MADD CANADA'S Newsletter
In the Winter Issue 1998 of MADD MATTERS- Page 3
Reflections
"In the beginning there were drunks driving cars, but nobody cared."
"Written by John Bates Founder of MADD Canada." (Quoted from Newsletter)
"MADD Canada has been the cornerstone of the battle against drinking and driving for the past 15 years. Until we got underway in 1982, there was no public outcry about the carnage caused by drunks who drove cars. In fact, impaired driving was not considered a social problem, but rather an amusing activity…
Our first big break was when we decided to come out publicly for one of the most hated public safety programs yet developed-the police roadside checkpoint program R.I.D.E. Reduce Impaired Driving Etobicoke."
A Legend of Lies. An Extirpation of Truth. The R.I.D.E program was widely known as Reduce Impaired Driving Everywhere. I contacted Sgt. Don Colbourne of the Metro Toronto Police, myself. As a result of that meeting Colbourne arranged for me to be interviewed by the Toronto Star resulting in a two-page spread in the newspaper. There was no one else but me at the time. Ask Don Colbourne or look at the article on my MADD Canada In The Beginning website. This was not Bate’s break. He was not around at this time. As a result of this two-page spread many people called to be involved. Bates was ONE (1) of the people that called and ONE (1) of the people I interviewed. I chose him to come on the board AFTER interviewing him and others. I can not express how much articles like this disgust and amaze me. How could a human being do this? He totally erased the truth.
What is needed is a public retraction of all these statements and the truth that it was the death of Jennifer April Mitchell and the promise on her deathbed by Karen Mitchell that galvanized this movement. The web site must reflect this and also in the MADD Matters.
"HONOURED WITH ORDER OF CANADA"
The untrue claim below was found at Madd-Canada Site:
"Founder of MADD Canada provided 'vision and commitment"
The untrue claims below was found at Madd-Canada Site:
"Mr. Bates is the founder of the anti-drinking and driving organization MADD Canada.
"It is remarkable to think this organization began with five people around a kitchen table. It has grown so fast and, today, is the pre-eminent national advocacy group for sober driving. MADD Canada has been responsible for most of the advances with drinking and driving legislation in the past few years."This was another blatant omission of the truth!
(That
"table" was in my kitchen and John Bates had been invited as a guest to sit at that table. I was interviewing John Bates among others to decide if he was a suitable candidate to be a board member of the organization that I had founded in Jennifer’s memory.) I sure wish I knew then what I know now.(QUOTE FROM MADD CANADA SITE)
"These early pioneers included Sally Gribble (whose group in BC received a chapter charter from MADD US), Gladys Armstrong and Pat Baril (PAID in Alberta), Marget Taylor (CAID in Manitoba), and
Karen Mitchell (PRIDE in Ontario). We are indebted to these individuals for their tireless work in support of victims of impaired driving and their courage to help make a difference in their
communities.
No, he was not and why is there a
total blatant omission of my name and Jennifer’s?For the public record, our son Ryan was born in 1981 in Calgary. I started the grassroots campaign to educate the public and strengthen the laws on drinking and driving in Calgary. After many phones calls and letters including McClean’s Magazine, Reader’s Digest, and Chatelaine I was told that drinking and driving was not a "national issue". I was told that Drinking and Driving was not an substantial "national problem".
Our family had to make a serious and considerable decision if we were going to sincerely head up this campaign. We decided for the sake of our child that had died and for the benefit of our future children we must move to Toronto. This was a grandiose commitment! We had to sell our lovely home and most of our belongings to do this. We traveled with our brand new baby and a few possessions, in 1981 to specifically form a grass roots organization in honor of our deceased daughter, to fight impaired driving. The first organization began as CAID in Ontario, then PRIDE was born with my baby taking his bottle on my knee.
Trust this, Bates was not there. PRIDE was officially founded on May 28, 1982 before the article in the Toronto Star, June 14, 1982. All meetings were held in my kitchen for years. Our daughter Mary Anne was adopted at one month old in January 1983. I stepped down as President when Mary Anne was three years old in 1986. My official title at that time was advisor and Founder of MADD Ontario and MADD in Canada.- Karen
This was a clip from the original article. To rewrite the entire piece of journalism would be far too lengthy. Please get a copy for yourself and you will realize what we've been up against
for fifteen years. Please note NO WHERE is Jennifer’s or Karen's names ever mentioned. This went down in history without notice.
A Legend of Lies. An Extirpation of Truth
Let the Board of Directors Know How You Feel.
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