Help Mikel Pittard’s Family Pay For Funeral Expenses
October 13, 2009 | 3:19 pmFrom resident Bailey Pendergrast…
We have set up a memorial fund at Decatur First Bank to help [Mikel Pittard's] mother pay for funeral expenses. I would like to reach as much of Decatur as I can and I think your blogs are the way to do it. If people would like to contribute they can make checks out to Mikel Pittard Memorial Fund Send checks to:
Decatur First Bank
1120 Commerce Dr.
Decatur,Ga. 30030
Attn. Ann BergTime is of the essence since I think the funeral home wants cash up front to proceed.
Bailey and Ann: Can you give us here an email address so we can email you what we’ll be sending in the snail mail? Snail mail may deliver after the funeral. Or is there a way to donate on-line? Pay Pal or something?
Just got something indicating that Mikel was 15 years old, not 17 as the paper originally said. That fits better with the info that he is a sophomore. It’s a tragedy at either age but hearing the even younger age, I feel like I’ve been socked in the stomach again. The horror, the tragedy of human violence.
so, my question is, WHY was a 15 year old out at that time of morning leaving a teen club? Could answer a lot of questions…..
Have you never had a child make a bad decision?? Have you never made a bad decision?
AMEN! Don’t pass judgement. I know everyone did things in there life that they wish they did not do or hope no one finds out about. Just pray for his family and if you can, please contribute to the fund. It’s hard for a mother or father to bury their child. I’m sure it’s hard on the family right now, there going and forth on what they could or could not have done, blaming themselves. There are crazy things happened in the world right now. Just Pray. Watch over your kids and other people kids to make sure they are doing right and staying safe. If I see kids in my neighborhood during wrong, I asked them to stop and then let them know that if I have to, I will talk to their mother or father if it continues. I remember my neighbor doing that to me while growing up, in a caring matter.
Don’t pass judgement. Ever.
How about don’t pass judgment in at least the first week after a 15 year-old is killed? Is that good enough of a rule?
Chalk this up as something people would never say face-to-face, but have no problem stating online. Stating one’s own suspicions is obviously worth any pain that your judgment call may cause on a close relative or friend.
Not sure why asking how come a 15-year-old was out that late is considered rude. I live less than a mile from this shooting and believe it or not, that affects my own life as well. It’s horribly sad this happened, but not much good can come from kids being out that late.
David, I’m sure this does not affect your life in any significant way unless you actually knew the young man. I, too live very close to where this happened. What is the point in asking these questions? I don’t get it…
There’s a difference between asking questions to better understand the situation and passing judgement and making the family feel even worst.
Excuse me, maybe I should have said “asking the wrong questions.”
All of you amateur detectives should donate money to help pay for this young man’s funeral. That’s what communities do.
Oh, hell. I remember being a teen out til midnight or later at Boys and Girls, which was an oh so cool teen club around here back in the 1980s. It was a sorta safe place to be because it was for underage people and I don’t remember it serving alcohol. I think parents think those kind of clubs are safe for nights out- despite the fact that there were drugs and things around and you could use the contacts you made there to sneak into Weekends and Metroplex and 688. It’s what’s teenagers do. I had a hella good time between 15 and 27 and I expect that’s all this poor, poor boy and his family expected for him this past weekend.
I really hope that everyone will exert as much energy trying to help this family to pay for Mikel’s funeral as they are typing on this blog.
Mikel was a great kid. He had a beautiful spirit and a smile that could light up the room. He had an enthusiasm for life that was contagious.
His mother is having a very difficult time processing his murder when she can’t pay to have her child buried. Her pain is something that I hope that all of us will never have to experience. Spread the word and lets move quickly to help the family be able to honor Mikel.
It breaks my heart that the weather report receives more coverage on the news than his murder does. It shows the state of out desensitization to the violence around us. I truly wonder if he had grown up in a family with a better socio-economic status if his death would be as overlooked as it appears that it has.
Amen!
As a parent of a child that was in class with Mikel, I am heartbroken. As a “person” living in America, I absolutely agree that the circumstances of his death should be paramount in the news opposed to “frivolous” stories on what celebrity is pregnant or whether it will warm up this week!
“I truly wonder if he had grown up in a family with a better socio-economic status if his death would be as overlooked as it appears that it has.”
It is one of the cruelest forms of oppression that the poor in the USA are at a greater risk of dying than the rich but their suffering is made invisible by the media (or cast as the fault of the individual).
My thoughts go out to his family.
You can email me at annb@decaturfirstbank.com the amount you are donating. The family does need the cash up front to pay for the funeral expense. You can also drop off your donations in the night drop box in front of Decatur First Bank. Just put my name on the envelope and I will make sure the family gets a copy of your donation. We also have a branch inside the small Kroger that is open 11:30 to 6:30 Monday thru Friday and Saturday 10:00 to 3:00. Call me with any questions at 404-373-1000.
I forgot to mention that the main branch is open 8:30 to 4:00 Monday thru Friday.
Thanks Ann. Decatur First Bank is a great asset to our community.
Folks, let’s not lose sight of the separate issues here. *This* post and comments should be limited to expressions of condolence, support for the family, information about donations, etc. regarding the tragic death of Mikel.
To the extent his death creates (perfectly valid) conversations about why 15-year olds are out that late (generally, as opposed to *this* 15-year old), socio-economic status disparities, juvenile decision making, etc., let’s have those under a different heading. Otherwise, those discussions come across as condemning Mikel, specifically.