David Bouvier

ENG 0250-154

H. Susi

10/9/11

A Brother's Murder

A Brothers Murder by Brent Staples is a story about how Staples grew up having a rough life. He grew up in Chester, Philadelphia where he recalls people being stabbed, shot, and killed all around him daily. Staples went to college, graduated, and became a journalist. When he accomplished these tasks he decided to forget about his hometown completely and never go back. As Brent Staples left Blake Staples, his brother, stayed and got caught up in the trouble. Brent tried to save his brother but he was to caught up and by the time he tried to save him it was to late. Brent told his brother to meet him one day, a meeting he never showed up to, because he was killed.

Staples did only do what he could at the time of when he was growing up. He had to save himself before he could help any one else. I'm sure losing his brother put a huge weight on his shoulders, he got the feeling he could have done more and that it is his fault. He woke up night after night for weeks crying up set with him self. Living in the hardship he did must have given him the strength to pull him self though this tradgety. He thought he could have saved his brothers life by having him read a document he read that has turned his life round. 

It is very hard to live a life like staples did. I do not know what i would possibly do if i had to go through the things that he went through and still have a head on my shoulders. what some people don't under stand is that things that happen, happens for a reason weather it makes you a better person or changes your ways of doing things. Anything that happens it could always be worse.

I personally do not have many same experiences like staples did but i do know a hand full of friends that have been through worse and same experiences. I have friends that have been through things like staples and they are still normal and they know how to keep their composure. I also have a hand full of people that have been through difficult things in their life and can not deal with and and revert to drugs, alcohol or suicide. I have a close friend that committed suicide just about a year ago because he could not deal his life. it is really sad because he was like a brother to me and i share some sort of feeling with staples. 

It is always sad knowing that a lot of people deal with things like staples did, but these kind of things happen on a daily basis with more people than you would think. Some people know how to deal with it and live a normal life through or after their downfalls. Other people can not deal with it and become their own enemy, they will hurt them self or let their lives go to wast. Just like staples story there are many more stories or people you may know that will inspire you to love everything you have and not to take anything for granted.