Thursday, November 25th, 2007. So, I am a late worker and many of my friends on the east coast know this, hence I reply to e-mails almost 24 hours a day. Late last night I received an e-mail from a lifelong friend, as I began to read her e-mail my jaw hit the floor; I am in absolute shock yet again. Eric Cooper; a high school friend was gunned down in our hometown. Eric was the father of five children, and an accomplished business owner. I can only imagine what his family is going through this morning, thus my thoughts and prayers are with them all.
My hometown is very small and everyone knows each other, I am sure this matter will be dealt with in very swift manner (one way or another). I had not seen, or spoken to Eric since I left Harrisburg, PA many moons ago; however when I personally suffered a fate similar to his Eric made it a point to keep me in his prayers. I am blessed that the lord allowed me to live and learn, thus I was fortunate that my situation was not fatal. Needless to say this entire episode has jogged my memory and made me remember to give thanks to God that I was given a second lease on life. Eric was not so fortunate and I am beyond saddened by the loss of yet another friend in my life to hand gun violence.
As details of his MURDER are still being sent to me, I am in a place of disbelief because from city to city the level of gun related deaths within the African American community against mainly African American men of which I am one, is beyond alarming nationwide. 52% of gun homicide victims are African-America males between the ages of 15 and 24 (this is the highest firearm homicide rate of any demographic group and African Americans only represent less than 13% of the total US population). I am not negating any other ethnic community that also deals with this senseless mess; however, this is affecting and destroying households around the world.
Mothers, daughters, sons, fathers, cousins, wives, husbands, children, everyone and at what point do we in our individual homes first say “enough is enough” and then as individual communities say “enough is enough”. Life is fragile and should be respected and cherished, not taken for granted. An the lost of my friend last night, shows the loss of two lives because the shooter is looking a life in prison, death penalty or someone catching this person on a street level before the police do and repeating this deadly cycle in exacting revenge.
The upcoming 2008 presidential election makes this a perfect time for all Americans to let their voices be heard and make change. We can all grow up and place blame where it truly belongs, instead of trying to use a scapegoat such as the Hip Hop community or Hollywood (these are tactics of distraction by the powers that be to keep us all pointing the finger and oblivious to the gun manufactures and our own government in the policing off firearms and the manufactures). If all rappers stop painting the pictures of their lives in their songs tomorrow and Michael Mann (director of HEAT, Collateral, Miami Vice) refused to use guns in any of his movies again, these gun manufactures would still continue to profit off of firearms sales, and the government and politicians would continue to make making silly, ineffective laws and unbalanced punishments behind firearm crimes. Make your voices heard, in this upcoming 2008 election and stand up and vote accordingly. Every single vote counts; Let us not forget how we ended up with George Bush Jr. over Al Gore in the first place for eight years. Every single person’s vote makes the difference. Yes, I firmly believe in the Second Amendment (Right to Bear Arms) of our Constitution. But, I believe some corporations and individuals take full advantage of this right. My point is in the unbalanced legislation of gun control and enforcement.
I know I am off my point slightly in this blog, however Eric’s untimely passing is yet another reminder that we can not just allow ourselves, nor matters of this sort to be chalked up as part of being a young African American man in America; like the cost of being a black man in America is to one day face death at the hands of another brother. I live in a high level of constant readiness and awareness in order to survive.
This is a little heavy for being only my second BLOG here and might be a little too personal for some in this forum which is more so for company related things, but guess what I say to that??? It is my company, my website, so I can talk about whatever the devil I want and today I wanted to acknowledge my childhood friend, his family, his kids and all our mutual friends that lost someone that touched all our lives in a positive manner over something so senseless.
Eric, you will be missed, but never forgotten. Again my thoughts and prayers are with all his family and our mutual friends back in Harrisburg, PA.
ABC 27 News Harrisburg link about the shooting: http://www.abc27.com/news/stories/1007/466816.html
Julian T. Edwards, CEO, Shadoworld Entertainment Group, Inc.
