Webloggin » Live Life to the Fullest Because It Can Be Taken From You In An Instant

I hope that from this, you learn to live life b/c it can be taken from you in an instant. Don’t sweat the small stuff. Learn to enjoy the time you have, and do what it is you’ve always wanted to do in life. If lack of money is the reason you can’t do something, than save up and enjoy what it is that you have plenty of. No excuses. – Anna Sowers

The words above were written by Anna Sowers, wife of Zach Sowers who died 9 days after these words were written.

Zach Sowers was the victim of a random crime that was committed by a group of soulless teenagers that were looking to rob someone; a crime that destroyed a life for the sake of renting two movies.

In the 10 months since teenagers set upon Zachary Sowers and pummeled him into a coma, he lingered in oblivion. While his swollen face gradually resumed its natural form, he fought off infections and seemed to react, almost imperceptibly, to sounds in his hospital room.

But Sowers never recovered consciousness. He died Tuesday night at Johns Hopkins Bayview Medical Center “after a long and treacherous battle” against his injuries, a Web site set up in his name announced yesterday. He was 28.

His wife, Anna, to whom he had been married just nine months at the time of the attack, said in a brief interview that she was grateful that “we had so many supporters to help us get through all of this.”

The crime is appalling.

The apparently random attack on Sowers occurred on a June night as he walked near his Patterson Park home. His wallet, cell phone and watch were stolen. One of the teenagers was seen stomping on Sowers’ head, and was later sentenced to 40 years in prison.

[~snip]

Sowers was attacked after spending a Friday evening with friends in a bar. Because his wallet was stolen, he remained unidentified at Johns Hopkins Hospital for more than a day. His wife, who was in Chicago at the time, began to worry that something had happened to him because he failed to return phone calls or text messages, and his friends in Baltimore couldn’t track him down.

With the help of city police, Anna Sowers learned that there was an unidentified man at Hopkins who had been found unconscious in the street. When she arrived at the hospital – nearly a full day after the attack – her husband’s face was so badly bruised and swollen that she had trouble identifying him.

Equally as appalling is the fact that two of the teenagers were given light sentences that were reduced further in a plea deal that will put them back on the streets after spending a short 8 years in jail; for murder.

Arthur Jeter, 18; Wilburt Martin, 19; Eric L. Price, 17; and Ramos were charged with attempted first-degree murder, robbery and related offenses. In December, Price, Jeter and Martin pleaded guilty to two counts of robbery after agreeing to testify against Ramos, who was accused of beating Sowers while Price watched. The other two had observed from the car.

In exchange for their guilty pleas, Price, Jeter and Martin received 30-year prison terms with all but 15 years suspended. They stand to serve about eight.

Ramos, the ringleader, was charged as an adult and pleaded guilty to robbery and attempted first-degree murder.

Anna Sowers, who had nothing but praise for the city police detectives who worked on her husband’s case, said after the court hearing that the sentences “disgusted” her. “I feel that today, justice was not served at all,” she said. “I feel like I’ve got no rights.”

Anna Sowers is leading an effort to pass tougher legislation to keep criminals off the streets. Leaders in Baltimore have been supportive but there are still some that are defending the drug dealers and murderers by supporting a “stop snitching” effort that only liberal apologists and racists could possibly have come up with.

According to an article in The Sun written by reporter Brent Jones, Tyrone Powers – college professor, activist and absolutely Gov. Martin O’Malley’s favorite radio show host – “told about 75 people … that drug dealers and murderers should not be singled out, and that there needs to be whistleblowers in all walks of life, willing to expose politicians, police officers and clergy.”

Quoting Powers directly, Jones reported that he said: “In this town, nobody tells on anybody else. If we’re going to address the ’stop snitching’ thing, let’s get it all out there. Let’s not demonize a certain group of people.”

“I don’t agree with that,” Anna Sowers told me yesterday, about whether critics of the stop-snitching culture are “demonizing” young black men involved in a life of crime. And she’s got good reason. Young black men involved in Baltimore’s criminal life have already demonized themselves more adeptly and completely than any of us ever could.

The section above reminds me of the words of Rev. Jeremiah Wright.

I found a post on the Zowers blog that I found a bit disturbing concerning the “Stop the Snitching” culture that has permeated throughout high crime areas across the country.

We have also made some progress on the political/awareness front. We have an idea. We want to get 25 black leaders in business, politics, entertainment, education, etc, to join together and publicly condemn the Stop Snitching culture. This is of course a very difficult task. We met with Congressman Cummings who said he was on board and then we got a call from his assistant saying they are only on board if we (my two friends who help me with all of this) formally become an organization. I emailed Congressman Cummings to see if this was indeed true. I recently got a reply from his assistant telling me to team up with the NAACP and form an organization (i think). I wrote back to tell them I am already working witih the NAACP and why do I need to form an organization to have the congressman help us. We’ll see what happens.

I don’t want to be overly critical of Congressman Cummings because we need leaders to help in this effort but I find it particularly appalling that these so called leaders hide behind organizations. Why can’t Cummings support the effort regardless? I am speaking for myself here.

The only way to take back this country is to kick the bums out of office and support the efforts of law abiding citizens such as Anna Sowers. You can get involved by following this link here.