Yesterday, we attended the first open house the Golden Gate Bridge Authority held in San Rafael so the public could see pictures of the proposed designs for the various suicide barriers, vote on computers set up specifically for this purpose and talk to bridge officials. I didn't do the latter, that's something I still have to work up to. Nevermind that the reporter (yes, I talked to the press even though I was determined not to) from the Chronicle called us activists (her word, not ours) in her article, I'm much too new at this sort of thing to go up to total strangers.
One of the fathers who lost his only child, a daughter of 17, in January did work the room very well. He talked to just about every official and I hope at the next meeting I'll be able to do something along those lines.
One of the fathers who lost his only child, a daughter of 17, in January did work the room very well. He talked to just about every official and I hope at the next meeting I'll be able to do something along those lines.
We were supposed to wear nametags (and a few of us did) to put a human face to the losses. I spent quite a lot of time on mine - cutting and pasting (and I mean scisscors and tape).
I did, however, introduce myself to several people at the meeting, but they were all "good guys," people from the Bridge Rail Foundation, the police captain who is in charge of patrols on the bridge and quite a few other survivors. I also got to meet Kevin Hines, one of the less than 2% who have jumped and survived.
Going to the meeting was very much a last minute decision but I am glad we went. Now I can put faces to names I knew from newsletters, emails and through facebook. I got to meet the man who does a lot of the PR for the group; Ken Holmes, the Marin County Coroner (who is a very outspoken proponent of a barrier), and several other parents who have lost their children. Unlike us, though, the bodies of their children haven't been found and their losses are much newer than ours and it was heartbreaking talking to them. Just like us, they are trying to do what they can to prevent what happened to us from happening to others.
If you have already voted for a suicide barrier, thank you very much.
If you haven't had a chance to, please, please consider doing so. It would mean so much to us (and many other survivors). The opposition is still fierce but there is very compelling evidence that a barrier will prevent suicides on the bridge.
So, please take a few minutes to look over the various designs:
https://www.commentmgr.com/projects/1181/docs/Alts-withLabels.pdf
and then vote (and, please, don't vote for "no change"):
Golden Gate Bridge Suicide Deterrent Barrier
You are asked to leave comments on every design, not necessary. A comment to the effect that lives are more important than a pretty view or something along those lines is enough.
Thank you.
I did, however, introduce myself to several people at the meeting, but they were all "good guys," people from the Bridge Rail Foundation, the police captain who is in charge of patrols on the bridge and quite a few other survivors. I also got to meet Kevin Hines, one of the less than 2% who have jumped and survived.
Going to the meeting was very much a last minute decision but I am glad we went. Now I can put faces to names I knew from newsletters, emails and through facebook. I got to meet the man who does a lot of the PR for the group; Ken Holmes, the Marin County Coroner (who is a very outspoken proponent of a barrier), and several other parents who have lost their children. Unlike us, though, the bodies of their children haven't been found and their losses are much newer than ours and it was heartbreaking talking to them. Just like us, they are trying to do what they can to prevent what happened to us from happening to others.
If you have already voted for a suicide barrier, thank you very much.
If you haven't had a chance to, please, please consider doing so. It would mean so much to us (and many other survivors). The opposition is still fierce but there is very compelling evidence that a barrier will prevent suicides on the bridge.
So, please take a few minutes to look over the various designs:
https://www.commentmgr.com/projects/1181/docs/Alts-withLabels.pdf
and then vote (and, please, don't vote for "no change"):
Golden Gate Bridge Suicide Deterrent Barrier
You are asked to leave comments on every design, not necessary. A comment to the effect that lives are more important than a pretty view or something along those lines is enough.
Thank you.
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