Urban Memorials

If you drive or walk up 5th street on the way to our house, there are a number of urban memorials. In fact, if I did not understand the way South Philly streets worked I would be very nervous about the area we live in. Safety differs so drastically from street to street. I've seen side streets in "wealthy" and "safe" areas that are very dangerous, and streets like the one I live on, a "safer" street in a generally more dangerous area.

But anyway back to the memorials. If you come up 5th street, there is a good stack of stuffed animals in an empty lot. Ironically there is a recreational vehicle in that lot as well. I've never seen it move and I've never seen anyone come out of it. If you continue up the block a bit. You'll see a picture of a girl on a telephone pole, smiling. She looks like she is in middle school. Its probably more elaborate than most memorials, and I've been told about her story. She was innocent, a bystander. Most of the deaths have some sort of reason behind it. The people were involved in some sort illegal activity and paid for it with their life. But there are the cases like recently in Chester, a city south of Philadelphia, where a two year old was killed by a stray bullet in the head while he was playing inside. Or a couple years ago an immigrant father was killed coming out in the morning around the corner some where on 5th street.

That girl's picture/portrait is starting to flake off. It won't last much longer.

There are also countless temporary or mobile memorials. You will see cars that have written the name and dates and RIP on the back windshield for a untimely death in the hood. Or perhaps a tee shirt with their picture, dates and RIP on it.