Absolutely terrible for everyone involved. There is no win in a case like that of Karmelo Anthony, a 19-year-old found guilty of murder for the fatal stabbing of 17-year-old Austin Metcalf.
Two families were shattered over a senseless instance of violence. I have a friend on the defense team, and he couldn’t say much, but he did say there was so much left out of the media which complicated this case.
This case goes beyond this incident. This is the aftermath of massive systemic shortfalls post-Jim Crow laws. Entitlement of white people is something I had to come to terms with years ago when I actually opened my eyes and explored racism — specifically in our court systems.
There are many names I see in the online reactions who I went to school with and attended track meets with. It’s hard to imagine something like this happening when we were that age. I’m one of the few who doesn’t have children, but it’s obvious to see that the youth today carry burdens that would debilitate us adults, specifically the nonwhite youth.
I feel like every time a crime happens, occurring with different races, it’s the media that leads the convictions, not the courts. I don’t know what the answer is, but I do know we are stronger unified. Hug your children tonight for an extra few seconds because, in the blink of an eye, our worlds can change.
Signed,
Ashley Benton, Arlington
Ashley Benton is co-owner of Fool’s Kava House, an inclusive safe space serving eats, kava drinks, and more in Arlington.
This letter reflects the opinions and fact-gathering of the author(s) and only the author(s) and not the Fort Worth Weekly. To submit a letter, please email Editor Anthony Mariani at Anthony@FWWeekly.com. He will gently edit it for clarity and concision.
