Political Quotes

“Mr. President, I want to pay tribute to Sarah Root, a young woman from Iowa who had a very bright future but was taken from this Earth too soon. Sarah was 21 years old and just graduated from Bellevue University with perfect grades. In the words of her family, ``She was full of life and ready to take on the world.'' According to a close friend of hers, Sarah was smart, outgoing, and dedicated to her friends and family. She embodied the words that were tattooed on her body: ``Live, laugh and love.'' The day Sarah graduated, she was struck by a drunk driver. That driver was in the country illegally. The alleged drunk driver was Edwin Mejia, and he had a blood alcohol content of .241, three times the legal limit. The driver was charged with felony motor vehicle homicide and operating a vehicle while intoxicated on February 3. Bail was set at $50,000, but he was only required to put up 10 percent. So for a mere $5,000, the drunk driver walked out of jail and into the shadows. As Sarah's father said, after laying his daughter to rest, ``The cost of a bond cost less than the funeral.'' Those are painful words to hear, but what is more frustrating is that the driver should have never been released. When local law enforcement apparently asked the Federal Government--specifically U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement--to take custody of the person, the Federal Government declined. ICE refused to place a detainer on the driver.…”