In the last few days, I have been following the story of Jamiel Andre Shaw, II.
If you haven't heard, Shaw was a promising young running back whose life was cut short last week when he didn't respond after being confronted by a gang member right outside his home. His mom was serving over in Iraq, and his dad was inside the house trying to warn his son about the gunshots he heard outside. But those gunshots were the ones that killed his son.
If you haven't heard, Shaw was a promising young running back whose life was cut short last week when he didn't respond after being confronted by a gang member right outside his home. His mom was serving over in Iraq, and his dad was inside the house trying to warn his son about the gunshots he heard outside. But those gunshots were the ones that killed his son.
This story got even more attention because Shaw was being recruited by Stanford University and Arizona State University.
The story only got worse after I read Bill Simmons' article on the situation, where Simmons detailed how Shaw's dad had an "18-year plan" for his son. The plan entailed getting his son to his 18th birthday, after which he believed his son would have made it out of the treacherous years of life on the streets of L.A. He almost made it.
Apparently Shaw was not only talented but also a nice kid, which will prompt people to ask why something like this happened to such a good person.
I can't say that I know for sure, but I will say that sometimes we only pay attention to things when it happens to the best and brightest among us. How many more have to die before we really start doing something to make a difference?
It's not much in the scheme of things, but I'm taking my mentee to an NBA game tomorrow. Every little bit counts.
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