saint cloud wrote:
<quoted text>Actually by 20 I was married, with a full time job, a kid, and a mortgage. And I grew up off of the trail in Orlando. My mother kept good track of me and every time I started to speak street slang (calling people boy-or girl), whe would reprimand me. I watched her and my father get up to work hard everyday so that we could move to a better area and a better life. Yes, I did stupid things as a kid..but again 20 is not a kid. And no I would never rob someone or have a gun while doing it. People play on the "oh I was so disadvantaged" crap all of the time. It is no different that a pedophile claiming that he molests kids because someone molested him--it is still wrong.
You had great role models, as did I, but I watched my best friend in Pine Hills grow up to get into partying and supplying 'party favors' to people. He got caught and went to jail for a couple of years (he was well into the party favor business, and had become his own customer as well) and I celebrated that day. Because nothing I or anyone said could get him off the track he was on. Well now many years later, he is doing very well. If he had been shot while dealing, you people would have rejoiced as well, but I know myself, his friends and family would have been deeply saddened . For people to be applauding that type of misery is what I don't like to see. The moral of this story is also that because my friend got punished the right way, he changed his life and now is a very successful law abiding citizen. Alas, I am just wasting my breath, some people will just distort this into their own meaning. So be it, everyone has their own opinions, I hope none of you applauders ever have to feel the loss of someone close to you because of their stupid life decisions.