"Our youths are out there killing each other…
How long, how long are we going to let this go on?”
—Arthur Beatty
Arthur Beatty was released aft
er 32 years in Indiana prisons for killing two men. He was young and a lot like those on our streets today who kill each other over petty controversies. He says he realized he was going to be locked up for a long time and could either get busy living or get busy dying. He chose to live. Over his years in prison he made some very positive choices. He took courses, improved himself, and along the way, God knocked on his door and Arthur opened it wide.
Some people come out of prison a lot like they went in. They may suffer from a mental issue or other enduring impediment, but most who come out of long term incarceration are changed—often profoundly changed. Doug Evans, our Site Leader in the Reentry Room at the Marion County Adult Detention Center has said that employers have told him "the best ex-offender employees are murderers"—a statement that might surprise you. But I’ve seen it too. People who have done some terrible things and paid the price are extremely serious and committed to do well and succeed in life when they are released. Like Arthur, many have turned to God, developing an unbreakable relationship over the years, forged in the fire of regret and remorse.
A few months ago, we took a quick video of Arthur asking for the opportunity to talk to youth about what is happening on our streets. He likened these murders to the tribes of Africa that massacre their neighboring tribes. Just as the tribal wars are destroying the heart of Africa, the street violence in our Indiana cities destroy our neighborhoods. People are afraid to walk their dogs after dark, innocent children are being shot right through the walls of their homes, and needed local grocers and drug stores close and move to safer locations. It’s a fact that murderers not only kill their victims, they eventually kill their neighborhoods too.
When it comes to communicating with at-risk kids, Arthur has what most of us lack: Lived experience. I wonder if perhaps some schools, churches, or community centers might decide to arrange a sit down between Arthur and some local at-risk kids. Maybe he’d tell them what prison is like. Or what it’s like when it dawns on you that one bad decision may have ruined your life. Maybe he’d tell the girls not to rush into adulthood, and that children need a mother and a father. Maybe he’d say they should take advantage of educational opportunities that could set them up for a successful, happy life. Maybe Arthur should get the chance to talk to some kids...
because maybe he could save their lives.
Jim
Watch Arthur's video Here!
