Robert Steven Palmer 
For the Sake of Jo’el [EPUB ebook] 
A Father’s Story

Writing about my life and the death of my child has been a kind of therapy session for me. I pray that some reader of my story takes an interest in the unusual circumstances surrounding my son’s obvious murder. Maybe just wishful thinking on my part, but I would like to see some sympathetic skilled attorney take an interest in this matter.
My story probably will not be well received in the black community because in my story, a story coming from a black man, the bad guys are majority black. Some will call me a sellout and an Uncle Tom, not knowing the true story behind Uncle Tom’s cabin! Others will tag me as a snitch.
I stand firmly behind my sentiments, and they will not waiver. As long as we sit by, intimidated and silent, we will continue to live in constant danger. Police oversight and accountability is a necessity. Parents will have to do better in child-rearing. Black men will have to take to the streets and take an active role in diligently policing their children and their communities.
Neighborhood watch associations in conjunction with police participation is a must. But in order to be effective, there has to be some informing, since criminal activities usually occur outside the presence of police. Snitching is the only way, and it will take more than just one person doing the snitching. In the case of my son, I find it difficult to accept the thought of the killers getting away with murder.
By myself, I feel sometimes I have no way of winning alone. I pray that you, the readers of my story, make a loud noise, a cry for what is right and just! I pray the masses rise up in a roaring cry, a demand for justice. I pray they do this for the sake of my child, my son! I pray they demand justice for the sake of Jo’el. That is my story as of this day, but it is always and forever changing. There is no statute of limitation for murder, and likewise, there is no limitation on what this father will endure for the sake of Jo’el!
The End