The loss of life is always tragic, so we search for the good that may come from it in order to explain and cope with it. The death of Garneal Matthews, one of the 10 people killed in that horrific accident on Interstate Highway 55 Jan. 26, provides just such an opportunity.
I did not know Garneal Matthews but, like every one of us, I know people like him. People who give of their time and energy to do good, to do God’s work. They don’t receive the attention and accolades showered upon our sports heroes and politicians, and they don’t expect it.
Garneal Matthews heard the call to a higher purpose and died trying to save lives, bringing families to see their loved ones in prison. It’s not glamorous work, but it’s critical work. As Eric Zorn pointed out, prisoners who have regular family contact and a support network when they get out are six times less likely to return to prison than those without such support (“Van driver died in the line of duty to community,” Jan. 30).
Garneal Matthews’ death was certainly a tragic one, but it is hoped that the attention he has received in death will lead more to follow the path he chose in life. To ignore Garneal Matthews’ example would be the real tragedy.
