el Don /SANTA ANA COLLEGE • MONDAY, NOVEMBER 10, 2014/eldonnews.org
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el Don /SANTA ANA COLLEGE • MONDAY, NOVEMBER 10, 2014/eldonnews.org
Liz Monroy / el Don
14
YOUNG LIVES LOST
The man who hit
and killed girls
in a crosswalk
had a suspended
license, police
officials said.
Halloween is a holiday for
children. It is their time to
wield superpowers or be a
favorite charater — and collect free candy.
That makes the hit-and-run
deaths of three 13-year-old
Santa Ana girls on Oct. 31
especially sad.
Even worse, it was 100
percent preventable.
The middle schoolers are
dead because Jaquinn Bell
disregarded the law.
It was the driver’s second
hit and run this year, after a
DUI arrest that got his license suspended.
Unlicensed drivers are a
big problem in California,
where about two million
people are driving without
a license at any given time,
according to the Los
Angeles Times.
Many of these drivers lose
their licenses because they
endangered others while
behind the wheel.
There’s a reason they
shouldn’t be driving, and
when they do there is little
anyone can do to protect
themselves.
Too often, a ticket or even
jail time are not enough
punishment to deter some of
these drivers.
But if people realize that
they could be responsible for
killing someone’s child, maybe fewer will take a chance.
Each person must recognize
their own responsibility.
If he had just followed the
rules, those girls would have
been able to get their candy
and get home safely.
In recent weeks UC President
Janet Napolitano has announced
the decision to convert all single
stall bathrooms on campus into
gender-neutral facilities that will
provide access for all UC students
and faculty. This decision was
made to uphold equality for the
LGBT community.
These progressive changes are
among many being seen throughout society, reflecting the cultural
response to individuals living
alternative lifestyles.
In fact, just this year the majority
has shifted from states that ban
gay marriage to the 32 that now
legally protect that right.
Gender-neutral restrooms allow
everyone access without being
forced into choosing a sex they
don’t personally identify with.
It also protects students from
discrimination.
More than 40 percent of transgender people have experienced
harassment or violence in conventional restrooms, according to
the San Francisco Human Rights
Commission. / AMANDA ZIVE