The Good Girl

[Echo_of_shadows]

This post could go in a few different places, but I decided here might be appropriate.

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As I was reading Thursday's paper, I came across an article in the back of the front section about a girl that passed away this past Sunday. I froze when I saw the name. It's a young woman that I went to school with for a number of years.
I feel that I should do something nice even though I didn't really know her. She was a grade behind me in elementary school. We were in the same grade in high school (my first attempt at ninth grade was a disaster), and we had some of the same classes. But you know, I didn't really get to know her. We got along, it's just that I felt that she didn't like me. I didn't get any more chances to try to befriend her after ninth grade because her family moved to another state.
What bothers me though is what I think people are going to say about her. You see, she died after attending an ICP concert. The FBI classifies fans of the rap duo, known as Juggalos, as gang members. She's probably going to be considered "just another stupid Juggalo," or worse, people will say she deserved to die because she was a Juggalo.
NO!
The world lost a beautiful soul when she died. I'm not just saying this as one Juggalette (a female Juggalo) to another.
She was a good girl. I don't think I had ever seen her in trouble at school. I didn't see her running with any wild crowds. In the article, her parents said that she didn't do drugs or consume alcohol. I believe them.
I was surprised that she was at a Juggalo Gathering. But I stopped myself. I was buying into the stereotypes about Juggalos. Not all Juggalos are the same. They don't all drink Faygo all the time. Not all of them have Hatchet Man plastered on everything they own. They don't all do drugs. I want to dispel the stereotypes.
I am a Juggalette! But I am also an ordinary person like everyone else.

An' ever it harm none, swing your hatchet as ye will.