Benji: When the Young Die Young
Life Is Too Short
As the years go by, the numbers of murders and kidnappings of the younger generation have increase tremendously. People became more cruel and cold-hearted towards one another. The life’s of the young people are being cut short before they can even reach a turning point in life for the better due to the act of violence. For instance, I watched a documentary called Benji. The film is about a teenage boy named Ben Wilson, who is a phenomenon basketball player but his life was cut short due to careless act of violence. Ben Wilson was a nationally ranked number one for basketball. He had a relentless drive to be the best or be better than the next. As his neighbor, Common says, “Ben was chosen”. Even though he was tremendously talented and basketball was his ticket out, the streets of South Chicago were viciously being taking over by gangs. He didn’t let that stop his shine or goals. By Ben’s junior year in high school he became Simeon’s main attraction but he didn’t allow the fame to take him out of his character. He stayed focus and kept his head in the books. As he was fighting the battle on the court, the battle outside of the court became more critical in the streets. The drug war and gang affiliation increased rapidly and soon enough a gang called the Disciples took over his neighborhood. As Ben entered into his senior year on a verge of winning another state championship and at the peak of his high school career, it would soon come to a deadly end. November 20, 1984 started off as any normal day. Erica Murphy, Ben’s classmate, said, “I could tell Benji wasn’t his self that day”. Teammates say that he and his girlfriend were having issues about the baby. His teammates says, “That day I was walking into school and he was walking out of Simeon. So I asked, “Where you going”, and Ben replied, “I’m going to walk my girl to the bus stop”. All of a sudden people hear, “BANG BANG”. As a result of a senseless act of violence Ben
As the years go by, the numbers of murders and kidnappings of the younger generation have increase tremendously. People became more cruel and cold-hearted towards one another. The life’s of the young people are being cut short before they can even reach a turning point in life for the better due to the act of violence. For instance, I watched a documentary called Benji. The film is about a teenage boy named Ben Wilson, who is a phenomenon basketball player but his life was cut short due to careless act of violence. Ben Wilson was a nationally ranked number one for basketball. He had a relentless drive to be the best or be better than the next. As his neighbor, Common says, “Ben was chosen”. Even though he was tremendously talented and basketball was his ticket out, the streets of South Chicago were viciously being taking over by gangs. He didn’t let that stop his shine or goals. By Ben’s junior year in high school he became Simeon’s main attraction but he didn’t allow the fame to take him out of his character. He stayed focus and kept his head in the books. As he was fighting the battle on the court, the battle outside of the court became more critical in the streets. The drug war and gang affiliation increased rapidly and soon enough a gang called the Disciples took over his neighborhood. As Ben entered into his senior year on a verge of winning another state championship and at the peak of his high school career, it would soon come to a deadly end. November 20, 1984 started off as any normal day. Erica Murphy, Ben’s classmate, said, “I could tell Benji wasn’t his self that day”. Teammates say that he and his girlfriend were having issues about the baby. His teammates says, “That day I was walking into school and he was walking out of Simeon. So I asked, “Where you going”, and Ben replied, “I’m going to walk my girl to the bus stop”. All of a sudden people hear, “BANG BANG”. As a result of a senseless act of violence Ben