An American Tragedy
By Rebecca, age 20, Wisconsin
So when we walk into a party basically we plan on partying and having fun. After all, that's what a party is for, right? However, what happens when an offer comes along to drink beer or do drugs? Do we walk away or do we give in? I thought I would share an experience related to this in hopes that it might help anyone in this situation.
About 5 years ago I found myself invited to a party with a group of friends. We all planned to go, but at the last minute I wasn't able to make it, so I had to cancel. My friends all went, of course, and had fun, though everything turned bad when beer and drugs came into the mix. A fight broke out and one of my friends was involved. It was over a guy and really made no sense. The fight was broken up by my other friends and they decided to just leave.
As they began to leave, that one friend who had gotten into the fight decided to stay. Although my other friends tried to convince her otherwise, the effects of the beer mixed with the drugs made her totally intolerable. So she stayed at the party and apparently the fight continued.
Finally my friend decided to just leave and walk away from the fight, but the other girl was not willing to just let it go. As my friend began to walk home, the other girl and some of her friends followed her outside. My friend was drunk and really didn't know what was going on. As she crossed the street the other girl and her friends attacked my friend from behind and beat her until she was unconscious. No one else was around so they ran off as soon as they were done.
Unfortunately my friend didn't make it. She died of multiple blows to the head and body. Due to these girls being under the influence they didn't think about what they were doing or the outcome. A life was taken because a group of teenagers didn't know how to handle themselves.
At the end of the day I could say that maybe if beer and drugs were not involved my friend would still be alive and those girls would not be in prison. We have to think before we drink or consume something. It's not all about being cool and fitting in. It's about what makes us happy and keeps us happy. We have to understand that some choices we make can destroy others and leave permanent scars.
So my end advice to those under pressure to drink and consume drugs ... stay away. Your life is much more valuable than what people think or say about you. Just think of my friend whose life was cut short and those girls who will spend the rest of their lives in jail.
Be original ... and others will follow you!
