I was born by the river, in a little tent Oh, and just like the river I've been running ever since It's been a long A long time coming But I know a change gonna come Oh, yes it will It's been too hard living But I'm afraid to die 'Cause I don't know what's up there Beyond the sky It's been a long A long time coming But I know a change gonna come Oh, yes it will I go to the movie And I go downtown Somebody keep telling me Don't hang around It's been a long A long time coming But I know, a change gonna come Oh, yes it will Then I go to my brother And I say, brother, help me please But he winds up, knockin' me Back down on my knees Oh, there been times that I thought I couldn't last for long But now I think I'm able, to carry on It's been a long A long time coming But I know a change gonna come Oh, yes it will
Source: Musixmatch
Songwriters: Sam Cooke
d.: (RIng) Oh, hi. How did your day go, Cal.E.? I know that you were stressed about not having enough workers at the kennel. I hope everything came out alright. C.: That is why I am calling. The Kennel called in workers from other shifts, but they all refused to go in the Ad Seg. area. That is where they keep the hardened criminals in solitary confinement. I had to sweep and mop all day back there! I even had to go into a cell with a murderer! d.: Sam Collins? C.: Yes, it was terrifying. d.: Sam is not such a bad guy... C.: He is a MURDERER!! d.: Technically, yes, he was convicted of murder. One must know the whole situation, though, before passing judgement on anyone. C.: What is the situation? I have a right to know if I will be dealing with him on a consistent basis. d.: Sam killed a man who killed his first cousin, then threatened to kill the rest of his family. Sam stopped him while he was headed towards his house with a pistol and a shotgun. The guy would not stop, so Sam shot him in the leg. He was just trying to slow the guy down, but he hit him in the femoral vein. That vein carries blood directly to the heart. The guy bled out on the sidewalk before the ambulance could get there. Sam called for the ambulance, then tried to stop the bleeding by tying off the leg with his own shirt. That is how the coroner knew who Sam was. His DNA was on the shirt, and Sam was already in the system because he had a juvenile record. C.: That sounds like self-defense to me. d.: Not really. When the cops got there, the shotgun was not loaded and the pistol was still in the other guy's waistband. Sam took off, because he knew that he already had a juvenile record. The police caught him and charged him with murder and evading arrest. Those two charges got him a life sentence, because his lawyer plea bargained against the death penalty. C.: Wow! It sounds like Sam was just trying to defend his family. Was the first killing gang related? d.: Yes, Sam's whole family was involved in a large gang. Sam's dad, the don of the gang, gave him two choices when he turned twelve. Those choices were to drop out of school, start dealing drugs and join the gang, or find a new place to live. Sam was just a little kid. AND none of his other family members would let him stay with them, because they were all too scared of his dad. He was forced to join the gang and deal drugs. C.: It sounds like Sam was caught in a bad situation. d.: More than once. He was in the wrong neighborhood when he shot the guy. That neighborhood was trying to keep gangs off of their streets, so they asked for the death penalty for Sam to make an example of him. The gang would not help Sam get a lawyer, because they did not want to get involved in a bad situation. Sam's dad would not even hire a good lawyer, because he did not want to come out of hiding and expose himself. He might have been arrested, because he had charges against him for loitering and evading arrest. So, Sam was assigned a public defender who had three other cases going on. He told Sam the best he could do was to get his sentence reduced to a life sentence with no parole. Those inmates are kept in Ad. Seg. all the time. C.: Honestly. d.c., this sounds like a chapter out of one of your books. d.: I get my ideas for my books from real life situations, Cal.E. If you see Sam tomorrow, tell him I said "hi," and I will change his bandages when I am back on duty!
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