I was working late on an August 4th night in my second year as an executive at the Detroit Medical Center. On my way out of the building I had heard on our hospital police radio that a man had just shot a man in the head on the campus of Wayne State University. They sounded frantic and were saying that the suspect, a young African American male, was running towards our hospitals. He was armed, and dangerous! He was also being pursued by the Detroit Police Department and the Wayne State University Police. I thought as I reached the second floor of the parking structure that I would stop at our hospital security booth on my way out and check on what was happening. I never got the chance. I heard officers yelling for a man to drop his weapon and then nothing but an exchange of gunfire that seemed to go on forever.
I learned that day what a bullet sounds like when it ricochets, and when it strikes a body. He must have been hit at least a dozen of times. By the time I arrived on the ground level, I was informed that two of our officers had been hit. One in the arm and one in the foot. The suspect was handcuffed to a stretcher and taken to Detroit Receiving Hospital. The officers were treated at our hospital. The assailant, they didn’t think he would live. They showed me his picture. He was only 16 years old and a known assassin for a local drug gang. The cocaine wars were having a negative impact on our city, and the hospital’s administration scrambled to keep this incident out of the headlines. It was also the reason I left the medical center for a job with the university hospital in Indianapolis a year later. I thought it would be safer there. I was wrong. They had all the same problems as Detroit but on a smaller scale.
One year after returning to Michigan upon the death of my father, I accepted a teaching position with the Department of Corrections. I was working on my plan for the following days class assignments when our athletics director approached me about a storage issue. He happened to be with the young man I thought to have died from the exchange of gunfire in Detroit almost ten years ago. The Director asked me,” what was wrong? I looked like I had seen a ghost.” “I think I am looking at one.” I replied. The young man smiled, nodded, and then walked away. I explained to the Director what had happened in Detroit and that I had thought him to be dead. The Director said, “he thought that too, but he was hired to do a job, he did it, and wanted to go out in a blaze of glory.” He then informed me the young man is a practicing witch and attributes his life being saved to his Wicca religion. My reply was quick. ” I understand that. They accepted him. No judgement. However, I think his Creator may have a different view of his career path.” The Director smiled, and walked away… and I again questioned myself, what the hell did I think I could accomplish teaching here? Hebrews 10: 19-25
Putin continues his invasion of the Ukraine a sovereign nation. If he is not stopped there, we will be fighting him in Europe. Slava Ukraini Glory to the heroes
MJ-Way 