For the love of Ivory

In the inner city of Chicago ther is an assemly of drug addicts surrounding the neighborhoods. Every year for the past decade the number of addicts increased;as well as the number of drug related deaths. Almost every family has a relative addicted to some kind of drug, espceially in the black community.

I have an uncle and an aunt addicted to crack. I lived in the same house with them so I was in shock when I found out they were using drugs. It hurt me at first cause I looked up to them, but as i grew older I wasn't fond of them as much. I found myself assisting them with their habits by having sympathy for them, an believing the lies they told me. I found myself helpping them more than they helped me and I have two sons to take care of. For the past years I watched them manipulate, connive and steal from their relatives, and hustle and sell stolen goods to feed their habit. It got to a point where I had to stay my distance because everytime I go around them they beg for money or cigarrettes. I love my aunt and uncle and I am very supportive of my family, but I will not suppoet their habit. I have two sons and if I keep helping them, they won't help themselves. Whenever you would rather get high than eat it's definitelly an addiction.

Recently my uncle was trying to sell a bag of food for $1.00. Food he had just got from the church for free. My aunt will do anything for money tofeed her habit. She will lie to her man whom she lives with for money. One day she asked me to ask her man for $200 for her. All I was thinking was who was going to pay him back if he did give it to me. I thought about sending rehab pamphlets to both of them but I don't want to seem offensive. If noone ele is concerned I am. The worse part is their mother is in a nursing home and neither of them visits her like they should. I always thought the wake up calls they had would make them at least want to stop using drugs. My aunts husband died due to drugs(heroin) seven years ago. My grandman has had two strokes in the past six years. My  only fear is that one day they're going to take that last hit and overdose. I only hope they realize how much the people around them love them and really do care!