Another Gone

The violence and neglectfulness amongst each other must stop! Whether if it’s because they are trying to out shine someone or because they just have hatred of no reason. Recently I have noticed that in my age group and amongst a lot of my peers WE have a great sense of dislike against one another. I use the word WE because even though its not myself in particular, issues of this concern never really hit me until people who I knew personally was affected by these actions and have caused me to think about what is in store for tomorrow.

On April 7, 2011 a friend of mine who attended middle school with me was shot and killed, and since that day when I heard the news I have been skeptical about my surroundings and the company I keep. However, even though I am not the person to be concerned about if something will happen, hearing about his death have proved that many people loose their lives through being unaware of surroundings. This make me take time to think twice about where I am or who I am with. Also I continue to stand by the saying “If something is going to happen it will happen”. Whether if it is in Anacostia S.E Washington D.C or Anne Arundel Maryland, if something is meant to happen it will. This is why I don’t understand why people think it’s the neighborhoods all the time because really its not. The cause is the people who are in those neighborhoods who have nothing else better to do with their life rather then to harm and hurt people.

Not through words or negative thoughts are people being hurt, but through SHOOTINGS and STABBINGS are innocent people being taken away. I think about this a lot since people who I've personally known has been engaged with these things and are now gone, not because they are actually gone physically but because of how these things happen. When I look at this and how these things happen all I can ask is, why? or what was the reason behind this, and the only answer I receive is a I don't know or he/she wasn't apart of this or that, but then I say well what is the importance behind this and is it a real answer besides the excuse that you have to hide your hatred you have within yourself. Not only do I think I look at these situations in this way but people in general look at the younger class as being ignorant or having no self-respect only because of what they see and hear and that's all they can go on. Then people get upset when they are put into a category and affected by ageism. Even though ageism is not the best category to be put in, if we act like kids and do antics that are not appropriate for certain situations then we should be treated like children because it shows that we are not matured individuals. Also this is revealed through when something bad happens whether if it is a small matter or big people always say “Oh I was just playing” and this also show that things in life are not always a joke and can not always be resolved with a “My fault, or I’m sorry” especially when people lives are taken because of this. So a solution that need to be put into place is for younger people to realize that life is not always about joking and playing around and some things can be more of a issue to someone else than it may be to you and you have to have a sense of a sentimental side to other people and importance’s and beliefs to them.

Also, connecting back to Ra-heem Jackson who was killed, he is a great example of a young individual who had a goal for life and was going to attend college and play basketball. Also he was a great writer and a helpful individual within his school community and as I sat in at his funeral they told us that at his school he attended which was HD Woodson senior high school he always had wise words who ever walked around with fear and in quote he gives the advice “Don’t look scared,” recalled Kevin Bjerregaard a new AP English teacher “Because noth­ing bad will hap­pen to you if you aren’t scared.” To this advice Ra-Heem also writes the poem:

No one speaking a word.
Walking through the dark street
you run away with a long dis­tance scream.
You’re running from dark faces you’ve seen,
all the nightmares you have ev­er dreamed.
It’s just you fac­ing re­ality as you get to your house
still in a daze, trying to fig­ure out
what it’s like to
walk down Benning Road.


From this horrifying situation and something done to a person who had plans this here should set an example to every other young person to strive for their goals and put a stop to the violence and the problems which are continuing to occur right now. Don’t be influenced by the bad but influence people to be like you in a good way.



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