Personal Post

Before any new posts, I wanted to say something personal here. I hope you guys don't mind.

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Last week, I lost my little brother. He was only 20 years old. I won't go into the details of his death, other than to say that he was the victim of a drive-by shooting. He died in the arms of his best friend.

The news article of his death was posted on a neighborhood blog I follow and I was surprised by both the support and accusatory posts I read.

Most people assumed that, because he was "Mexican" and "in a gang" he deserved what he got. Well, he's not Mexican and he was not in a gang. He was a victim of being in the wrong place at the wrong time.

After having gone through this horror, I can't say that if he was in a gang it would have been deserved. I don't understand how anyone could be so callous as to say something like that.

I think it's easier for people to accept these kinds of deaths when they are "deserved,"but I don't think ANYONE deserves to go that way.

The priest who spoke at one of his prayer services put it best: "living in this neighborhood, we see death so often that it becomes normal to us. While it may be normal, it's important to remember that it is not natural. It is not natural for parents to bury their children."

My brother was a GOOD person. I realize that now more than I did then. He had so many people in his corner who loved him and tried to pull him out of this neighborhood.

I can only hope and pray that he is in a much better place now. He left us much, much too early.

R.I.P. Freddy