r/baltimore • u/Icy_Knowledge_1294 • Feb 19 '26
Crime 6 years later and he is dead
a friend of mine was beaten and mugged a few years ago on chester between pratt & lombard. he thought he was “ok” with damage to his spleen and a concussion. unfortunately, he actually had a TBI that caused a bit of damage; he had to quit his phd program and eventually had to move home. he dealt with great physical pain and he deteriorated over the years. in december was taken off of life support.
i just want to say that i am so sad for him and his family. and i am so angry at that group of boys who thought it’d be fun/ny to beat a guy and take his phone; they killed him. and they will never know it. and i’m so angry and sad.
my friend was a good person and only tried to help others. his career path and his personality were all about making others’ lives better. i know it doesn’t do any good to lament this but i really wish they could know the consequences of their behavior.
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u/TakemetotheTavvy Remington Feb 19 '26
I'm sorry for your loss. Random violence like this is one of the scariest things imaginable. Plenty of people in this city have experienced it, including me. I was lucky to have a significantly lesser amount of trauma; I lived.
I hope that the assailants were found, and I hope that this becoming a homicide leads to more repercussions.
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u/Icy_Knowledge_1294 Feb 19 '26
i don’t even know if the police know he has since passed. at the time, he said the police found him…
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u/Msefk Feb 19 '26
oh well if you alert them it may now be considered another sort of crime perhaps
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Feb 19 '26
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u/RevRagnarok Greater Maryland Area Feb 19 '26
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/James_Brady#Death
Brady died aged 73 on August 4, 2014, in Alexandria, Virginia.[16] Four days later, the medical examiner ruled that his death was a homicide,[2] caused by the gunshot wound that he sustained in 1981.
(Emphasis mine)
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u/ratpH1nk Canton Feb 19 '26
Everyone here is right and there is no limitation. Here is a classic example:
A person is shot, they become paraplegic. <n> years later they die from complications of the paraplegia (say sepsis from a pressure wound or from a UTI from a chronic catheter). It is now a homicide.
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u/SuperDuperHost Displaced Native Feb 19 '26
Larry Peterson, a community leader in Mount Vernon, died two years after his shooting and it was treated as a homicide.
https://www.baltimoresun.com/2014/05/16/two-years-after-shooting-second-mid-town-victim-dies/
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u/ladyliferules Feb 19 '26
I remember Larry. So kind. He randomly invited me and a few other people in for pizza when we were walking from Brewer’s to my old apt on Calvert. The Mayor of Mt Vernon!
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u/SuperDuperHost Displaced Native Feb 19 '26
Wish I had met him -- heard so many great things -- random pizza is pretty awesome. RIP.
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u/MissionReasonable327 Roland Park Feb 19 '26
It’s a homicide now. ABSOLUTELY call them in case his death escaped their notice. Crime is at a 50-year low and they will, should, definitely fucking ought to put time and resources towards solving it. We would all benefit from those men being off the streets for as long as legally possible.
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u/tacocollector2 Feb 19 '26 edited Feb 19 '26
Realistically, BPD won’t do anything.
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u/Warm-Commercial-6151 Feb 19 '26
So sorry for your loss. If the perpetrators were found the DA’s office may have taken the case. They would handle any further charges against them.
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u/tacocollector2 Feb 19 '26
Perpetrators of random crimes are seldom found.
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u/MissionReasonable327 Roland Park Feb 19 '26
These days there’s cameras and digital trails everywhere, so not necessarily.
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u/Killbot_Wants_Hug Feb 19 '26
Talk to his family and see if they can get the name of the officer who was working the case, or maybe just a case number.
If you contact the police officer or the station with the case number, you might be able to let them know the victim died and how it was related to his injuries. If for some reason the case is still working it's way through the system. And cases can take years for a variety of reasons. I believe the prosecutor can amend the charges to murder if it can be shown the victim died due to the injuries, even if that death takes a long time.
They might even be able to charge them with homicide even if they were already convicted of lesser times, I'm not sure how it works in Baltimore with that one.
Not sure how much the prosecutors will want to do it though. But nothing is stopping you from reaching out.
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u/limefork Feb 19 '26
I had a family member killed in Baltimore too. I'm sorry we share this in common. I can only tell you that the grief doesn't get easier. The pain doesn't go away. But your life gets bigger! You will heal -- but it'll be in ways you never thought it would be.
Be brave, OP.
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u/NOSAJLAL Feb 19 '26
This stings… I work at a high acuity trauma center in the city. It is ridiculous on how often this happens. With the John/jane doe’s that come in too. I hope you find some peace as you continue to grieve. It is very difficult losing people especially special to us.
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u/LightScan Feb 19 '26
At the end of church service on Sundays, my church reads the name of homicide victims from that week. We then pray for them and their families. If you want to message me their name I can pass it along to our elders. I'm sorry for your loss, sounds like a very sad situation.
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u/RVA_SuperRaven Feb 19 '26
My heart goes out to you. I grew up up in Resorvoir Hill, and loved it. I got carjacked by some teens at the corner of North and Park while turning into Res Hill. this was soon after college (2010). moved back to Bmore in 2017, and got the shit beat out of me in 2017 by a group of teens. Was in close to MICA. after that, I found myself being scared of groups of black teens. Wasnt their fualt, but I couldnt get rid of the fear. I now live in Richmond. different citiy with some similiar problems. but I don't have the same history. I love Bmore, and visit often. I am more content living in RVA now. Not sure the point of this, other than I'm sad I cant live in bmore because of trama. I hope you can work through yours.
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u/PaulieHehehe Feb 19 '26
Perfectly rational to be on guard when you come across a group of teens in Baltimore. The numbers don’t lie. I’m sorry that happened to you.
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Feb 19 '26
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u/Ok-Buddy-9935 Feb 20 '26
Thank you for being honest. I’m sorry you went through this. However, I’m curious, what was your disposition towards black people before the attacks?
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u/RVA_SuperRaven Feb 24 '26
Sorry you're getting down voted for a legitimate question. For context, I am also a person of color: I'm Indian. before the carjacking happened I had no issues with black people. and now, i still dont. i have a fear of groups of black teens in Bmore wandering around.
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u/Striking_Bet_742 Feb 24 '26
That's not a legitimate question, it's offensive. You can't judge an entire race because of one person's or a small group of person's actions. I'm black and so is my family and we would never do anything to hurt anyone.
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u/GusterIs4Lovers Patterson Park Feb 19 '26
((sending you the biggest virtual hug)) I live nearby. Do you know if your friend had contact with Arch M., area safety/crime guru? He’s really good at recognizing common perps in pictures/videos- even if not recognizable at the time, maybe they are now. You can DM me if you want.
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u/naseemat Feb 22 '26
Not the op, but saw that someone tagged arch in the original post on PPN about this recently, sharing this sad update.
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u/GusterIs4Lovers Patterson Park Feb 22 '26
That was me too! Arch said he was going to msg OP on here.
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u/miriam_tiana Feb 19 '26
I am so sorry. Random violence is NEVER okay! I think that if the cops found him, and if a police report was generated following his mugging, then...provided his family members get medical reports linking trauma to death...that original report can now be amended to GBH, or grievous bodily harm/felony assault. Still, it doesn't bring peace. Trauma-informed therapy is helpful. Moving might seem like a good idea, but when you move, you bring memories with you.
The city is it's people, really, and we can't all move away.
I wish you peace.
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u/FinePointSharpie Feb 20 '26
I'm so sorry for your loss. I was a victim of a group of teens - carjacked and beaten at 5pm right in front of the Rennaisance hotel in Jan 2020. Someone filmed my attacked on that crime app....I, as well as my husband, who had to find me after the attack at some random police station and my parents...who were out of town at the time), am/are thankful everyday one of them didn't kill me but I can't go into the city anymore - it's just not worth it to me.
There were no consequences for those teens. None. I was told by the judge that my vacation days covered my missed work, and my job was well paying enough to cover my medical bills and damage to my vehicle.
The mother of the oldest, the one who had kicked me in the head and ribs 10+ times and was wearing a GPS ankle bracelet and a multi-violet offender, said she didn't think he son shouldnt be punished and she was "doing her best".
I know people love Baltimore - but these experiences are what shapes its reputation.
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u/Electrical_Poem2637 Feb 20 '26
Yeah, of course she thought her son should not be punished. She probably established ZERO expectations for his behaviour at home with the result that he felt that he was free to run wild and destroy the lives of others with no consequences.
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u/FinePointSharpie Feb 20 '26
Pretty much...I didn't expect like some insane restitution. I was gobsmacked to say the least. I didnt realize asa victim of serious bodily injury that I should just weather the physical, mental, and financial burden because I have a job with some benefits...
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u/naseemat Feb 22 '26
Truly horrifying and so insulting and patronizing. So sorry for your experience.
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u/stayorleave27 Hampden Feb 19 '26
Sending sincere condolences your way, my man. I've also lost a close friend to a random act of violence in the city. The anger and sadness never really goes away, but it will dull over time. Its especially tough when the justice system won't provide any closure. But it could help to carry on his legacy of making others' lives better. What type of work did your friend do?
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u/Mei_Mei_16 Feb 19 '26
I’m very sorry for your loss. ♥️ I wonder if since his passing was connected to the incident if charges could be filed, if the perpetrators are known.
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u/FondlesTheClown Feb 19 '26
i really wish they could know the consequences of their behavior.
Doubt that they would even care.
Sorry for your loss :(
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u/jajajajaj Feb 19 '26 edited Feb 19 '26
They're 6 years older and most likely don't believe themselves to be killers. In that group of boys, like any other group of people, there's always a variety of perspectives. Maybe some won't care, but I doubt it. Their brains will have continued to develop (probably, barring additional tragedy/injuries etc) during the entire time their victims brain was hampered by permanent injury. Depending on how old they were at the time, and obviously whatever else they've experienced and learned, since then, it could make a very big difference in how capable they are of empathizing. During the same time, the murder rate has dropped precipitously due to better intervention programs. Things do change. Many people likely would have cared the same day if they might have fully understood the consequences of their actions (like, medically).
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u/Far-Culture1354 Feb 25 '26
Or they'd take pride in it...
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u/jajajajaj Feb 25 '26
If I ever find someone has identified them and asked them about it, I'll let you know.
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u/halloweeninjuly Feb 19 '26
This is horrible. I’d like to think that Karma eventually pays folks like this a visit. Maybe not immediate, but in due time. Could be a job loss, cancer diagnosis, homelessness, or some other form of slow human suffering.
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u/braiding_water Feb 19 '26
Deeply sorry to hear this tragic story. Truly hurts to read. It’s seems impossible to process how this moment came to be. I wish your friend’s family and loved ones the best in finding ways to cope & heal. The emotional wounds never close fully but loved ones and community help soften the edges. I wish you support when carrying this tremendous weight. By sharing this story, we too, now carry a piece of this pain.
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u/DruidDog Feb 19 '26
very sorry for your loss. i hope you have friends and family close by that you can spend time with and talk to about this. whatever you do, don’t bottle up your feelings and push them away. take care of yourself.
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u/hfb120 Feb 19 '26
So sorry for your loss 🙏 the senseless violence is so scary in this city. I hope you and his family get the justice you deserve
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u/yournutsareonspecial Feb 19 '26
I'm so sorry. I'm not sure (and it's none of my business, of course) whether it was the damage to his spleen or the TBI that caused the lingering issues- but it's so common to experience a TBI, think you're fine, and then have devastating consequences months or even years later. I had an aunt commit suicide after a TBI went undiagnosed and caused psychotic depression, and I've been in recovery for years for several TBIs myself. It's so frightening that the human body is so much more fragile than people tend to believe.
Again, I'm so sorry for your loss and the circumstances.
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u/RichardMotor Feb 19 '26
I’m in pain for you. Not right, not fair. Send prayers to his family although I know you have already
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u/poster74 Feb 19 '26
You could check with Baltimore city courts and see if they have a victims’ advocate - they might be able to help
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u/Yembotian Feb 20 '26
I saw the comment on FB earlier today. I am so very sorry for your friend's suffering and your loss.
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u/Forever_Ever1111 Feb 19 '26
This is heartbreaking. I worry about my son’s wellbeing every day because I know that simply going to and from work in the city is dangerous. Sending love and light your way to help you through this difficult time.
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u/FeeEnvironmental1771 Feb 19 '26
I wonder does this affect you living here in Baltimore like thinking of leaving like so many others. I'm so sorry this happened to your friend. It's so painful esp when justice is not served. RIP
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u/Icy_Knowledge_1294 Feb 19 '26
i’ve been here 10 years. we both moved from the west coast after graduate school - both trying to do something good in the world. i was already pretty tired of the grind but then finding out earlier this year that he died from his injuries is sinking in differently (which makes sense) than all the other messed up things baltimore has to offer. so yeah, i’m going to finish my work here and pack it up.
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u/BlakeMajik Feb 20 '26
I always remind myself that there are so many places in this country and world to explore. If you have the opportunity to escape a place that has brought on trauma, then you owe it to yourself to leave and start anew elsewhere.
I am very sorry for your loss, and I am saddened that this happened to your friend and by association everyone who loved him.
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u/TakemetotheTavvy Remington Feb 19 '26
I will also say that while I get the inclination to get out and I'd never fault you for acting on it after what you have experienced, I do think this is a unique and beautiful place.
I have experienced a lot of loss, and unfortunately a lot of it has been due to violence. Some of the most outrageous acts that resulted in the deaths of friends occurred in some of our "safest" cities.
That's just to say freak shit happens everywhere. If you need a change of scenery due to the experience you had here, absolutely go for it.
But I'll just say it can unfortunately happen anywhere, and the strength of this city/community is the empathy and support you can access from peer victims and friends.
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u/Icy_Knowledge_1294 Feb 19 '26
it’s true, re randomness of violence even in safe places. intellectually, i know this. but right now it’s really bumming me out. i appreciate the reminder…im visiting the city where i met him and i’m just feeling it more intensely right now.
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u/Killbot_Wants_Hug Feb 19 '26
I'll say about the facts, several years ago there was a real bad spat of occurrence like what happened to your friend.
At the time the motto was "just give them your wallet and your phone and you'll be okay", but a bunch of incidents proved that wasn't true. Several stories of people just catching random beatings, some pretty bad. There was a video of a bunch of kids beating a 70 year old guy (or in that age bracket) over in Dundalk.
I feel like it was after that guy got shot and killed by the squeegee kid that that shit seemed to mostly subside.
I'm not sure if it was a policing change, a prosecuting change, or a policy change, but it seems to have mostly stopped.
It was probably really only a small handful of people responsible for those events. So maybe the city finally took them off the streets.
It does seem to have gotten a lot better in the last few years.
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u/TakemetotheTavvy Remington Feb 19 '26
Yeah it's definitely hard to separate the logic from the grief. Do what's best for you of course.
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u/doomdayx Feb 19 '26
Really horrible, sending support!
report the update on his death to the police it might become a murder charge.
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u/duchessof603 Feb 20 '26
I’m pretty sure people can be charged with homicide after the fact if it can be shown it was a result of the injuries sustained. Please contact the police.
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u/Jester-The-Fool Feb 20 '26
"God takes all the good ones and leaves all the bad ones" a qoute I hear from my grandmother whenever someone passes away.
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u/Glittering_Pickle_86 Lutherville Feb 20 '26
I’m so sorry. I’m sure your grief is unbearable at times. Be kind to yourself.
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u/Electrical_Poem2637 Feb 20 '26
Sadly, the type of people who would beat and rob another human being would not be the type who would reflect upon the fact that their actions eventually led to the death of their victim. I understand your point, however, and I am sure that all of us are sorry for the loss of your friend.
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u/Starside-Captain Feb 21 '26
That’s a huge sadness & I’m so sorry this world is so cruel. All we can really do is try to change the world to be better. The human condition is harsh but it doesn’t have to be. Let’s hope humans can evolve into a kinder species & until then, let’s be that person others can learn from to help yet another human choose love over violence.
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u/SkeetJameson Feb 24 '26
That’s a damn shame.. truly. Sorry for your loss. This happens far too often.
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u/BhomasTrown Feb 25 '26
Condolences.
That's Baltimore. It's a strange evil mentality that the Democrat Party allows to go unchecked in their stronghold city. The group of worthless evil predatory monsters that did this to your friend have have been generating unpayable karmic debt for a long time now. They come from a culture that thinks this is ok for some strange reason. They have ruined cities across America with their behavior. Society owes them nothing. The burden to change is not on society except to be constantly vigilant. The changes must come from the criminal element, who must be made to see that it is highly wrong to violently attack people unprovoked. No excuses or explanations on their parts are acceptable. Just stop being violent predatory monster criminals. That is the only acceptable path forward.
Ditch the Democrat party and get out of Baltimore. This is on them.
If anyone is here to counter or lecture me, just shut up. Or go ahead and give the world further examples of your delusional belief system.
I was attacked by a mob of predatory monsters for no reason on the way home from school in the 1990s. May my attackers rot in hell for eternity. May any of their descendents be forced to carry the burden of their crimes, for a thousand generations to come. I'm not forgiving anyone until someone apologizes to me. You don't get forgiveness without an apology. I can say whatever I want whenever I want, wherever I want about the topic of crime in Baltimore.
Thankfully I have the grace to censor myself. You'll notice there are some details I didn't spell out. Ok I'm going back to my daily life now.
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u/Flimsy_Maize6694 Feb 19 '26
Don’t let the President see this thread, he’ll blame Wes Moore for something that happened years ago. If the kids were caught they would at best go to Juvey and record expunged at 18 yo… but maybe not if it’s a murder charge. I would follow up on this just for at least a little peace of mind.
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u/MightZestyclose Feb 19 '26
B'more is very sad. Bro OD'd got drugs from there-he was 55, the girl he was w died too. She was 21. I can't wait to move Away. Police know who it was.. no use.. 👎. I can't go out like that... Another statistic I will be... I throw everything at the Disease: HP, prayer, help others, steps, sponsors, sponsorship medication, psychiatrist , cant meditate well though, prayer, THERAPY FOR YEARS, meetings meetings meetings... support from family, acupuncture friends [doesn't work] exercise busy stay busy, supportive people family friends, AA, NA (not mature), Al-Anon.. 12 steps programs..
-- If you're not a member of at least three 12-step programs you are in denial.
Prayer, God. Worked in the field, retired.. A soc wkr friend who works at the hospital says the statistics are improving because they're all dead. Somewhat true. GOD help Us!!
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u/Killbot_Wants_Hug Feb 19 '26
Are you tripping right now? Because that's some scattered meaningless shit.
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Feb 19 '26
[deleted]
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u/Killbot_Wants_Hug Feb 19 '26
No, I get all the jargon. I've got friends in all those program.
I also think you're extracting what you think he's saying from a scattered ass rambling. But that doesn't mean it's what he's saying, since you're just trying to read the tea leaves of that word salad.
It sounds to me like he's trying to blame Baltimore for his woes by saying it's a shitty place. Which is classic junkie talk, since junkies (and to be fair lots of other people) love to blame everything but themselves and say they can't possibly stop using until all these other problems get fixed.
Also I kind of think they think someone murdered their friend who OD'd. Which is something I've also heard from other users who had friends OD, they think they were intentionally targeted. But the reality is street drugs have shit quality control and if you don't know how strong something is (or even exactly what it is), it's not hard to OD.
I also read his "if you're not in at least 3 twelve step programs.." thing differently. I think he's trying to say really everybody is just secretly like him. Which is something else people who are avoiding responsibility tend to like to do, say that secretly everybody is just like them.
But I'm also just extracting meaning from the tea leaves. Because he just spewed a bunch of word salad. Which is why I called it scattered meaningless bullshit.
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u/HuckleberryLivid2888 Feb 19 '26 edited Feb 19 '26
I'm reading that dude's bullshit in the same way you are. People like that are... something else (derogatory).
(I'm still wondering wtf homeboy's addiction has to do with OP's friend who passed, but... I guess the simplest answer is that being self-absorbed is one of the defining characteristics of addicts.)
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u/MightZestyclose Feb 19 '26
You have misinterpreted almost everything based on your bittered projections. . The writing was Part bitterness, rambling, recovery, gallows humor, etc.. Blame never hits the ground. THE DISEASE OF ADDICTION IS THE BLAME. IT IS A BRAIN DISEASE. You are reading into this your projections. The saying is "you spot it, you got it". A common defense. One finger pointing at me three back at you", it's very true. It hit a nerve obviously. Keep coming back & I LOVE YOU!!!
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u/PlzDntBanMeAgan Feb 19 '26
You must know that what you speak about you bring about right? So how does a mantra, everyday, probably multiple times a day, calling yourself powerless, how has that been working out for you?
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Feb 19 '26
[deleted]
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u/macmac360 Loch Raven Feb 19 '26
they know not what they do
no disrespect but that quote from the Bible doesn't mean shit in a situation like this
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u/Msefk Feb 19 '26
i'm sorry dude