Funeral processions a dangerous tradition

11/17/2001

I witnessed an age-old practice the other day that should be stopped for the sake of safety. It has long been the custom that funeral processions have the right of way on the road as they make their way from the funeral home to the cemetery, including going through stop lights and intersections without stopping.

I understand the desire for all to arrive at the cemetery as a group, but what good is it if part of the group is broad-sided at the corner of Reynolds Road and Dorr Street or Reynolds Road and Airport Highway, as I recently witnessed?

At Reynolds and Dorr alone, there were at least three near-misses (near-hits?) during one cycle of the stop light.

Three! At just one intersection during just one funeral procession!

The roads are just too congested with traffic and inattentive/distracted drivers for such an outdated and potentially deadly custom to continue. The only thing it's good for is potentially drumming up more business for the funeral industry.

I'm guessing your dearly departed wishes you would stop at the stop lights on the way to his or her final resting place so you will continue to live. Wouldn't you, yourself, rather join them in a grave later rather than sooner?

Funeral directors should implore their processions to stop at red lights and stop signs and follow traffic laws.

What a terrible legacy it would be for your dearly departed if a family of four or someone else's grandmother was killed on your way to the cemetery. He or she is in no particular hurry on that day, so why should you be?

KEITH W. MORRIS

Radford Drive

With the Thanksgiving season approaching, I believe it is an appropriate time for us, as Toledoans, to look back over the past year and be proud of Toledo, the home of the ever-successful Jeep Liberty. A lot of hard work and perseverance was involved in the campaign to keep Jeep in Toledo and it paid off.

Sure, as a city we had to give up a lot and there were not as many jobs provided as first thought. However, let's be thankful for the jobs DaimlerChrysler did create. Let's be thankful these jobs are in Toledo and not somewhere else. Let's be thankful that the popularity of the Liberty resulted in increased production to meet demand, even in this time of economic slowdown.

If the UAW workers are so upset with their current conditions, quit and get another job that pays $25 an hour with full benefits. I am sure the employees at General Mills would be thankful to be in your situation.

TIM FUREY

Glynn Drive

India a secular, democratic state

I am writing with regard to the article by Amjad Hussain on the issue of Kashmir. He ignores two important facts. One is that India, unlike Pakistan, is a secular and a democratic state. Second, there are more Muslims in India than in Pakistan. Therefore, granting independence to Kashmir simply because there is a Muslim majority will not only run counter to India's secular status, but also lead to similar demands by Muslims in other parts of India, leading to her disintegration.

ANANT P. LABHSETWAR

Oregon