Pubdate: Wed, 03 Mar 2005
Source: Buffalo News (NY)
Copyright: 2005 The Buffalo News
Contact:  http://www.buffalonews.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/61
Author: Valentino Dixon
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/opinion.htm (Opinion)

YOU'LL PAY DEARLY FOR A LIFE OF CRIME

I address the following to our youth in Buffalo, who may or may not be
headed down the wrong path, the path of destruction.

Sixteen years ago, I made the biggest mistake of my life. I became a
drug dealer. I knew it was wrong but I did it anyway. My so-called
reasons for selling drugs, I now realize, weren't reasons at all.

I never considered the individuals I hurt or the things I did out of
greed. I was more concerned about my reputation, driving flashy cars
to get noticed, sporting a Rolex to be called the man, buying
expensive clothes to replace my low self-esteem and carrying guns
because that's the only time I had courage.

Was it worth it? Hell, no! It's suicide, a real-life nightmare minus
sleep. Why did I sell drugs? Peer pressure, ignorance, stupidity,
insanity and a lack of love for myself and humanity.

Which brings me to you. Whatever your choice of crime is, ask
yourself: Is it worth throwing away your precious life, your only
life? It takes only one bad decision, only seconds for your life to go
in a negative direction, which can lead to severe suffering and
consequences.

If you enjoy disobeying and disrespecting your parents and teachers
because you feel justified by drinking, using drugs and having
unprotected sex, you'll become addicted to whatever you use and end up
with a three-letter word across your forehead - HIV.

Not to mention that your family and friends will eventually get fed up
with you, as you walk down a negative and destructive path that leads
to criminal behavior, life imprisonment or death. Is it worth it?

The truth is anyone can end up in prison because of a bad choice. It
happens every day to our favorite entertainers, sports figures and
even those who took an oath to protect and serve us, Buffalo's finest.

These examples should teach us that crime doesn't pay. If you do
wrong, you are going down. You won't win, no matter how smart you
think you are. Nothing is guaranteed in a life of crime but death and
prison, so make the right choices. If you die due to a life of crime,
you will leave no legacy.

In prison, you're put in a lonely cell the size of a closet, and told
when to eat and sleep, when to go outside, what to wear, when to strip
and even what to say. You're no longer human - you're like an animal
in a cage. At any time, you could be cut, stabbed or even raped.

All the while, life and the entire world passes you by as you torture
your family and community with the pain and agony you caused them
because of your reckless actions. Again I ask you: Is it worth it?

If you are considering a life of crime, I beg you to think again. Save
your soul. You're a unique and special person. You don't have to use,
sell drugs or be in a gang to be accepted by others. I know it's hard
out there and you're struggling, but there is no shortcut to success.

Your dreams and passions can come true. Believe in yourself and don't
take life for granted. There are consequences for every bad decision
you make. You can live a long, happy, productive and successful life
or throw away your dreams and talents for a one-way ticket to hell.

I've spent the last 14 years of my life in Attica Correctional
Facility for a crime I didn't do. I was at the wrong place at the
wrong time. But am I really innocent? And why should anyone care? I
was a drug dealer. Ask me, was it worth it? 
- ---
MAP posted-by: Richard Lake