In memory of Christian Choate

I am so very sorry.
I was not there for you.
In your moment of need...
when you breathed your last breath
when you screamed for help in your heart-wrenching pain
when your skull was fractured in two
when you were kicked into your prison
a wire dog cage
without food
without hope
alone
to die
with every breath bringing you closer
to the end
each pulse you could feel
in your agony
each labored breath
every dry tear that could not escape
for every liquid and food was withheld
and all the previous months of tears had depleted their source
every moment alive was work
every second a torture
sustained for no reason
without hope
Your support system failed you
US
Your parents abandoned you
US
Your other parents neglected you
US
Your sister despised you
US
Your father abused you
US
Your grandparents were no where around
US
Your neighbors said nothing
US
Your friends forgot about you
US
Your teachers never reached out to you
US
The police couldn't prevent what was happening to you
US
The law couldn't discourage what was taking place
US
The doctors couldn't heal your broken body and mind
US
The church couldn't mend your spirit
US
The child protective services did not have the courage to bring you out of your misery
US
The leaders and politicians did not have the foresight or courage to enact laws that would not allow this to be possible
US
The judges could not rule with a discerning eye to flesh out the truth
US
The lawyers were too unwilling to present or seek out the truth
US
The system was too compartmentalized to see the effect of apathy and violence on your body
US
The journalists never wrote your story
US
Your country never counted you
We never cared for you and could not believe your small voice.
We failed you.
How many times had you held your breath hoping it would be your last
How many nights did you pray not to wake up
How many times did you think the pain would bring you freedom from this life
Finally, you refused food hoping that it would bring the end you seeked
And finally you died
Needlessly
This needs to be published
There is only one thing of good that could come from this
That is to prevent another case of a needless death for someone in your circumstances
We need to protect you
And look at each element in the system that failed
Improve it so that no one else can fall through the cracks in the system as you have
I'm so sorry we were too late and did not have the foresight to prevent it earlier

When I read your story, my heart broke, I could not get it out of my head. Perhaps this will be therapy, not to remove it from my conscience, but to document it so that it won't be forgotten and I can know that it remains a part of me.
What have we become that such a person could exist in such abject misery and end up being abused to death
He did not have to be Caucasian, a boy, or have a cute smile
He could have been asian, black, latino, or a girl
The story would be just as tragic
So I started this website because no one else did when I appealed for it on the Huffington Post
With my limited abilities, I will humbly try to keep you from being forgotten
I am sorry that it took me so long to cobble a website together for you
There is a story behind that.