“Not many well-raised kids have a dad and brother busted for dealing in meth.”
Exactly; she wasn’t brought up to believe she could be better, she had to end up learning it herself after a series of messes. I’ve been there so I completely empathize. She had so much working against her it’s no wonder she ended up in several bad situations.
“But the people who did this to her are to blame for her death. Not her. It’s cutting them an excuse to be feral if we blame the victim. It serves their purpose. That’s what gangs want. Fear and avoidance. We give them that, and they’ve got from us what they want. We become victims by extension, just like they want. What they don’t want is to be held to account. One way or another, that’s what’s got to happen. We have no choice. We can all be Jessica Chambers now, by choice, or we will all end up being Jessica Chambers later, whether we like it or not.”
I’m sick of it; people who try to better themselves are dragged down. I’ve recently made a conscious choice to make a break with family members and while it’s poignant, it’s well worth it in the long run if it means an uncomplicated life for myself.
” had a lot of first had experience with the degeneration of black inner city culture”
So have I; these people are so lost and yet, determined to wallow in misery and not let anyone else get out.
That sounds like the crab mentality. Where crabs in a pot pull down the ones trying to escape.