As I sat on my front porch this morning, I saw two police cars drive up and park across the street. I was sad when I saw them go over to my neighbor's house and bring out one of my friends.
He's around 35 years old and has two felonies on his record. He's been out of prison for a while now. I don't know what he did or didn't do for the police to pick him up. Although I know that he makes choices just like the rest of us and is still responsible for his choices, it still made me sad as I watched them bring him outside and lean him against the police car and handcuff him. I know he could see me sitting on my porch and I just thought of how that might feel knowing people in the neighborhood could see everything that was happening.
From talking to him, I don't get the feeling he's proud of his record nor do I think he would be proud of being arrested. He encourages kids not to take the same path he did. Unfortunately, I think he poses a more "do as I say, not as I do" role modeling...which doesn't work real well.
I guess some people might be happy to know that the police are doing their job and getting "bad" people off of the streets. I guess that's true and I suppose I should be glad. I've heard stories about the things he's done. It's always so hard for me to imagine these people who are so kind around me being such menaces to society.
I really have no big message or no big solution. It just makes me sad to see people with such potential making bad choices.
1 comment:
Keep the faith my friend. There are still opportunities for redemption around ever corner. It ain’t ova, just a new chapter. Plus now maybe the “do as I say” lines will carrier more meaning to those kids.
Friends (R)
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