We are sister and brother from different mothers.
Yet our father ensured that we knew each other.
He has now been convicted of a crime he didn’t commit
No corroborating witnesses, No evidence
Just the word of one lone accuser,
Whom he set out to mentor
To be a Big Brother to
To teach him how to navigate the world and explore
His own possibilities…But he did the impossible
And accused his mentor of abuse
My brother from another mother? Such an untruth
Growing up William always set out to lend a helping hand,
He joined many organizations and groups that made it their goal to take a stand
On social issues, improving the community, and uplifting the youth
He was not only my brother but a role model to our family’s generation
Even in college he kept that same focus as he went on to further his education
He worked hard to receive his doctorate in higher ed. to continue his journey in motivation
He always volunteered and encouraged his frat brothers to do the same
He felt that it was OUR duty to improve OUR community, and we can’t sit around and play the blame game.
He took care of many family members and friends of friends as they headed off to join him at the university
He helped guide them through the adjustment process and even feeding them if they needed something to eat.
He did these things with humor, a smile, and a positive attitude
He never met a stranger
When people found out we were related, Oh how shocked they were
He is extroverted and so introverted I am
They couldn’t believe we came from the same fam.
But he always made me feel like I was a jewel and had something to offer
Even though my social skills and drive didn’t compare to his
That is the kind of guy he is
Before this incident he had
Never been arrested, never had a criminal record
Educated, Motivated, Family oriented, Community concerned
And now he sits in a prison based on one person’s word…
Who was influenced by his parent, who’s out for financial gain
As one who works with children it has made me question, is it worth, will I one day be arraigned
Because a parent coerced a child to falsely accuse me of something so grim and trife
Will everything that I stand for, work for, and disappear like a thief in the night?
Will my brother from another mother ever get a chance to continue to encourage others?
Will his life’s goal of improving his community come to pass?
Or will he remain in a place were he’s wrongfully placed, how long will this last?
Well the state decided to give him 25 years- a quarter of a century,
Time he could be influencing, teaching, and moving our community
to the next level
What’s so amazing is that even in prison he continues his work
God still uses him to encourage, motivate, and educate others about their worth
This time it is adult men…some who are young enough to have had him as a “Big Brother”
And he could have taught them early on how to explore.
Their possibilities in a world of choice
Yet he reminds them they still have a voice.
They are still humans and should exhibit the respect they expect to receive
In his words “The walls of the prison don’t imprison me
You can lock me up physically but not my spirit nor my mind
and I pray for my accusers, that they receive the help they need.
Because lies are like wings they fly and move quickly,
but the truth is like legs it moves slowly but it will stand, and so I stand on the truth”
Will we lose his example, his influence, and his affect?
We will,
if we fail or neglect——-
to fight and move on this situation
and use our voices and abilities to demand that true justice be served
and enforce America to be a woman of her word
“And liberty and for justice for all”!
His sister, by the same Mister,
Bridgett Arnold
Justice4Fry 