I was deeply saddened and moved to tears this morning as I watched this segment on Good Morning America about a young man named Christopher David Jones 14, brutally beaten to death by a group of six black males... only ranging in ages from 14 to 16, while riding his bike home on May 30, 2009 around 4 p.m.
As I watched the pain and hurt his parents expressed reliving and retelling what was probably countless number of times the day their son passed away was almost unbearable. You don't have to be a parent to see that the death of Christopher has left a giant, gaping hole in their hearts.
This did not occur in the "bad neighborhoods" or "projects" as one may have assumed but right here in what could be our own backyard and what appears to be a picturesque suburbia of Crofton, Maryland in Anne Arundel County known as the “land of pleasant living" in which nearly 500,000 residents call home.
Two arrests have been made to date with the second being kept anonymous due to his minor age. They were all associated with gangs already at such young ages. The first one being Javel George, 16 who has been charged as an adult with manslaughter, second-degree assault and reckless endangerment. There are pictures of these boys flashing their gang symbols and signs proudly. It is unfortunately another step down for the black community that always claim their "people" are being stereotyped, mistreated or targeted in some way. It is individuals such as these that keep the stereotyping a fact rather than fiction. It should be noted that there are bad people in all races; but few as vocal, demanding and conducting themselves with this sense of entitlement as if everyone else owes them something all the time; as some do within the black population.
Christopher apparently has had run ins with these thugs and has been bullied by them before. His mother had done ALMOST everything to protect him and end this problem. She contacted the school he was attending at the time and even switched to a different school. With that in mind, I have to ask, "Where are the parents of these delinquents?" while this was occurring. How is it possible for them allow their children to be in gangs and worst of all bullying and killing an innocent child!
I say Christopher's mother did ALMOST everything but not in a judgmental context. I have to wonder if these bullies parents were ever contacted by her personally since the school did not take any action. It has not been mentioned whether or not that was ever done or if she even knew who they all were... So I am in no way making light of any of her efforts. It is no longer good enough to raise your kids with morals and values; but you also have to raise them to be cynical and wary of others; which tears us down as a functioning society.
It is hard to believe that in all the past and present coverage and discussions of bullying that occurs, nothing has changed. It can be just as deadly as children bringing guns or knives to schools but somehow we don't treat it the same way with the same urgency.
These bullies were obviously not from a loving nor stable home and no apparent evidence of discipline either. I say these things under assumption of course, because I don't know how you cannot know or do anything as a parent if your child is in a gang or is bullying someone. I understand some choose to turn a deaf ear but most just don't want to face it or deal with it. So the rest of us suffer for their negligence.
It's another example of the deconstruction of America; our continuing lack of efforts to raise good decent human beings.
How far are you willing to go to step up and be a positive influence in your childrens lifes and bring back the values and moral standards that America USED to have?
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