Dear editor,

Have you ever thought about why we celebrate birthdays? When you think about it they are an excellent opportunity for friends and relatives to come together and congratulate you for surviving another year. The prevailing opinion seems to be that Romans were the first civilization to celebrate birthdays for non-religious figures. Romans would celebrate birthdays for friends and families while the government created public holidays to observe the birthdays of more famous citizens. Those celebrating 50th birthdays would receive a special cake made of wheat flour, olive oil, honey and grated cheese. All of this said female birthdays still weren’t celebrated until around the 12th century. Thank God for the 21st century where the birthday cakes are sweet and savory. Not to mention ice cream.

Birthdays are generally fun times but for so many of us this is not the case. Families who have lost children of loved ones through murder aren’t able to celebrate this significant day with their loved ones. They aren’t able to give them presents, call them or just send a card. The question rings in their minds why, why, why would someone kill their loved one? Jan. 24, 1990 is the birthday of Demius (Toot) Jackson and his mother can only visit his grave on that day. He was brutally murdered April 17, 2011. How many others have loved ones who were born on this day but because of murder they too cannot celebrate this special day. Murder is a vicious cancer running rampant in our community. Won’t somebody care, won’t someone do something? At least get justice for the grieving families left behind … please.

Barbara Brown

Selma