I’d seen this shiny new LEGO set several weeks ago and I was interested, but I first made sure I could afford it, I let some time pass so that it wouldn’t be a impulse purchase turned regret later, I wasn’t even sure I deserved to spend money on myself. Today, I decided to buy it, after work and chores, as a treat, but I quickly found out that it was out of stock.
I was bummed because I thought I had done the responsible thing and was penalized for it, and then I read the story of Alabama black teenager #LakeithSmith .
Last year he was sentenced to 65 years in prison after rejecting a guilty plea deal. Among others, he was charged under Alabama’s murder felony law with the murder of his friend A’Donte Washington who was shot by the police during a confrontation following a burglary Smith also took part in. 15 years old at the time, Smith was still tried as an adult and punished for rejecting the plea deal for a murder he certainly didn’t commit.
And while it didn’t make me feel better regarding my aborted purchase plan, it certainly put it in perspective.