Students at Haverhill High School received a talk about why they should stay away from drugs and gangs and if by any chance some of them were involved with them, to get out quickly, before it’s too late.
The talk didn’t come from a church minister or priest, or from a law enforcement officer, a community leader or even a parent, who sometimes desperately, try to guide their children on the right path in life but without any experience on what they are talking about.
No, this talk was different. You can call it the real McCoy, a wake-up call. This talk came from two former Lawrence drug addicts and gang members; individuals that were apprehended, taken to court, convicted and served several years in prison for they misdeeds.
When you listen to Jose Duran and Antonio Santiago, you don’t hear the voice of a well educated person trying to find the right words to impress their audience but the voices of two simple men speaking about their own experiences and how much their actions ruined their young lives.
You can run a parallel line with Aaron Hernandez and the trial that put him away for the rest of his life. The difference is that Hernandez was convicted for murder; Duran and Santiago’s biggest offence was dealing and using drugs while they were members of the Latin Disciples gang. They saw the light, that’s why they walked away from that kind of living that ruined their lives and those who love them.
It is up to the ones who listen to Duran and Santiago, whether currently involved or planning to get involved in gang activities, to pay attention to what they are saying or end up like Hernandez.
