“He was not a thug. This shouldn’t happen to him,” added one of the parents of Jordan’s football teammates.
While all of these remarks about Jordan’s achievements and abilities are certainly admirable, they are NOT the reason this teen didn’t deserve to die, as CNN boldly pointed out:
If you think Jordan didn’t deserve to die because he was a good student, then you’re missing the point. Jordan’s achievements don’t make him any more valuable than a person who had trouble in school and a history of bad decisions.
What makes a person’s life precious is simply the fact that he or she is a living, breathing human being. As wonderful a teenager as Jordan was, his death would be no less tragic if his record had been less admirable.
Many times, the public will look at someone’s record of rights and wrongs to determine whether that person “deserved” to die. Resist that impulse.
As humans, we are all too quick to judge someone’s worth by their merit and worldly labels. The death of a “good student” or “coach’s dream” somehow seems more crushing than the death of a “high-school dropout” or a “street thug” with a less-than-stellar track record.
As stated by CNN reporter Jemar Tisby on the matter, “We want to create a monster who doesn’t merit mercy or a moral exemplar whose life is more valuable than the average person’s. Neither villainizing nor valorizing does justice to the fundamental dignity everyone deserves.”
While a person’s actions and character certainly do matter, have profound impact and are worthy of being remembered in the wake of a lost loved one, they are not what dictate a person’s worth.
What matters is not that Jordan was a “good student,” but that he was a child of God. Period.
The Bible clearly states that we are all fearfully and wonderfully made in His image, regardless of race, social stature or wealth—and my prayer is that Jordan’s tragic death opens our eyes to other senseless murders of this kind slipping through our justice system.
“Jordan’s death should cause us to re-evaluate how law enforcement officers are being trained,” added Tisby. “It should elicit calls for information and accountability if criminal wrongdoing is discovered.”
Beyond this larger picture, I pray Jordan’s family may find peace and healing amidst this unthinkable time of grieving. They described him as a “loving child,” and a “brother’s best friend” who exuded a “humble and sharing spirit.”
May their heart-wrenching loss be a light to our law enforcement system that this injustice must be eradicated at the root level so that no other family has to endure such unspeakable pain.
