I would first like to send my deepest sympathy and prayers to
the Baxter and Engwall family. You along with the Horn, Lopez,
Galvan, Conte, Rivera, Perry and Foshie families have paid the
ultimate price of being a parent: having a piece of your heart
removed without your prior permission. In a matter of moments, life
has become a nightmare and scarred forever.
Dear Editor,
I would first like to send my deepest sympathy and prayers to the Baxter and Engwall family. You along with the Horn, Lopez, Galvan, Conte, Rivera, Perry and Foshie families have paid the ultimate price of being a parent: having a piece of your heart removed without your prior permission. In a matter of moments, life has become a nightmare and scarred forever.
Also, I have sympathy for the many family members, relatives, coaches, teachers, like myself, a parent with four boys of the same ages that allowed us the chance to become close and feel that these kids were a part of our family. We grew to know them during rides to practice, carpooling to a tournament, having team dinners, or just being in the stands on Friday nights cheering the Balers.
Some parents and fans did not know Adam Baxter’s name, but they knew that No. 44 would hit you so hard there was a chance you would get up and stagger back to the wrong huddle. They might not know the name of the 145-pound wrestler, but they recognized the white gauze stopping that nose bleed, or the word (whizzer) made them cringe while watching a match at the Live Oak Gym. Or maybe they saw him at Vet’s park, and shook off the goose bumps from the collision at home plate then asked the person sitting next to them, “How did he ever hold on to that ball to stop the tying run from scoring? That runner was twice his size.”
We as parents of the Class of 2002, along with other classmen, were able to watch with pride and excitement as these boys, young men, scholar-athletes received not one, but two CCS championship rings during their high school days.
But this time, the odds were stacked against Adam Baxter. With the best teachers, greatest coaches, state of the art equipment, we who live in San Benito County will continue to have days like this again unless something new is given to all our children.
These precious, fearless young people are the future. The spotted owl and bald eagle can be put on the protected species list. But how many more of our babies are going to be added to the list of those that died before their time before they are put on the endangered species list? I say do it NOW! Enough is enough.
Please ask your child what it will take to make all of us young and old to understand that speed, alcohol and drug-related accidents don’t single out victims by race, age or sex. I myself look back and see how me and my classmates sat in the exact same seat that Matt was in. The difference in our cases was that only the sheet metal got hurt.
My parents reminded me numerous times about drinking and driving. For the most part, I thought I only had a couple of beers, no big deal. Then one night as a volunteer firefighter I witnessed the destruction of a speed and alcohol-related vehicle accident. The driver walked away but his two brothers lay motionless while the coroner and I put them in a body bag. The sound of that zipper will always keep me from becoming a statistic.
I share this story because it was real and painful, but it did its job. If it takes putting these vehicles on the front lawn of the high school for a short time, do we say that’s sick and cruel or it’s reality, it happens?
Matt, we know you did not purposely want to cause harm to Adam, his family, your family and all the friends. I say this to you with a tear rolling down my cheek hitting this letter. I will always see in my mind, you , a bale of hay on your shoulder, and Adam holding the CCS trophy atop Ben’s back, displayed on the 1999/2000 wrestling sweatshirt.
I plead with you that whatever happens when the dust settles, don’t let Adam down. Keep him up their with Jake and the other teammates along side you. You can make a difference to other children and young men and women by being their zipper. Trust me, kids will listen to young adults who just a few years ago sat in those seats.
I do not have the answer, but I will exhaust all options until we find a cure. Drinking and driving is like sleeping with your brother or sister. You just don’t do it! Please donate and or help with the upcoming project at the High School called Every 15 minutes.
There’s a tough road yet to get down this week for the Baxter family. I pray none of us parents walking behind for support, have to be the leader one day.
Joe Cousins, San Juan Bautista
