Last weekend, Bobby Maurice Tillman (age 18) was stomped to death outside a house party in Atlanta. Allegedly, a fight had taken place between two girls, when one of the girls hit a guy. Instead of hitting the girl back, the guy said that he would hit the next person who walked outside. Unfortunately that was Bobby. It upsets me that this young man had to die over such a senseless act.Immediately, I thought about my July post, "Simmer Down: Learning to Control Your Anger." We have to learn to control our anger. It is never okay to allow your frustration to cause you to lay hands (or feet in this case) on another person. We have to learn to walk away. Just because you decide to look the other way doesn't make you a punk or weak like others may think. Be smart about the decisions you make. Remember all it takes is one bad decision to ruin your future.
But aside from the anger issue, I have a huge issue with (1) teens watching someone getting beat up and (2) not saying anything about it. I don't understand what's cool about watching a fight. It seems very barbaric to watch two people try to hurt each other. Have you ever watched a fight before? If so, what kept you from walking away? I'm not going to lie...when I was in high school I watched a fight or two from afar. Sadly, there was something exciting about watching a herd of people ran from one end of the quad to another. But now, I see nothing fun or exciting about watching people fight especially when it's ending in death. Another question I have is why aren't people calling for help? Or trying to break up the fight? I wonder how the teens who watched Bobby Tillman die feel? It's sickening on all parts. I'm upset at the 4 young men who beat him to death and the teens who watched in amusement or even shock.
If you take away anything from this post, I hope that you will think twice about watching the next fight that takes place around you. Don't be a spectator at such a barbaric event. Also, don't be afraid to leave and call for help and if you do see something don't be afraid to speak up about it. There seems to be a really stupid code of the streets known as "Stop Snitching." You're supposed to protect your friends when they get caught doing something wrong. I understand wanting to be loyal BUT don't let your friend's bad actions get you caught up as well. There have been many stories where I've heard people, especially girls taking the fall for their boyfriends (we'll cover that in a future post). Don't be stupid, speak up. Help save a life! If you were like Bobby...minding your own business and suddenly found yourself the victim of a fight would you want people to stand by and watch...say nothing? Think about that...
If you take away anything from this post, I hope that you will think twice about watching the next fight that takes place around you. Don't be a spectator at such a barbaric event. Also, don't be afraid to leave and call for help and if you do see something don't be afraid to speak up about it. There seems to be a really stupid code of the streets known as "Stop Snitching." You're supposed to protect your friends when they get caught doing something wrong. I understand wanting to be loyal BUT don't let your friend's bad actions get you caught up as well. There have been many stories where I've heard people, especially girls taking the fall for their boyfriends (we'll cover that in a future post). Don't be stupid, speak up. Help save a life! If you were like Bobby...minding your own business and suddenly found yourself the victim of a fight would you want people to stand by and watch...say nothing? Think about that...
-- Tymika Morrison
Brownstone Team
Brownstone Team
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