UNPOPULAR POST OF THE DAY: We are burying way too many young men in 2012 in Allentown, PA. Three killings in 3 weeks and it really doesn't matter WHAT the circumstance or WHERE they were from because, either way, LIVES are gone. Those who KNOW me know I love the people of the Allentown community and have done various events and marches over the years. Unfortunately, it seems they actually do little except provide sound bites or a human interest story for local newspapers and television stations. The question we should be asking is NOT what CONSPIRACY or COVER UP is occurring within our police department or government, but WHEN will we begin taking responsibility for our own lives ? I believe the tragedy in the most recent death is not HOW he died because, any loss of a human life can be devastating, but that this young man was 23 years old, with a new born daughter, with family in town, yet had no insurance or source of income to take care of his child or the child's mom in the event of his death. Yes, money was gathered to bury him and have a decent funeral, but isn't it the same with everyone ? We always go through the same regularly scheduled actions: We'll have a party at a club or lounge to raise funds; we create, sell, and wear shirts with the victim's face; hundreds will show up at the funeral crying and talking about the "good times"; afterward, we all will go eat or go to another party later that night and drink ourselves into oblivion and say it's because we are in mourning and hurting; the shirt ends up in the laundry and worn every so often until it fades, just like the victim's memory. Oh, he'll be remembered, but just until the NEXT tragedy and then we'll start the cycle all over again.
NOW, people want to carry signs and talk about injustice , yet when this man was alive there were NO protests regarding obtaining work and decent salaries for all of these able bodied people in the "hood" of A-town so they could get out of "the game"; there were NO marches for all of the single mom's, literally, struggling to make ends meet financially, mentally, or spiritually; there were NO demonstrations for all of the children with no -time or part time fathers / or the sperm donors who may as well be dead; and let's not forget the "ratchet" mothers who don't even try to "fake like they care about their kids" and then when the little ones grow up in "the system" and end up "6 feet under", "Moms" wants to jump on the casket and talk about, "My baby! My baby!" People, we really need to stop the madness. Seriously. If you really want to STOP THE VIOLENCE, then DO SOMETHING besides talk about it or there will be many more tragedies in the near future... R.I.P. O HEAD
- FROM A TRUE OLD HEAD,
Alfonso Todd