Dear Dennis,

It seems ironic that I should come upon your editorial as I just returned home from putting fresh flowers on my sister Donna's gravesite. The only thing holding my parents together at the moment is there pursuit of righteousness following the most devastating thing a parent can go through.

We believe Donna's dog Barney is her surviving messenger as many of us often relate to an animal in crisis before ourselves. My father was impressed with your honest analogy of a most obvious "cocktail" for disaster on our beaches and the impending controversy we will face in order to make sense of our loss by creating a safer environment for everyone else.

Our family has started a petition to ban Alcohol on Siesta Key beach. If any readers would like to sign it, they can click here. 

Sincerly and Appreciatively,

Dinise Macphail

In case you missed it:

Siesta Key Tragedy Reignites Alcohol on the Beach Debate