Posted on 11/22/2005 7:20:33 AM PST by ncountylee
PHILADELPHIA, Nov. 21 (UPI) -- An 18-year-old single father whose struggle raising his toddler daughter was featured in People magazine has been killed in Philadelphia.
Terrell Pough was shot in the head on his way home from work Thursday night and later died at Temple University Hospital, the Philadelphia Inquirer reported.
Police said they have no suspects but do have a possible lead. No further details of the slaying were released.
The August issue of People profiled Pough, who worked as the night manger at a local restaurant while attending school full-time and raising his daughter, Diamond, who will be 2 on Nov. 27.
"She's what I work for, what I live for, why I wake up," he told People. "She's everything."
Diamond, who had full-custody of his daughter, had planned to work in construction after graduating next June.
"If something ever happens to me, no one can ever tell her that her dad didn't take care of her," he told People.
There were six funerals of teenagers and children in Philadelphia last week, including Terrell Pough. Five were killed by gunshots, one died of asthma. The city has become a free-fire zone. There is an employee of the city school district whose job it is to console families of dead school children.
"His daughter would have been better off is he would have waited to conceive her after he had graduated from high school, got a steady job, and married her mother. There is a reason for the old fashion way of doing things. It works."
At least he was trying to do right by his daughter. So many young men in the inner city who find themselves in this situation either push the woman to murder the child, or just abandon the child all together. Sounds like this young man was taking care of his responsibility and really cared for his daughter.
Well said!
Very sad, sounds like the man was trying to make a difference in his life and his daughter's.
ahhhhh so it was a subliminal message linking this guy to Jesus. got it!
I know what a "night manager" is but had no idea what a "night manger" is. Apparently you did not catch the spelling mistake.
Aren't we all linked to Jesus?
So we should say it's a good thing a guy got a girl pregnant without being married and was killed while living in a neighborhood where these killings are all too common? Sorry - I much rather we promote doing it the "right" way. Yes, I've made mistakes but I wouldn't want my mistakes to serve as an example of what to do - it would be an example of what NOT to do. No one is perfect but I believe this just plays into the thought process that unwed parenthood is just fine and dandy. I'm not buying.
I agree, something about casting the first stone comes to mind. hmmm.
I couldn't agree with you more.
However, at that age most kids are totally
self-absorbed. And they live in a culture that
validates selfishness. For this kid to do the
right thing and put his daughter before himself
showed the emergence of real character on his part.
The gangbanger world of violence, blingbling,
casual sex, and drugs is lightyears opposite of going
to school, holding down a job, and being a good parent.
This kid had to have something going on if understood
that. God bless this young man and his child.
Why not wish they would wait until they were married and ready to become a parent, if you're wishing?
No I did not, did I.:-)
If the deceased's family were to read his post, I would agree. However, since the statistical likelyhood of that is so small, I do not think it was shallow and heartless.
The way God put forth in His Word, to raise a child is a much better way to do it.
While we are on the subject, why do we praise and write articles about people who make choices that were wrong, but live with them? I would much rather praise the person who makes the right choices despite all the pressures of society to do contrary.
Instead, they are denegraded. Called "goody two shoes", and scorned as "holier than thou".
So he deserved to die?
People make mistakes but this guy owned up to his and made the best of it. She is probably the best gift he ever recieved.
This is horribly sad.
Only if we choose to be.
And had he married the mother, kept a steady job (in which, it sounds like he already had)...how would this have prevented him from getting shot in the head on his way home from work?
Are you one of those people who feel that guns are the problem and should be taken away, and not the person behind the gun?
Yours was a very self centered, judgemental, and arrogant statement. Here, you may toss the first stone now.
Rather heartless aren't you?
I was so upset about this. The little girl is so adorable and precious. I hope her extended family can give her a good life.
How do you make the jump to "he deserved to die"? Gosh, that sounds like liberal spin to me.
That is almost exactly the same thing people said about the father of a buddy of mine.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.