How a Liberal Became an Enforcement Advocate: My Story

As a new blogger, I thought it best that I introduce myself to let you know a little about me.

I grew up and went to college on the East Coast. I was in college during the Vietnam War years. Like many I protested the war, was tear gassed multiple times and had a National Guardsman’s rifle pointed in my face from about 6 inches away. I got involved in politics working on the George McGovern campaign. As you can see, I was then and remain today a committed liberal. I moved to California almost 25 years ago as an entertainment executive and raised a family with my wife and three children.

I lived a pretty good life until November 16, 2010. At 5:30 that evening my oldest son Drew, 25, a second-year law student in San Francisco, was on his way home when he was struck and killed by an unlicensed driver. Roberto Galo, trying to run a changing light, made an abrupt left hand turn and struck my son who was on his motorcycle.

As it was rush hour, Drew was going slowly and Galo was at a full stop before he made his turn. They collided and Drew went flying over the front of Galo’s car. Had Galo stopped, other than sustaining a few bruises Drew would have survived.

But Galo didn’t stop. Eyewitness testimony said that he accelerated as he drove over my son. Drew's helmet had come off and wedged under one of Galo’s tires which stopped the car's forward movement. Galo backed up, drove over Drew again and then, going forward in his attempt to flee, drove over him one more time. A man in a car waiting for the light to change got out and risked his life by standing in front of Galo’s car. Galo stopped with his rear tire on my son’s abdomen. Five men had to lift the car off of his body.

The next day my wife and I met with the police inspector assigned to the case. He told us Galo would be charged with felony vehicular homicide. Based on the eyewitnesses and the evidence at the scene, the case appeared to be a slam dunk. The inspector also told us that Galo was here illegally. But a few days later he called and told us that the sheriff’s office had made a mistake and that Galo was in the country legally.

Losing a child is the worst thing that can happen to you but the city, state and in my case the federal government went out of their way to try and make sure they come in a close second. I’ve learned that the powers to be either want you to leave it to them or else they do everything in their power (and some things not in their legal power) to frustrate you to the point that you throw up your hands and walk away. In my case, I have refused to do that.

Although Galo was originally here under the federal Temporary Protected Status program, he didn't have a driver’s license. As it turns out, despite California's strict regulations against unlicensed drivers, the laws are barely enforced which often results in tragic consequences. An estimated 95 percent of unlicensed drivers are illegal aliens.

My next blog will take you into my 2-½ year nightmare of dealing with government bureaucracy that does all it can to protect the criminal and re-victimize the victims.

The whole story of Galo, my son Drew and my family's nightmare is on my website here.