Candy Lightner

“Since 1982, drunk driving fatalities on our nation’s roadways have decreased 48%” (“Drunk Driving Fatalities”). This was possible from the tragedy that Lightner experienced in the past. “Lightner was born May 30, 1946, to Dykes Charles Dodderidge and Katherine Dodderidge in Pasadena, California.” She married and divorced Steve Lightner, the father of her three children: her twin daughters, Serena and Cari, and her son, Travis. Due to an unfortunate drunk driving accident causing Cari’s death, Lightner decided there needed to be a change and started MADD: Mothers Against Drunk Driving (“Candy Lightner” Encyclopedia). Through years of struggle, Lightner was able to make many changes such as the viewpoints society has on drunk driving, as well as the laws that apply to drunk driving. A hero must have ambition and influence. Ambition is the strong will to reach a goal, and influence is the effect one has on their environment. Lightner is a hero because she is influential, changes the environment around her for the better, and because she is ambitious and never loses sight of her goals.

To be ambitious means to continuously go after a goal until one reaches it, no matter what obstacles might be in the way. Candy Lightner is ambitious because she pushed to make MADD known not only for her daughter, but also for the sake of others affected by drunk driving. After Cari’s tragic death, Lightner was heartbroken and frustrated. However, the fact that Clarence Busch, the person responsible for killing her daughter, was sentenced with minimal jail time enraged her. At that moment, she knew something needed to change. Rather than grieving, she turned her attention to delivering justice for her daughter. When “Clarence William Busch was sentenced to two years in prison, Lightner had breathed her passion into MADD. Scraping together seed money from sources including Cari's insurance policy and her own savings, Lightner quit her job and plunged into lobbying for tougher drunk driving laws” (Hanson). Lightner pursued Mothers Against Drunk Driving because she felt it was her duty to spread awareness and keep other families from suffering like hers did. She put her all into the organization by getting rid of distractions, such as her job, and putting all the money she had left into MADD. Her ambition shines through her actions because if she wasn’t so passionate about reaching her goal, she wouldn’t have dedicated her life to raise awareness of drunk driving. At first, when starting Mothers Against Drunk Driving, Lightner struggled to raise awareness of the issue. She needed someone with authority to help her spread the word. So, in her efforts to raise awareness, she pursued Governor Brown’s attention. For example, “Lightner began going to Governor Brown's office daily. Finally, in the fall of 1980, the governor agreed to meet with her. As a result of their meeting, Brown established a statewide task force on drunk driving and appointed Lightner its first member” (“Candy Lightner” Newsmakers). Just because Lightner started her organization, didn’t mean everything from there was smooth sailing. She needed to somehow make the issue known to the world, so she persistently went to Governor Brown’s office every day. He didn’t seem to cooperate, so she had a rough time starting up MADD. As an ambitious person, however, the governor’s ignorance did not stop her. Despite the difficulty meeting with Governor Brown, he eventually met with her, which resulted in her being a member in the newly formed task force on drunk driving. Lightner’s ambitious and hardworking tendencies led her to join the new task force, which marked the moment where she would save many lives in the future. Despite all the difficulty Lightner faced starting Mothers Against Drunk Driving, her ambition did not allow her to be shaken by the obstacles in her way. Instead, she was able to push through and eventually able to achieve her goal.

ightner is also a hero because she uses her influence to positively affect her environment and those around her by revealing to the public the big issue with drunk driving, and by changing drunk driving laws for the better. Through Lightner’s efforts, she was able to show the world the negative side to drunk driving. The “persuasive logic and emotional impact of Lightner’s message led to a dramatic change in public attitudes toward DWI. It had been the only acceptable form of homicide. It soon became socially unacceptable” (Hanson). Using her influence, Lightner was able to shift the views of society and make others see that drunk driving is murder in disguise. In her journey to raise awareness and put a spotlight on the topic, she was able to prevent more deaths and eventually make drunk driving socially unacceptable. As MADD grew, the nation began to open its eyes to an issue that had largely been ignored for decades. In the document “Candy Lightner Is the Founder of MADD (Mothers Against Drunk Driving)”, it states, “Lightner’s efforts led to President Reagan appointing a Blue Ribbon Commission on Drunk and Drugged Driving in 1982. Soon, over 400 drunk driving laws passed across the country. She served on the Presidential Commission on [different organizations to prevent issues relating to driving under the influence]” (Hanson). Lightner was able to help pass laws to restrict drunk driving and start organizations that would not only raise awareness on the problem, but also take action. Through her influential character and deeds, others were able to live their lives knowing they and their loved ones were safe from the tragedies caused by drunk driving. Lightner’s influence ended up saving thousands of lives each year, which proves that she is a hero. Lightner is an influential figure, who shook the world in a way where people could see the underlying issue of drunk driving, proving her heroism.

As seen through her actions, Lightner is an influential hero who changed the environment around her for the better and never lost sight of her goals. All three of Candy Lightner’s children have been in unfortunate incidents relating to drunk driving. Lightner felt that public ideals about drunk driving at the time were wrong and needed to be changed. Although MADD had a rough start, Lightner’s ambitious personality and influential actions allowed MADD to thrive. Lightner especially inspires me because instead of looking past Cari’s death and not taking action, she stood up for what she believed in, which is what inspired me the most. Although I only explain two qualities shown by Lightner, she presents many more, such as passion and ethics. However, Lightner greatly inspired others mainly through her influence and ambition. With these traits, she was able to shift the viewpoints of those who could not see the issue with drunk driving, and change laws which now save thousands of lives each year. Candy Lightner’s positive impact on the world was able to change the lives of thousands who might’ve ended like her daughter, Cari.

"Candy Lightner." Encyclopedia of World Biography, vol. 19, Gale, 1999. Biography In Context, https://link.galegroup.com/apps/doc/K1631007289/BIC?u=powa9245&sid=BIC&xid=cd14f979. Accessed 23 Jan. 2019.

"Candy Lightner." Newsmakers, Gale, 1985. Biography In Context, https://link.galegroup.com/apps/doc/K1618000347/BIC?u=powa9245&sid=BIC&xid=fc51eefc. Accessed 23 Jan. 2019.

“Cari's Story.” We Save Lives, Highway Safety Advocates, 16 Dec. 2016, wesavelives.org/caris-story/.

“Drunk Driving Fatalities.” Responsibility.org, Foundation for Advancing Alcohol Responsibility, 2017, www.responsibility.org/alcohol-statistics/drunk-driving-statistics/drunk-driving-fatality-statistics/.

Griffin, Katherine. “Mothers Against Drunk Driving.” Health (Time Inc. Health), vol. 8, no. 4, July 1994, p. 62. EBSCOhost, search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=aph&AN=9409212371&site=ehost-live. 

Hanson, David J. “Candy Lightner Is the Founder of MADD (Mothers Against Drunk Driving).” Alcohol Problems & Solutions, 14 Mar. 2017, www.alcoholproblemsandsolutions.org/candy-lightner/

Kugler, Sara. “Day 22: Mothers, Tragedy, and Activism.” MSNBC, NBCUniversal News Group, 7 Apr. 2014, www.msnbc.com/msnbc/day-22-mothers-tragedy-and-activism.