Darlene Cabatu
English 102: Tom DeWit
May 27, 2014
Final Exam
Hey Uncle George!
How have you been? Its been 3 years since I last seen you. I wish I had the time and money to come visit you in Texas! Your wife and kids misses you every single day. I visit them from time to time when I get the chance. Aunt Jenny wishes you were here to watch your kids growing up. Three years has been a long time Uncle George, your kids Jay and Janeen are getting taller and wiser every minute! Jay’s birthday is coming up, the family especially grandma wishes you were here to celebrate it with us. It is unfair you are in prison for a crime you had nothing to do with! It frustrates me how you can’t be with your family for another 5 years.
Uncle George, I wish the night of the crime never happened. I truly believe you were in a situation at the wrong place in the wrong time. If I could go back in time, I wish I could of told you to stay home instead of going out to the bar with your friends. They were drunk and foolish when they decided to take advantage of a woman walking home. I still couldn't believe the phone call I received from aunt Jenny saying you were put to jail. I didn't think of it as anything serious, until she said you were charged with rape and first degree murder. I was in shocked and confused. I knew my Uncle George who taught me how to play softball and who treated me out for ice cream for every A I got in class, was not capable of doing those accusations. At that very moment I wanted to find out the truth. I didn't care about what others had to say, I only wanted to hear from you.
I know you are innocent uncle George, I know you tried and stop your friends from hurting that woman. But with how justice works now a days, it is hard to prove yourself guilty. I believe justice judges people based on the lies society is feed off of. I mean, you can be telling them the truth the entire time, but there will be no justice because society will reflect on the people you were with that night and used that on you. Yes, you could of walked away from the situation right then, but instead you chose to stay and help the woman from your drunk friends. You tried to take action despite of 3 grown men you were out with. How do we reach out to justice when its no longer there? So many people have died for hope with justice just like you have. Justice is suppose to help people find themselves in a positive way. Justice should serve peoples rights and codify what is fair in every situation. A fairness in justice has to apply balance between responsibility and damage. Someone like you who is accused of damage, is a victim of our societies justice. No matter what, It is up to society to to decide whether or not you should pay the price. Things happens when we least expect it, and in every situation has a cause and effect. It is not your fault Uncle George, you should stop blaming yourself. Your justice was not treated fairly. You are not the criminal, justice was the crime in in this case.
I'm here for you Uncle George, you are never alone. I would like to take this moment to share with you some books and quotes I've recently read that I believe relates to what you have been going through. In the book “The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian” by Alexie Sherman, the main character Junior taught me how important it is to chase after your dreams. No matter how small or big they are, it is worth taking a risk to do something you love to do. Not everyone is going to support your dream, whatever people say or think it is your own choices in life that will only matter. Changing your life to pursue your dream is the first step, it is the challenges you phase and decisions you make to take you there. Junior has lost a lot of people throughout his journey, but he learned to cope with his lost and only found his strength. Everyone has a purpose in life, there is reason for our life being. Junior is a good example of someone who believed in himself and fought his way out of his fears. His determination and motivation was what lead him to keep going and eventually achieve the goals he set for himself. So never give give up Uncle George. Life will get better for you as long as you stay positive.
Instead of constantly fighting physically, people can fight with despair and and learn to live the the world with a loving heart. In the book “Tattoos of the Heart” by George Boyle, has reminded me so much of what you've been going through. I know you have lost every hope in the world, but there is hope and a brighter future for everyone. No matter how how difficult the situation may be, you will only get stronger to pass through the hard obstacles. Sometimes life challenges us to only know what we are capable to do for ourselves. We can overcome our shame and stay faithful despite of our failure. Everyone makes mistakes and perfect doesn't exists. Life has more to offer than living it with regrets. There will be no more sunrises, no minutes, hours or days. It will not matter what they owned or who they were trying to represent themselves as. Ready or not, some day it will come to an end. We have to live and love life as if there is no tomorrow. You see, in this book there are gang members who were in and out of prison. Some did not make good decisions and others didn't have a choice. At the end of the day what will matter is what they brought not what they built. What will matter is not success but their significance. People who have been in the gang learned to have a title and get respected around the streets. Although, they were not taught how life can end so easily. At the end of day what will matter are not the people they call their “homies”, but how many people they love and protect will feel once they are gone. It is never to late to change. Life doesn't happen by chance and or an accident. It is not a circumstance but a matter of choice. It is wiser to choose to live life that matters than have it vanished quickly. Uncle George, you were not in prison by choice. One day you will be out of prison and be in your family’s arms once again. It is important to have patience to rescue yourself from the darkness.