're in politics, my God the temptation to stay on top of everything. 

 

My take

I will venture to say that distractions were what took the life of U.S. Congressman Jackie Walorski of Indiana. Must confess: I had never heard of her. She was a Republican. So important to know that nowadays: "red" or "blue." Will we get over this at some point? Walorski and two of her staff members died on Wednesday, Aug. 3, in northern Indiana. They collided with a vehicle whose driver was also killed. 

I have read that seat belts were in use and air bags deployed. Four people killed anyway? What a collision it must have been, a lot like the closing scene of the 1970s movie I cited. Pow! Your life ends. No way to prepare, to lay the groundwork with God or loved ones. 

So we all wonder: did the four just wake up in the afterlife? One minute the Walorski party was so absorbed in their professional/political lives, then it's snuffed out in one big crash. Makes us all want to hug our loved ones, to say an extra little prayer in church. God ordains all this. 

The congressional group was in an SUV. There was a puzzling and horrific misstatement of facts at the start. It was reported initially from law enforcement that the other vehicle, driven by Edith Schmucker, crossed the center line to cause the accident. Erratum. But why? Did authorities just want to give the benefit of the doubt to the congressperson? A pox on them, if this is the case. 

The estate for Ms. Schmucker ought to consider suing the authorities. As of Friday, some news reports were still online with the wrong info. Did authorities want to give Walorski the benefit of the doubt because she's a Republican? That is the way some people in this country behave now. But this is speculation. 

The Elkhart County Sheriff's Department is at issue here. On Thursday these gumshoes released a statement saying that "the preliminary determination of which direction the vehicles were traveling was incorrect." A mistake? Not sure I buy that. I think it was eagerness to promote sympathy for Walorski and her staff. As for Ms. Schmucker, well I guess she was just a face in the crowd, you might say collateral damage. Yes that's blunt. But political forces are so strong these days. 

(wsbt 22 image)

Looks like the blame falls on the deceased Zachary Potts, age 27, who "crossed the center line for unknown reasons in a rural area near Wakarusa." Potts was Walorski's district director and - sigh - the Republican chairman for northern Indiana's St. Joseph County. The South Dakota attorney general was an ambitious Republican too. 

So Potts lost his life along with Emma Thomson, 28, of Washington D.C., communications director. Communications! Rather the lifeblood for politicos. 

My strong suspicion - I repeat - is that distracted driving was at play here. Unless you want to believe the guy was dozing off or something. There was a "roundabout" in the vicinity? Hmmm. 

 

Priorities

People fail to realize the power of a motor vehicle as it speeds along. Put aside your communications temptation, relax and just drive the damn car. All your political thoughts of the moment will mean nothing if your concentration lapses. 

I have a hard time typing "Walorski" without confirming the damn spelling every time. She was obscure which leads me to think she was just a "yes person" for Kevin McCarthy in the House. 

As time goes on, my blood just boils over how the late Ms. Schmucker was treated in the aftermath. We see bio capsules of the three others in various places like "Politico." Schmucker's life had the same value. Plus she was totally smeared in the immediate aftermath of the accident. 

So there will be a "special election" now. How untoward to even focus on that. 

Law enforcement needs to come up with more disincentives for using electronic communications when driving. The punishment must become more harsh. The danger is worse than DWI. 

Rest in peace? Well for sure, yes. And I would begin that list with Ms. Schmucker. 

Walorski reportedly had a good sense of humor. Well, she can display that in heaven now.

 

Addendum: The Politico article reported that Walorski was "an advocate for children and families." Really? Who wouldn't be an advocate for children and families? The article also described her as "an influential voice for women." Really? HOW was she an influential voice for women? Did she favor women's reproductive health rights?

 

- Brian Williams - morris mn minnesota - bwilly73@yahoo.com