I was simply ignorant, but hat ignorance was not who I became.
My mother worked hard to make sure my brother and I were properly educated. A woman who instilled a can-do attitude and morals and values in her children is an accomplishment of which she can be proud.
But, I still feel shame for the things I did as an ignorant child just I feel shame for the events unfolding in Chicago.
Last night, I attempted to sit down and watch the Facebook Live video (it has been removed from Facebook but you can see it on YouTube here). Tears flooded my eyes and my heart tightened in my chest. So many feelings flooded through my body. Disgust being at the top. I felt sickened by the disgust of knowing that parents out there were not doing their jobs. I felt disgust that we have young adults in this country who laugh at this behavior. I felt disgust that more of the viewers of that Facebook Live video did not speak out while this was happening.
All of this left me feeling thoroughly nauseated. I could only tolerate less than five minutes of the video. After that point, the mom in me broke down. This young man sat suffering endlessly while his panic stricken parents waited and hoped. It's possible he sat there not understanding why this was happening to him. It's possible he sat there wondering why. What did he do to deserve this?
It could have been my child.
It could have been your child.
It could have been any one's child or loved one who was kicked, hit, cut, etc. My tears streamed down my cheeks knowing that no matter how horrible a crime this is, the restitution won't be enough. As I cried, I knew that these thoughts and behaviors didn't just pop up when they turned 18. I cried for the victim.
I weep for the future of this country. Tweets by @JackieMichele
