Lives Matter

I live four blocks from the area hospital, convenient for me seeing as how I manage to be in there constantly!  Though have managed to survive seven months now without setting remaining foot in there!  It might be a record.

I also live on top of a hill and about three blocks downhill from me is an old abandoned elementary school which has been scraped flat as the local school district wants to build a new school - only the taxpayers disagree.  And, this vacant lot is used by the hospital as a helicopter pad for ferrying patients to the Seattle trauma center.

As I lay in bed one night last week, a helicopter was circling the area.  Probably waiting for the ambulance to get to the landing pad.  I felt sorry for whom ever it was, they had to be in bad condition.  It was prom night at the local high school - probably a car accident.  sigh ...

Next day, on the news was the story of a 17 year girl, shot and killed by her 17 year old boyfriend.  The helicopter had actually been searching for the boyfriend, whom it turns out had run back to his apartment.

This is not a large community.  She lived within four blocks of me, as did her boyfriend.  Now she was dead and he will be facing adult charges for murder and then Federal charges for possession of the pistol used to kill her.

I took my daily walk and did not realize that it would take me past her place of death.  I stopped short.  Probably her mother had wired a picture of her on the fence by the sidewalk she had died beside.  A small vase and a flower.  I was struck by the simplicity, I understood the message too well ...

One of my acquaintances called and asked if I knew about the shooting.  I commented at what a waste of life this was.  "Well, it was a black shooting a black as usual ..."

I actually looked at my cell phone, I could not believe what I heard!  Yes, both of them were African descendants but what does that matter when we are talking about the preciousness of human life?!?!?!?!

I commented that they were both human beings and my little town is easily half of African descent.  "Yeah, but they are black ..."

I hung up.  Thank you liberal press and a bigot for a President to take American back to where it was when I was born!  This is pure racism and bigotry is not one of the Fruits of the Spirits folks!  I was and still am simply outraged that anyone's death should be written of as, 'they had it coming, they were black after-all'!  Just the thought turns my stomach!  I wonder if their remarks would have been the same for a Hispanic, or an Oriental, or American Indian, or even a transplanted Swiss-German?!?!?!?!

KayLynn is dead, a week before mother's day.  Imagine the pain inside of her family!
A young man, overcome by who knows what, is imprisoned for now.  In this small community, his family must be devastated.

As I returned on my walk, I saw the little memorial had grown.  And like all such memorials, will be hauled off one day.  The memories eventually fading.  And the racism expressed to me now by many, unfortunately will live on - in an area and culture where such has not existed since the 1890's ......

I am officially embarrassed to even live here ....