Life After Murder
In 1933 Franklin D. Roosevelt was inaugurated as the 32 President and pledge to pull the United States out of depression, the first Negro League All-Star game resulted in the West winning over the East 11 to 7 in Comiskey Park, The NY Giants defeated the Washington Senators 4 games to 1 in the 30th World Series, and Clarence Dews was born. In 1992, gas average $1.05 a gallon, Bill Clinton was elected President of the United States, Riots in Los Angeles, follow the acquittal of 4 white police officers in the beating of motorist Rodney King, Joshua Ruth was born. In 2009 Barack Obama took the oath as the first African American to be elected President of the United States, king of pop Michael Jackson, died of cardiac arrest at the age of 50, and homocides in the Nations capitol was herald to be on the decline. Joshua Ruth, of the 2600 block of BirneyPlace, SE was arrested Saturday, October 31, 2009, and charge as an adult under Title 16 of the DC Code. Joshua is 17 years young and has been charge withFelony Murder. Police are seeking another young man who along with him is due to be charge. Two young men who rode bikes up and attacked, what they thought was a easy prey, may have viewed the life they would later be arrested for, as just an old man to attacked and rob, this man fought back , a former amateur boxer, he fought back until he was unable to answer the last bell in his long life. Clarence Dews, seventy six years of life, died five days later of his injuries suffer on July 20, 2009, in the 2700 block of Martin Luther King, Jr. Avenue in SouthEast, Washington, D.C. . A man who had lived a long life outside of the hands of the criminal justice system is dead and likely two young men may soon live most or all of their lives inside of the criminal justice system, a sad case of greed, disrespect and life after murder, that they failed to reason with before attacking and taking a life of someone whom they should had admire and grown to live their own lives as free men, even if they did not know him, simply because he had survived, lived a long life in a time when many young mostly black male lives are cut short and don’t live to grow to a retirement age. In a way these young men, may be dead in the system, that will watch their every move and control their life behind walls, its no way for too many young men, but again, they should not have taken life, they can never replace.
Change takes place over time in many diffrent forms, in many cities crime seems to be a current tragic, even as the homicides rate slows insome cities, more young, youth kill or are killed and live a life in the system for crimes that should not be taking place. Mr. Dews should not have died as he did, the two young men should not be close to having possiblely facing a long or maybe even life behind bars for murder. But real is real and murder gets you time, if you are caught and that is as it should be, the problem is too many have yet to inbrace the lng known rule to live and let live or Thou Shall Not Kill.
Mr. Dews
Family members describe him as a former amateur boxer, witha soul full of life, that belied his age who enjoyed jamming on a guitar with his son and grandson, Mr. Dews was one of 16 children, decades ago, while working in the tree division of the Public Works Department, he had fell 35 feet, cracking his helmet in many pieces, but he was ok. This year Mr. Dews, had open heart surgery. Police say when attacked by the two young men, Mr. Dews fought back, breaking his hands in the struggle, before being taken down by one youth who threw his bike at Mr. Dews, later in the hospitol, he had spoken, of giving those boys a good fight. Days later suffering from bleeding on his brain, he died of blunt force trauma. Many people have grown tried of reading and hearing about the many killings and the lack of people coming forward in many cases, some online comments were like these - Someone KNOWS who did this. It’s time to put an end to the ”don”t snitch” culture. Otherwise, it’s on your heads. Take back your neighborhoods. Another on line comment said: This is just boys being boys in D. C. No one will come forward, many are totally comfortablewith having murderers in the family. These boys probably brought some Slurpee’s and candy and beer and laugh about the good beat down they gave that old boy. Probably some high fives once they heard he was dead. As people say here,”life goes on. ” Yes, it does, but it doesn”t have to be like this.
It happens too often some people get ridle up after a murder like this one, the police, council members, mayor show up, some TV time, crying, funeral, tees with I love you, rest in peace and life goes on, often the murder or murderers are not caught and life goes on until the next case catches a lot of attention, some cases get little or no attention, but in most cases some one knows something, sure their are a few cases where the murder is the only one who keeps it to him or her self, but you can believe most of the time some one knows, too many times some one knows, but do they step forward?.
Mr. Dews has a arrest in his death, many families of homcides have not or will not get those results, more has to be done by all to first help prevent senseless killings and quickly help when someone is murder, the justice system has to deal the approcate time, and protect those who do snitch or come forward with information that leads to a conviction, all reasonable humans need to stand against those who take a life. My little baby did’nt kill no body!, has to stop!, let the facts fall where they may, and guide your children in the right direction before they murder, sometimes you can do all that you can do, and sadly someone in your family still takes a life, its part of the world we live in, but if you do all you can to help prevent or get a murderer than life will be better for all of us.
Cherish Life,
Larry
Some comments from the Washingtonpost.com article- Ex-Boxer Who Fought Off Afttackers Dies. Thanks to Theola Labbe- Debose and Clarence Williams – Washington Post Staff Writers
Shot to death at Southern Avenue & Rail St., SE
Shot to death on porch of her home in the 1800 blk. of Massachusette Ave., SE
November 24th, 2009 at 12:27 pm
I found your blog while looking up Donte Manning. Young Donte was murdered across the street from my home in March, 2005. That night I was watching the NCAA tournament when I heard gunshots. I ran to my door dialing 911 on my cell phone. When I got outside I saw a boy on the sidewalk across 13th St. To this day i regret I did not see what happened, only the aftermath. However, SOMEONE on the street that night saw the shooter… Through Councilman Graham’s office, my wife was able to to give Donte’s family a quilt she made in his memory. Though we never met Donte we grieve for him, we raised our own children in this neighborhood and the thought that he could have easily been one of mine just tears at my heart for his parents and family.
Your blog is an important and necessary service! Keep up the good work.