My grandmother wouldn’t have taken as long

Margaret Matthews had enough and took matters in her own hands.

Margaret Matthews had enough and took matters in her own hands. The 68-year-old shot a 12-year-old boy in the arm earlier this week after enduring about a year of the victim, er, offender, and a 13-year-old vandalizing her South Side home and hurling rocks directly at her while she was on her porch. The boy was charged as a juvenile with misdemeanor aggravated assault to a senior citizen. No charges were filed against Matthews; it was self-defense, according to police. After the boy was shot, some in the community have come out and said he was innocent and didn’t deserve to get shot. Others have expressed no remorse for the boy. Matthews said she made repeated pleas for help from law enforcement, to no avail. I’m sure at least one resident on the block saw them in action more than once. Why didn’t anyone speak up…pull their coattails…tell their parents? Have the boys terrorized others on the block and in the neighborhood to the point where the adults are scared to address them? In Matthews’ own words, if she hadn’t finally stood up for herself she might not be here. I know without a doubt that if it had been my grandmother, she would’ve afforded them one warning after the first incident. If the message wasn’t taken seriously, she would’ve acted immediately. Grandma didn’t play and the neighborhood knew that. Copyright 2010 Chicago Defender

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