Rocco D’Ambrosca: 11/12/2003
One day, a wealthy and highly respected politician was out campaigning. This man had been elected many times and was seen as a great and honorable man. That day he went to an inner-city ghetto to denounce drugs and violence. While he was there two cops busted a man for dealing drugs. The politician called the police officers over to him that had the drug dealer in custody. Then, in front of the camera crew that was filming his campaign, he blasted this drug dealer verbally with all kinds of harassment and degrading remarks.
The politician then went on to say how he was such a better person and how he was so perfect. He said, “Look at this criminal, he sells drugs that ruin people’s lives. I want to stop horrible people like this man and help those he has been hurting because unlike him I care about people. I’m a good man and an honorable man who has never been arrested or committed any crime, like this criminal has.” He just wouldn’t stop. And, there was the drug dealer standing there, cuffs on his wrists with two cops holding his arms, listening to all of these horrible things the politician was saying in front of everyone.
Finally, when the politician had finally finished his long degrading speech about the drug dealer, he turned and said to him, “Do you have anything to say for yourself?” The drug dealer looked up and nodded. The camera turned to the drug dealer and a microphone placed in front of his mouth. The drug dealer said, “I know I have committed a crime, that of which I am very sorry. I pray to God and the government to forgive me. I come from this ghetto where I was poorly educated and then left without a job. I became very poor and homeless. I turned to drugs for relief from the horrible reality that I lived in. I then began selling drugs as a way to survive. I recognize this as being wrong, but it’s all I could do to support myself. I’m sorry and I wish I could have a better life.”
After hearing this, the crowd around them and all the viewers watching on T.V. began to cry, for their hearts were truly going out to this poor man. Everyone around this event was truly moved and pitied this man. They then booed the politician for treating this poor man so badly. They cursed him for boasting so much about himself and how he was so much better than the drug dealer. They said he was no better than scum and only cared about himself. This day marked the end of the politician’s campaign and the beginning of a new life for the drug dealer, who was sentenced to rehab rather than prison.
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