Darius Simmons.
Wanted to end a great day - Ashley's birthday - with a little Social Justice news. It's slightly rainy - so I wanted to curl up to a little Internet reading. I ran across this article on sojo.net and it upset me. I hate being the bearer of bad news. I try not to cover too many news stories, but I can't get away from this story. I can't...not "cover" it (in my own way). I can't write about the fabulous movie, the incredible second-hand bookstore, and the delectable dinner. To write about my happiness would be inauthentic. It wouldn't be genuine to what I am feeling and how disappointed I am at racism.
I want children. I want boys. I want little black boys that look and dress like little black boys, take it how you want to. I want black boys that are completely aware of and influenced by urban society. I want them to be cultured. I want them to have manners. I want the very best for them. I don't want intimidated SCARED little boys that have the weight of prejudice on their shoulders. I don't want them to walk sloped shoulders, head bowed - with meek little voices - afraid of "scaring" or "offending" others. I don't want to have to raise them to walk on FREAKIN shells - nervous about being shot by some one that assumed he, my child, was a criminal!
I know God is good. I know He will protect my babies. I know they will grow to be men and have children of their own! I know these things. I claim them. BUT I'M UPSET. I'm tired of my sisters' babies being taken FOR NO REASON. I am tired of racism - black on black crime - yeah I get it. BUT there is no excuse for this. Let's not continue to drown out the deaths of these young men with arguments about black on black crime. Seriously, I'm over it. So, over it.
sojo.net
The Death of Darius Simmons and the Seeds of New Life
by Steve Jerbi 06-11-2012 | 9:06am
Darius Simmons. Photo courtesy of All Peoples Church.
[...I cut the article...read whole article here]
And yet, behind this cacophony there is the small, very real life of Darius, the boy who worshipped at my church. There is the child who knew about seeds and watering and tending as he worked in our community garden. There is a scale to this story that is small and personal.
According to the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel,
on May 31, a day Darius stayed home from from his sixth-grade classes
at Gaenslen Elementary School in Milwaukee's Riverwest neighborhood
because he wasn't feeling well, he walked outside to retreive a garbage
can from the curb.There his next-door-neighbor, 75-year-old John Henry Spooner, confronted him about the burglary of his home a few days earlier. Spooner, who is suffering from lung cancer, accused Darius of stealing a gun from his house. Darius denied having anything to do with the alleged theft.
Darius' mother, Patricia Larry, who also was outside at the time of the confrontation, told Spooner to leave her son alone. Instead, Spooner drew a gun and shot the boy twice. He died a few hours later. He was 13 years old.
Spooner has been charged with first-degree intentional homicide, use of a dangerous weapon. A judge set his bail at $300,000.
Read more here: http://sojo.net/blogs/2012/06/11/death-darius-simmons-and-seeds-new-life
