Children’s lives are being put at risk

Dear Editor,
What an unnecessary tragedy in Indiana. Three little children killed and a fourth seriously injured by a motorist who was not paying enough attention to driving -— or she decided not to obey the law. 
My heart breaks for the family yet my temper flairs concerning the unjust laws regulating passing school busses with flashing lights. 
In my opinion, there is no difference between passing a school bus with flashing lights or pulling out a weapon and shooting children. One weapon uses a bullet measured in grains, and the other is measured in thousands of pounds. Both weapons are just as effective. 
If someone had pulled out a pistol and shot those four children — especially if he had been video recorded, as our busses currently do — that shooter would be immediately taken into custody and I imagine the bail would be very high, if not denied outright. 
Not true with a several thousand pound-killing machine. Remember, it is not the gun nor the vehicle that kills, it is the person behind the weapon. Yet penalties for a crime yielding the same result are completely different. 
To our judges I say, impose the largest fine the current law allows on these offenders. I have witnessed far too many drivers found guilty in our local courts getting off with a minimum fine. Come on, passing a school bus with any — but especially with red — lights flashing is attempted murder! I have heard the excuse that only the yellow lights were flashing when I passed. Yellow does not mean to hurry like hell because red is coming. Yellow means slow down, use caution, prepare to stop, red is coming! Children may be crossing the road. 
I have heard it said that you cannot fix ignorance, but in an attempt, I challenge all of our legislators to change existing laws concerning punishment for passing a school bus with flashing lights, yellow or red. 
Number one is losing your driver’s license immediately. You must retake and pass the driver’s test before any privilege is restored. Number two is a mandatory 48 hours in jail, or more if alcohol or drugs are involved. Age does not matter, 48 hours minimum! Number three is the minimum fine should be raised to $750.00. The pocket book always seems to help people sit up and take notice of things. 
The National Transportation Safety Board is getting involved to find out if we can make bus stops safer, when what we need is to make people responsible for their actions. The school bus passing law is the same in all 50 states so why is it broken so often, an estimated 34,000 times a day by one count!
This time the tragedy occurred in Indiana. Only a few years ago a similar incident happened in Wyoming road. It does happen here in Wyoming. Locally, state wide, and nationally we need to take an aggressive, clear, and hard stand on this issue. 
Children’s lives depend on it.
—William Lunney