Dear Editor,
I am emailing you in regards to the recent article in the Gilroy
Dispatch. My name is Ismael Marisclan, I was the passenger in the
accident on Redwood Retreat Road. I felt that the article,
”
A Painful Birthday, a Message of Hope,
”
didn’t represent the situation fairly. We have all tried to get
in contact with the Kinkels.
Dear Editor,
I am emailing you in regards to the recent article in the Gilroy Dispatch. My name is Ismael Marisclan, I was the passenger in the accident on Redwood Retreat Road. I felt that the article, “A Painful Birthday, a Message of Hope,” didn’t represent the situation fairly. We have all tried to get in contact with the Kinkels. I called several times, and I have left a message with the babysitter who answered their phone. We also went over to their house the day after the accident and gave our apologies. It’s tough to know whether I should go over or call especially after Tony and I were asked not to go to the Erin’s funeral.
Please try to look at it from our point of view for a second – we were asked not to go to the funeral, when Cassie Lopez went up to Mrs. Kinkel at the funeral, Mrs. Kinkel told Cassie that she couldn’t speak to her and walked away from her. The following Sunday after the accident, the Kinkels called Cassie and had asked her to come over. When Cassie got there, all their anger was spilled out towards us. They had told her how we destroyed their family, how we killed their daughter, and such. How would that make you feel? I wasn’t sure if I should go over to their house, or if I should even try to contact them. I didn’t know if they would want to see me. I have been so lost and confused about what to do with this whole situation, I don’t know how feel, what to think, or what to do. I want you to know, that I have Erin’s name tattooed on my chest. I’m joining the Marines, and when I joined I signed a contract about getting tattoos. I signed it saying that I wouldn’t get any until after boot camp, but I got the tattoo anyway with the chance of not being allowed into the Marines because of it.
For the rest of my life I will remember what happened that night when I look in the mirror and read Erin’s name along with “Always Remember.”
One day my boss came up to me and asked me if I was OK, I told her yeah and I asked her why. She told me because I’ve been talking to you for the past five minutes, and I looked at her in disbelief with tears coming from my eyes. I wasn’t OK, I haven’t been OK. How would you feel if you were on your knees in the middle of a road with her laying in front of you bleeding, while you’re praying for God to take your life instead? How would you feel if you couldn’t do anything but wait for an ambulance to come? How do you think Cassie feels knowing she was saved while her best friend is now in a casket? How do you think I feel that not a single thing happened to me, while one person is dead, one was injured, and another is being prosecuted?
Well, to tell you, right now I hate myself, and I’m trying so hard to not let this tear me down. I understand why Erin’s parents are angry with us.
I have no idea what they are going through, and I am sure they are feeling worse pain than I have. I am just asking you to please don’t be so unfair with us, none of us meant for this to happen. I know I would give my life for hers if I had the chance. I don’t want things to get worse than they already are. That’s why this weekend I am going up to a cross-country camp and I’m talking to the students about this and safety while running. We’re not bad people, we’re just all so confused about what to do. Thank you for taking the time to read this.
Ismael Marisclan, Gilroy
