Parent Write Letter, Athens GA
 

good move by the parents


Letter in today's Athens Banner Herald:

Walter Fish: Family holds fraternity blameless in son's death
| | Story updated at 5:53 PM on Monday, February 13, 2006
As our family tries to cope with the recent passing of our beloved son, Lewis Fish, I have become greatly alarmed at the ongoing media and public opinion attacks on the Sigma Alpha Epsilon fraternity at the University of Georgia. Without any hesitation, I can tell you my family in no way places any blame on this fraternity for Lewis' death.

Lewis loved being a UGA student, and the main reason was his involvement at the SAE house. He had great friends - people who cared about him, and whom he cared about in return. His school work and grades were outstanding. In short, he cherished his time at school and the fraternity, and we had never seen him so excited and positive about his future. We credit his time at SAE for much of his happiness and will be forever appreciative of his fraternity experience.

It hurts us to see the people and the place he held so dear being wrongly persecuted. Though Lewis' time there was short, we know he would not approve of others blaming his fraternity, and we ask that you honor his memory by stopping the allegations about the one place he loved most at UGA - the Sigma Alpha Epsilon fraternity.

In hopes others will follow our lead away from blame and toward intervention, we - Lewis' family and friends - have bonded to launch the Lewis Fish Foundation, which will be inaugurated at the SAE house in Athens beginning this spring, to reach and teach incoming students about the dangers of alcohol and drug abuse in their new college environment.

The foundation is being made possible by the many generous financial donations made in his honor.

We encourage others to join us in participating in the foundation or organizing other solutions to these challenges that face young people not only in our area, but throughout the nation as well.

Walter Fish

Atlanta



Published in the Athens Banner-Herald on 021306

Proud of his parents.

Too rare, these days. Bravo to his parents and I hope their actions have a lasting impact.