Tag Archives: presidential power

” What the President secretly did at Sandy Hook Elementary School”

Safety Advocacy, Truck Safety,

I just read this account of how President Obama reached out to bereaved families two days after the tragedy at Sandy Hook:

Person after person received an engulfing hug from our commander in chief. He’d say, “Tell me about your son. . . . Tell me about your daughter,” and then hold pictures of the lost beloved as their parents described favorite foods, television shows, and the sound of their laughter. For the younger siblings of those who had passed away—many of them two, three, or four years old, too young to understand it all—the president would grab them and toss them, laughing, up into the air, and then hand them a box of White House M&M’s, which were always kept close at hand. In each room, I saw his eyes water, but he did not break. . .

The staff did the preparation work, but the comfort and healing were all on President Obama. I remember worrying about the toll it was taking on him. And of course, even a president’s comfort was woefully inadequate for these families in the face of this particularly unspeakable loss. But it became some small measure of love, on a weekend when evil reigned. Joshua Dubois: What the President secretly did at Sandy Hook Elementary School

It is my hope that the leaders of our country will show similar compassion toward past, present and future vulnerable victims of vehicle violence and also take appropriate action.

Next 4 years

“Power of Presidents to Protect People” (Legal Reader)

Safety Advocacy,

Louis Lombardo, respected auto safety researcher, advocate, and the publisher of Care For Crash Victims Reports, has written an insightful article for the Legal Reader:

Power of Presidents to Protect People, December 6, 2016

Lombardo notes that, “The history of Presidents using powers to protect people has resulted in millions of lives saved.”

He also provides insight into presidential, “Milestones in the history of protecting people – and in failing to protect people.” For example, “By 2008, 3.4 million Americans had lost their lives to vehicle violence. President Obama will be sadly remembered for weak oversight of the auto industry resulting in many needless deaths and injuries.”

What will the next four years look like, I wonder?

Next 4 years

USA Crash Death Clock

One way that our president could use his power to protect people would be by taking the initiative to move our country toward zero crash deaths & serious injuries through these actions:

  1. Set a National Vision Zero Goal.
  2. Establish a White House Vision Zero/Traffic Safety Task Force.
  3. Sign an Executive Order authorizing Vision Zero Rulemaking.
  4. Establish an independent Office of National Traffic Safety Ombudsman/Advocate.