He wants to tell the kids that gang violence doesn't pay. He wants to tell society that there are kids who have no other alternative and know of no other way—and end up both killing and being killed. The pictures painted in this book are not always pretty. The anguish and suffering are real. There are kids who live this life, every day. Kids that need intervention and better choices.
But mostly, Raymond wants to show the readers of this book, both the parents, the children, the average citizen, and the criminals who prey on these kids that there is a way to find help and refuge. Raymond found it through Christianity. He found it through many organizations established to give shelter and nurture to boys headed in the wrong direction.
As he says in a note at the beginning of the book:
"This book comes with a strong warning. I pull
no punches and I paint a harsh picture. But I withhold judgment, as I’ve
learned over the years that only God, who knows the heart and mind of everyone,
can judge us. As for me, I can only follow God’s example of unconditional love
for everyone.
"The story you are about to read is filled
with pain, death, hate, wars, danger, and a vivid portrayal of the street life
of fifteen kids who became hired guns for the Mexican cartel. Xaviar and the
others are fictional characters, but the life they illustrate is all too real.
But this book also has another story that can change the way you look at the
streets. As you read, I challenge you to feel the emotions these kids go
through and watch the struggles that will make you say, “this couldn’t happen”
only to realize that it happens every day. Find the hope inside a life that
seemed hopeless, and, most importantly, see how the hope can change a life, before
your very eyes."
No comments:
Post a Comment