From the desk of Vaughan deKirby, California accident lawyer:

It’s officially summer now– and as a California accident lawyer, I have a very important message for San Francisco parents with young children at home.

Most of you probably have a driveway - a smooth sailing paradise for all the tricycle-tykes out there, but did you know that 30% of deaths involving a motor vehicle and a child are caused from a vehicle backing over a child while playing in the driveway? Given the nature of the accident, you can also imagine that more than 75% of those incidents involved the parent(s) of the child.

This is a horrifying thing for any parent to imagine. So how can you keep this tragedy from befalling your family? Here are some tips:

• One of the most important rules to remember is that the frontyard is a no-go zone when adults are not around. Fenced in backyards are the best place for children to play if they are going to be unsupervised. 
• Don’t let your children play outside after dark. Little ones are hard enough to see behind and around you in the middle of the day - at night it is next to impossible. When the sun goes down, take playtime inside.
• Teach your children not to play around parked or moving vehicles. Make sure to enforce your rules when necessary - eventually they will learn. You can even set up safety zones in the yard where your children can go in the event of a moving vehicle.
• Always walk around the car before you put the key in the ignition. This will not only help keep your children safe, it will also keep your vehicle safe i case there are objects behind you that you could not see.
• Remember - if there is no one to keep an eye on your child and you have to move the car, bring your child with you. Make sure they are inside the vehicle and you are ensured that they will be safe.

For more information on how to protect your children from common pedestrian accidents in California or for more information on California accident lawyer, Vaughan deKirby, visit http://www.consumerrightsalliance.org to request The Pedestrian Survival Guide: Safety, Rights, Recovery.

It’s safe to say that there is no place in the world, and certainly no state in America, quite like California—the “Golden State,” as it’s known. I’m speaking from experience—I was born in California and have lived here for most of my life. My work as an immigration attorney has led me to travel both across the United States and across the world, and my travels have given me a fresh perspective on just what makes California unique. In my mind, it’s this: in virtually all aspects—in it’s geography and climate; in it’s economy and population—what sets California apart is its incredible diversity. There is no such thing as an “average Californian.” There are people in California from all over the world, and from all walks of life.

California boasts some of the most prestigious colleges and universities in the world, including Stanford, UC Berkeley, UC San Diego, UCLA and others. There’s also far more to choose from: nearly 400 colleges, the most of any state.

In their diversity, California’s climate and geography parallel its population.  From the deserts in the South and the snowy mountain ranges in the East to the forests in the North, California includes an amazing array of climate types and geographical features. California is also one of only a small handful of places in the world that have a Mediterranean climate, similar to those countries on the coast of the Mediterranean Sea.

California has an enormously productive and diverse economy. Though estimates vary, California—if it were a nation of its own—would have one of the 10 largest economies in the world. The state is one of the nation’s leaders in agriculture, producing more fruits, vegetables and dairy than any other state.  California is also known for its wine, which rivals that of Spain, Italy and France in both volume and quality. Of course, it is also the home of Hollywood, the world’s epicenter of film and television. And the high tech “Silicon Valley,” located in Southern California, is the nation’s leading producer of computer hardware and software.

For all its richness, it’s no wonder that aspiring immigrants to the United States regard California as one of the most desirable places to live. The EB-5 visa program can make that dream possible.

My name is Vaughan de Kirby, and I am a San Francisco-based attorney. I would like to express my support of State Assemblyman Paul Fong’s effort to secure an apology from the State of California for its treatment of Chinese immigrants and citizens.

            California’s Chinese immigrants have helped build ships, levies, irrigation systems and the Transcontinental Railroad. The Chinese have played a key role in California’s farming industry as well as in the development of California’s shrimp and abalone industries. We must not ignore the tremendous contribution that the Chinese immigrants, their families and descendants continue to make to California and the nation in every aspect of our society and economy. 

            It is impossible to overestimate the critical role that the Chinese played in the development of the State of California and the United States as a whole.

            The tragic fact is that the Chinese of California suffered assaults on their civil rights that are hard for us to comprehend today. The Chinese were required to pay special taxes, forced out of their homes, denied the rights to own property, marry whites and even attend public schools.  These were the official actions of our state and national government. These assaults on their civil liberties fail to address the violence and intimidation that was part of the Chinese immigrant’s life in the United States in the last century.

            These abuses are part of the living memory of many Chinese today. Many Chinese in San Francisco will remember when they could not buy property and were prevented from becoming naturalized citizens of the United States because they were Chinese. These violations of civil liberties should not be forgotten.

            It’s time for the State of California and the nation to formally apologize to the Chinese for the systematic denial of their civil liberties. It is time for the nation and the State of California to formally recognize the tremendous contribution made by the Chinese in the development of our state and nation as well as the continuing contribution they make to the diverse fabric of our society.