Collateral Damage is defined as any death, injury, or other damage inflicted that is incidental to an activity. For this narrative, I will be focusing on young women that are attracted to street life and Bad Boys. In the early 1990’s during the course of my work as a private investigator, I participated in an investigation of the death of a fifteen-year-old female that was brutally beaten and tortured over four days. During the trial, her assailant’s testimony revealed that she was murdered because she was talking with a member of another gang. Is this a reason to kill someone? This is a prime example of collateral damage, but at what cost? This is the senseless taking of human life. For what? For words exchanged from one individual to another, that wore different colored bandanas.
On any given day at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport, young women are arrested while trying to smuggle drugs in and out of the Atlanta area. They are usually doing this for the man they love. Most of the women, once arrested are left to defend themselves or hope that a family member will come to their aid. In most cases, these young women are assigned a court-appointed attorney to assist them. These attorneys are usually burdened with extremely high caseloads and because of this are not able to give them the representation they deserve due to these excessive caseloads. There are other women that out of naivete, brokenness, desperation, or low self-esteem find themselves in sex trafficking situations. Then some are attracted to the glitz and glamor of the thug life. They exchange their hopes and dreams for temporary material things that leave them at the mercy of low life that neither cares for nor respects them.
The aforementioned brings to mind a situation involving a young lady that I attended high school with. This young woman was attractive as well as intelligent. I believe that she could have accomplished remarkable things. Unfortunately, she was attracted to a Bad Boy, a drug dealer. I was informed by fellow classmates that ruffians went to the home they shared with the intent to rob him. When they entered the property and discovered he was not at home they shot and killed her instead-Collateral Damage. There is a myriad of these kinds of stories. My question is, why are young women attracted to this type of lifestyle? Is it the adrenaline rush, money, cars or not getting the love, and attention from significant others in their life? They ruin their lives while in search of immediate gratification but find instead unrequited love and tainted, material things that have no intrinsic value. It is terribly sad that so many young lives are lost as a result of collateral damage.
Please let your daughter, your friend’s daughter, and other young women you care about know that the worlds’ riches can be theirs. Let them know they can create a good life all by themselves if they work hard and persevere. Consequently, they will not be indebted to anyone. Advise them to seek wise counsel, find a positive mentor, develop self-pride, and run as far away as they can from street life and Bad Boys. These guys will undeniably make them COLLATERAL DAMAGE! Until next time thumbs up, like, share, and subscribe.
Marvin Dixon, Founder
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