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Now I lay me down to sleep, I pray the Lord my soul to keep.
And if I die before I wake. I pray the Lord my soul to take.
That's my opening to every letter I've ever written or spoken to GOD. Since I was a little kid, that's my opening. I feel the Almighty gets my attention when I start off like a 4 year old.
Isaiah Mendez
I've opened up my line of communication with God tonight because I have a question...
Dear Lord, I never question why you do what you do. I never ask what is the point, for me or for anyone else around but today I must ask you this forbidden question... Why? Why would you take that little boy? Was it really his time to be by your side? Why would you choose to have his mother sufffer like this? What is the point in all this? OK, so that was a few questions...But just the same, I feel like I've sinned for asking. Sinned for wondering and even put my own at risk by caring so much and hurting so hard.
The boy I speak of Isaiah Mendez who was just born in February of 1997. I don't know him, nor do I know his family. I only met his aunt recently and read her posting on Facebook about losing her nephew and the pain her family was going through. The senseless act that reamins unsolved...Isaiah a boy who lost his life recently in what authorities are now calling an "accident". The story is here:
2 fatal teen shootings both called accidental
Isaiah and his family
I just don't understand why it's an accident and why this or anything like it should happen to any other child. They've not had a fair chance to live even part of their lives. What's going on? I'm absolutely not trying to be funny to quote Marvin Gaye but really, What's Going ON?!
I promised myself not to use my blog, my personal platform I intended for happiness and positive minority moments, for these types of stories or tragedies. That's what the newspaper is for and they do the job all too well. My sole intention is to bring awareness and hope others will want to rally to help the problem that plagues our city and possibly find a solution once and for all.
For Isaiah I can't help but think of his mom, Tabitha Cruz who is about my age...what she feels...I can't even imagine, nor would I ever want to imagine. His brother and sister, Kaela and Demetrius. What are they going to do without their big brother? Who will they look up to? It pains me to think about it and it also raises my question. What can WE DO?!
What can we all do to help our youth? From Derrion Albert (who I cry about every so often when I think of him) victim of beating death at Fenger High School, a notably horrible death, to this one, to the next one...what can we do? So many children that I myself cry for when I hear of them being gunned down, beat to death or just shot by accident because of a gun in the wrong hands. It's so sad. There must be something we ALL can do.
I propose a challenge to all of us as parents, community leaders, activits, and as humans in a city that is great, who care about the welfare of children, to please gather and find a way. Find some way to help these children, help our children move forward to live without fear and death so evident everyday that it becomes the way of life in the streets of Chicago. Children should be held to the highest standards and respect that they are innocent beings and should be treated as angels long before they are taken away and become true Angels all too early. It's simply heartbreaking and it must stop.
It's a long time coming to take the streets back. It's what needs to be done so no more mothers have to cry themselves to sleep wondering why and other mothers, like me, fearing will this happen to my child next? We have passion for so many good things, why not this? Someone other than GOD should hear our prayers and pleas for help. Someone(s) should step up and help this city before all are lost to violence that can and should be controled.
Photos courtesy of the brave mother of Isaiah Mendez, Tabitha Cruz, who I don't know but my heart bleeds for everyday. I pray for you to heal a little more every day and carry on for your children everyday. Tabitha, he will never be forgotten.
For more information on the problems our kids face in Chicago, I've listed some really good articles from the Chicago Tribune below. Please comment by adding any resources you have for our youth to take advantage of to be better, feel better and get better. It's ALL our job.
Why Kids Fight - Chicago Tribune
Cease Fire Chicago
Chicago anti-violence groups struggle
CPS anti-violence program takes off, slowly
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