He Was Just A Child

We live practically across the street from an area middle school.  A middle school where today they cancelled end-of-year exams.  A middle school where today they were mourning one of their own.

Yesterday afternoon, in broad daylight, a 14 year old boy, at the park with a group of friends, was gunned down.  When it first was announced on the news, I panicked.  My son, in the same age range, has a friend who lives in that neighborhood.  I Googled and checked all the local news websites till the identity was named, I had to know it was not him.  At the same time the relief washed over me, so did the sadness.  Someone’s child went to the park and now was DEAD.  This family can never joke with, laugh with, hug, be proud of, hang out with, celebrate with, or, heck, he’s a teen, even yell at and get mad at this boy again.  Ever.

Today I checked the news sites looking for updates.  Here I found comments that make this child’s death even more tragic.

Racism.  It is an ugly thing that still exists in huge measure in our country.  So many statements made based solely on race and neighborhood.  All the white people who assume it is a drug deal gone bad.  All the black people who state that white people live in a bubble and can’t understand.  All the purple, yellow, orange, green, whatever people who seem to have forgotten this is a CHILD, and people of all races and colors can understand what it is to love one, no matter what their lives are like.

A child is dead.  A human being’s life was cut off way before his time.  This child could have grown up to be anything, anyone.  We all should mourn that, and want to find a way to prevent this sort of thing.

As the information breaks on this story, we find out this child was set to testify against someone in court this week.  How brave is that for a 14 year old?  Articles have stated that the community is cooperating with leads.  Yet there are those people who still can’t get it out of their head that this has to be a child “gone bad.”  Questions about why the other KIDS ran.  May I ask this question?  What the HECK would you want your own child to do???  Hang out and get shot too?  Run right back to be a witness when the perpetrator is still at large, and possibly put themselves in danger too?

Can’t we all just be human beings sometimes?  I cried this evening for this child I don’t even know.  This isn't something that is about race or area of town.  This is a child who was trying to do the right thing.  This could be any of our children, ANY of our children.  Evil doesn't discriminate, perhaps we shouldn't either.

That’s why they have wine.  I need an extra glass right now.