Save the teens, save ourselves

I've been thinking about it lately and, I'm probably lucky to be alive. Actually, a lot of my school friends might say the same, with the benefit of almost 15 years of hindsight since we crossed the commencement stage and waved goodbye.

We survived our teenage years, even our early 20s, driving fast, staying out late, hanging out with friends and just living for the day, never doubting that tomorrow was a guarantee.

It seems to me that in recent months, even weeks, more and more local teens have not been as fortunate, crossing paths with death on our streets.

A quick search of The Herald archive yielded a list of similarly heartbreaking headlines about young people whose lives were cut short just as they were beginning to live.

I didn't have to search too far.

In the summer of 2007, Robert Treviño, 15, was killed in a car crash near Boca Chica Beach, while out at night with older friends.

In the fall of that year, Alex Cervantes, 16, was stabbed to death at a party. The suspect was a 17-year-old boy. Not long after, Juan Jose Hernandez, 22, was killed in a car accident as he drove home from a night out with friends at a local bar.

Just a few weeks ago, Miguel Angel Rodriguez, 16, died on the side of the road after he was struck and killed as he walked home from a party at around 2 a.m.

And this month, three Rio Grande Valley teenagers died after a fatal rollover accident that ended a 100-mph race from police. Francisco Peralta, 19, was behind the wheel when his pickup struck the median on FM 802 on April 6. Passengers Cindy Cordero, 16, and Joseph Rodriguez, 18, also died in the wreck.

Evelyn Lara, the 16-year-old survivor, remains in critical condition at a local hospital.

Last week, Adriana Montañez, 17, died in a head-on collision. Police determined she was driving at an "unsafe speed" when the accident happened.

The young San Benito girl had graduated early from Los Fresnos High School and was making plans for college.

There are more, I know. But looking back on just this list is chilling.

Estimating the grief of these families is almost impossible. Imagining the loss to our community is nearly as difficult.

When a young person dies, they take with them all of the potential that only length of days affords. A life unfulfilled is an immeasurable loss.

The story of the three teens that died in the rollover was the most viewed story on The Herald Web site last week with 17,836 page views. Hundreds of online comments were posted and ranged from thoughtful to ridiculous. Some were removed from the site.

Readers offered condolences to the families of the deceased and advice to young people about the dangers of reckless driving. Many sought to place blame for the senseless deaths. They laid it at the feet of the driver who fled from police; others on the cops in the chase, the parents at home and the community as a whole for failing to provide safe alternative activities.

An argument could be made for all sides. The bottom line is that our young people are becoming endangered and in need of protection from boredom, apathy, unsafe influences and plain bad, even deadly choices.

In the next few weeks, The Herald will examine the state of our youth, their interests and issues, their choices and chances for success. We'll also look at the agencies and individuals that are working to keep them safe.

Recklessness is not trademarked to any one generation, rather is a common thread of youth that begins to unravel when a community does little to protect its most fleeting natural resource: its future.

A conservation effort must begin to educate children about the consequences of unsafe behavior. Parents, initiate those difficult conversations that could one day save a life. And community leaders, focus efforts on providing more alternatives for idle hands and minds.

Save endangered animals. Save the trees. Save the teenagers.

Rachel Benavidez is editor of The Brownsville Herald. She can be reached at (956) 982-6610 or via e-mail at rbenavidez@brownsvilleherald.com.