I have a good friend, someone I’ve gotten to know over the years when I worked as a carpenter. His name is Will Reeves, about as country as you can get; a good old boy who’d never dig into his pockets to pay for a repair. If he couldn’t fix it with his own two hands, it simply couldn’t be fixed, period. He was gifted that way, with his hands. He could skin a deer faster than you can strip your clothes off on the hottest day imaginable. He was and is a true friend, someone who would actually show up to help you move; salt of the earth, God fearing, self reliant, and would give you the shirt off his back, never hesitating once.
I recently heard that he’d run into hard times. As he says, he did it because he “ain’t got no place to stay.”
You see, he lost his job, as so many have these days. He tried to get another but never having graduated from high school, he already had two strikes against him. It’s not that he’s dumb. Far from it, he’s probably one of the smarted persons I’ve ever known. No, he quit high school to go to work. He needed to support his two sisters and his little brother. His father had bailed a long time before and his mother sought her relief from a bottle. A bit cliche, I know, as a lot of stories from south Georgia are these days. But that’s the kind of guy Will is, decent.
Will made a go of it. He did what he could to support himself and those he loves. I’m sure he had to swallow a lot of pride working as a janitor or cleaning other people’s toilets. But he never complained, at least he never complained to me when I’d see him ever once in a while, when he had a few extra bucks for a beer. He simply did what he had to do.
But, I guess it finally just got to be too much. He couldn’t keep up no matter how hard he tried. This recession finally broke him. He and his girlfriend were evicted from their double-wide. He had to get rid of his hunting dogs, sell his truck and hit the streets. He and his girlfriend moved into her parents’ house until finally I guess, she’d had enough too. She threw him out. He had nobody after that.
I’m paraphrasing the following from someone who was at his trial.
“Mr. Reeves, you have been charged with attempted robbery which carries a minimum four year sentence. How do you plead?”
“Guilty.”
“Mr. Reeves, you’ve also been charge with the use of a weapon during the commission of a felony, which carries a mandatory minimum sentence of ten years. How do you plead?”
“Guilty.”
“Mr. Reeves, I don’t understand why you did this? I read the character references submitted to me by your attorney and by all accounts, this appears to be completely against your nature.”
“Yes sir.”
“From reading these reports, it appears that you are highly respected by your friends and former employers. It says you dropped out of high school to take care of your family. Mr. Reeves, I just don’t understand.”
“Ran into some hard times, sir.”
“So, you decided to try and rob a convenience store?”
“Yes sir.”
“But, from the police report it states that you simply walked in, pointed your weapon at the clerk, told him to empty the cash register and after he’d handed the money to you, you told him to call the police, then you reached inside a cooler, grabbed a soda, sat down and waited. Is that correct?”
“Yes sir. It is sir.”
“Why did you do this?”
“Ain’t got no place to stay.”
“Mr. Reeves, I know times are tough. What about unemployment? Did you at least apply for it?”
I recently heard that he’d run into hard times. As he says, he did it because he “ain’t got no place to stay.”
You see, he lost his job, as so many have these days. He tried to get another but never having graduated from high school, he already had two strikes against him. It’s not that he’s dumb. Far from it, he’s probably one of the smarted persons I’ve ever known. No, he quit high school to go to work. He needed to support his two sisters and his little brother. His father had bailed a long time before and his mother sought her relief from a bottle. A bit cliche, I know, as a lot of stories from south Georgia are these days. But that’s the kind of guy Will is, decent.
Will made a go of it. He did what he could to support himself and those he loves. I’m sure he had to swallow a lot of pride working as a janitor or cleaning other people’s toilets. But he never complained, at least he never complained to me when I’d see him ever once in a while, when he had a few extra bucks for a beer. He simply did what he had to do.
But, I guess it finally just got to be too much. He couldn’t keep up no matter how hard he tried. This recession finally broke him. He and his girlfriend were evicted from their double-wide. He had to get rid of his hunting dogs, sell his truck and hit the streets. He and his girlfriend moved into her parents’ house until finally I guess, she’d had enough too. She threw him out. He had nobody after that.
I’m paraphrasing the following from someone who was at his trial.
“Mr. Reeves, you have been charged with attempted robbery which carries a minimum four year sentence. How do you plead?”
“Guilty.”
“Mr. Reeves, you’ve also been charge with the use of a weapon during the commission of a felony, which carries a mandatory minimum sentence of ten years. How do you plead?”
“Guilty.”
“Mr. Reeves, I don’t understand why you did this? I read the character references submitted to me by your attorney and by all accounts, this appears to be completely against your nature.”
“Yes sir.”
“From reading these reports, it appears that you are highly respected by your friends and former employers. It says you dropped out of high school to take care of your family. Mr. Reeves, I just don’t understand.”
“Ran into some hard times, sir.”
“So, you decided to try and rob a convenience store?”
“Yes sir.”
“But, from the police report it states that you simply walked in, pointed your weapon at the clerk, told him to empty the cash register and after he’d handed the money to you, you told him to call the police, then you reached inside a cooler, grabbed a soda, sat down and waited. Is that correct?”
“Yes sir. It is sir.”
“Why did you do this?”
“Ain’t got no place to stay.”
“Mr. Reeves, I know times are tough. What about unemployment? Did you at least apply for it?”
“No sir.”
“Why not?”
“Excuse me your honor, Mr. Reeves worked as a 1099 independent contractor. He wasn’t eligible for unemployment.”
“What about welfare, Mr. Reeves?”
“No sir.”
“Why not?”
“I don't need no charity. I can take care of myself. Don’t want to be no bother to no one else. Can’t take their money.”
“But Mr. Reeves, that’s why its there, to help when times are tough.”
“No sir. Not me sir. I pay my own way.”
“Mr. Reeves, I must tell you that I’ve no choice but to sentence you to four years for the attempted robbery and ten years for the weapons charge.”
“Yes sir.”
“Well, have it your way. Mr. Reeves I hereby sentence you to four years for attempted robbery and ten years for the use of a firearm during the commission of a felony. These terms will run concurrently. That’s the best I can do. Do you understand Mr. Reeves?”
“Yes sir.”
“Mr. Reeves, is there anything you’d like to say on your behalf?”
“Yes sir I would. As God is my witness, that can of pop was the first thing I ever stole in my life.”
“Mr. Reeves, I believe you. But I’ve got to ask you again, why’d you do this?”
“Well sir, the way I see it, I can’t take no welfare money from those that pay taxes. They already got enough problems. I ain’t goin be no burden to no one else, wasn’t raised that way. No sir. The way I see it, now I’m goin have a roof over my head, three meals a day and a place to sleep. Like I said, I ain’t goin be no burden to no one else.”
“But why’d you do it?”
“Cause I ain’t got no place to stay….”
***
Will's now serving his time in the Florida State Prison, Bradford. May God be with him for now he has a place to stay.
***
Read "The Baby in the Bag - A Politically Incorrect Tale" and my latest "The American Revolution - Redux"
Peace
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