Agreed. My best friend in 4th-6th grade was black, in a family with 6 kids. Their dad was with the family, with a railroad job while their mom was the homemaker. We used to spend the night at each others' homes, and when I went to his place (in "the projects", on the east side of town across the tracks in Southeastern Washington) we'd often go to the drive-in, in their station wagon. They were making it work.
A year or two after 6th grade, we were still friends but had started hanging out more with others. His dad was killed - I never heard why - and maybe a year later his younger brother was killed.
We reconnected several times before and just after I got married at age 20. He later brought his family (wife, stepdaughter and son) to San Diego where my wife and I had moved, built a family and founded our business. He was a career Navy guy, but was struggling with alcoholism. Over a few months there, he confided that the Navy was giving him experimental treatments for alcoholism. At one point, he confided that he was "afraid of what they were gonna do to him." Within two weeks, he was dead. The story was that he had fallen down the stairs . . . His wife found him, so I guess that was at least part of the truth. Very sad.
I don't know how this relates to "the system", but they started strong - that was my point.
Agreed. My best friend in 4th-6th grade was black, in a family with 6 kids. Their dad was with the family, with a railroad job while their mom was the homemaker. We used to spend the night at each others' homes, and when I went to his place (in "the projects", on the east side of town across the tracks in Southeastern Washington) we'd often go to the drive-in, in their station wagon. They were making it work.
A year or two after 6th grade, we were still friends but had started hanging out more with others. His dad was killed - I never heard why - and maybe a year later his younger brother was killed.
We reconnected several times before and just after I got married at age 20. He later brought his family (wife, stepdaughter and son) to San Diego where my wife and I had moved, built a family and founded our business. He was a career Navy guy, but was struggling with alcoholism. Over a few months there, he confided that the Navy was giving him experimental treatments for alcoholism. At one point, he confided that he was "afraid of what they were gonna do to him." Within two weeks, he was dead. The story was that he had fallen down the stairs . . . His wife found him, so I guess that was at least part of the truth. Very sad.
I don't know how this relates to "the system", but they started strong - that was my point.