Most people become involved in politics through a single issue that they care about on a deeply personal level. Absent that human connection, the political advocacy grind can sometimes feel a lot like plain old work. Sometimes others reach out to us with their own personal stories that provide moments of clarity, moments that remind us – at the most fundamental level – why we are doing this.

We had one of those moments today when we received this comment on Facebook from Robert Baron, a father up in Dobb's Ferry, NY who will soon send his son to Philadelphia for college:

My 17 year old kid just accepted for college at UPenn, and he is going to need a safer city to walk and bike in (and take transit). Just sent you $250; please fight to keep him -- and everyone else in Philly -- safe!

Thank you!

This is why we started The 5th Square.

When we hear the jeers that street safety is a luxury issue unworthy of serious political attention, we’ll remember Robert's call to keep his son safe in Philadelphia. 

We'll fight each day to protect all of our sons and daughters from the preventable tragedies that occur on our streets with alarming frequency and regularity. So many of these traffic collisions – and the resulting fatalities and injuries – can be avoided if our elected leaders commit to policies that place human safety above all else.