Kyleigh’s Law

May 1, 2010 commences the start of Kyleigh’s Law. This outrage has brought argument and anger to high school students everywhere. When the gym teachers first posted the news article on the gym wall, students harassed the teachers about what this law meant for us, and how it could be passed in Congress. Although Corzine and the other senators who voted to pass the law think it will be more effective, they clearly do not have young daughters driving, because then they would recognize the pernicious effects. For a teenage girl to drive around with a red sticker on their license plate that profiles them as a new driver and an underage person is jeopardizing their safety. They may as well have us walk around with a label on our foreheads that says, “Attention pedophiles, I am a young girl driving alone in my car.” Even though the law went into effect on Saturday, the stickers still are not ubiquitous. As a girl who gets her license in less than a month, I feel as if the safety of my suburban milieu has suddenly been obliterated.

Although it seems like us teens are the only ones dissatisfied with this new law, our parents are also concerned about the consequences of the red sticker. It is certain that Congress needs to hold another symposium and discuss this matter in further depth. I do sympathize with the family of Kyleigh who has to suffer with her loss daily. However, I do not believe that this strict law should be the consequence of one girl’s actions. Even if the curfew was 11:00 P.M., I would accept that as the law. But, I cannot accept the fact that my safety is in peril every time I drive my car.