Keith Knacke, 5/10/75-1/3/97
I’ve been pretty emotional today and I feel like I need to commemorate my cousin in some way. I didn’t know him well because I was so young when he died, but this week every year people take time out to remember him and it always gets to me. There was no reason for him to go so young. Just a stupid seatbelt. He could have taken five seconds to put on a seatbelt and he’d still be here without a scratch on him, just like everybody else that was in the car. I don’t know. It was such a heart wrenching loss for my entire family, and it continues to affect them even 15 years later. I can’t bear the thought that one day that could be my brother or my sister or somebody close to me. Somebody I love could be gone for no good reason.
I guess I just need people to understand that this is why I’m such a bitch about wearing a seatbelt when they get in my car. This is the reason I am constantly terrified of people driving around recklessly, especially in the winter, when nobody can predict what the roads are going to be like and nobody can do anything once they hit a patch of ice. Honestly, fuck you if you’re going to sit there and argue with me that it’s your life and it’s your decision and some people die because they were wearing a seatbelt. That’s all good and well, but that isn’t what happened here and that isn’t what happens most of the time. There’s no reason for anybody to actively make a more dangerous decision. It’s just stupid. Nobody is invincible, not even the most loving, caring, young kids with an entire life ahead of them. I don’t care what you have to say about it and I don’t care if you think you will be the exception. I just don’t. You’re wrong.
Keith should be here today. He should have been able to see his sister happily married with five beautiful kids. He should have had kids of his own. But he isn’t and he didn’t. Remember that next time you just don’t feel like wearing your seatbelt or next time you want to drive around like an asshole or put yourself or others in danger in any way. You never know what’s going to happen, and the very least you can do is make the safest possible decision. I hope you are all safe tonight and every night really. Just do the right thing.