Let Hope Live

The question I’m asking today is why?
Devon Gales, a young junior on the campus of Southern University was brutally injured during the Southern vs Georgia game on September 26. This injury left him in a critical condition and he now resides in the Shepherd Center in Atlanta, Georgia for further rehabilitation. Gales is in good spirits, I last heard, but he’s in a fight, a fight that we take advantage of everyday. The use of motor synapses, moving fingers, arms, legs, ligaments, etc. But he shouldn’t be fighting alone. Now others may argue about SEC vs SWAC match-up, the dangers of football, was this for the money, or even a check vs a life, but that’s another topic for another day. Yes, Athletics has done their fair share, because they have given their condolences, visits, good well cards, and even the football team has “We love #33” on the tennis courts to invigorate themselves. They’re fighting with him, with their pride on their shoulders to make sure his retribution day is every day. This makes me feel better about our athletic program, but let’s face it, athletics make up about 10 or 20 percent of the population of campus. 
Besides opening a fund for Gales’ family, what has Southern as a whole really done? Gales is a Jaguar. He’s not a Bulldog, in which Mark Richt and his staff extended their helping hand to assist Gales in things that he needs, such as flying his family to Atlanta and other amenities. The Bulldog nation has shown unnatural support in even putting a number 33 sticker on their helmets to remember the pride that young man has and the fight that he extends in recovery during the Alabama game. He’s not a Tiger, in which Les Miles extended his condolences on social media and even frat boys painted Pray for Devon on their chest at the LSU vs Michigan game to show absolute support. This is a nationwide phenomenon, but I don’t hear anything on the bluff of the Mississippi except in Mumford. And I’m sorry administration; a thank you card is not going to cut it, because we are failing as a university to support our own. We can have Pretty Wednesdays, turn-ups, parties, and homecoming is this week and not a single event is highlighting a supportive effort for Gales, nada, zero, zilch. Not a t-shirt giveaway, wrists bands, or anything huh? I was taught that we had to take care of home first, or is it just me that had home training? I was raised in the new generation and yet I can have ethical standards. He and his family need support, if it’s not a get well card, a story, a picture, a henna tattoo, social media posting, or prayer, then it could be financial funding and any amount could do to support. He was in life threatening condition and what if it was your cousin, brother, aunt, etc. He cannot fight alone and the gloves are now in our hands. This boy has to fight for his rights to move and start from Day 1 all over again. Anything is better than nothing Jaguar Nation. We as a whole cannot push this matter aside and make it a out of sight, out of mind ideal. Let this man complete his dream of playing football and he can’t fight by himself and just with athletics. 
Because we are Southern University, defenders of the gold and blue, if we can’t defend our own, then we have no reason to call ourselves Jaguars.