A little over a year ago, we wrote the following:
The track meet… Memorial High School junior Austin Metcalf and Centennial High School junior Karmelo Anthony were competing in a morning track meet in Frisco, Texas. It was raining, and Anthony had thus taken cover under the other team’s canopy. A witness told police that Metcalf told Anthony to move. They argued. Anthony reportedly said, “Touch me and see what happens.” Metcalf touched him. The argument rapidly escalated. Metcalf touched him again, presumably more aggressively, and Anthony pulled a knife out of his bag, fatally stabbing Metcalf in the chest. Anthony has been charged with first-degree murder, with bond set at $1 million. According to an arrest report, he said, “I was protecting myself.”
In the days since, there has been much conversation, noting too, that they were students of varied race … How does this happen? … Can it be self-defense? … Can we please not politicize it? …
We politicize way too many things. The bottom line is this is sad. Two young men have had their lives forever altered in awful ways. God be with them and their families.
* * * * *
What a sad situation.
Last week, in a Collin County courtroom, Anthony was found guilty of first-degree felony murder. He was sentenced to 35 years in prison.
Unfortunately, some have rushed to politicize or demonize one side or the other. Others have framed and reframed the incident to fit a preferred narrative. Even now, many seem more interested in determining who best serves their worldview than in confronting the human tragedy itself.
As one who wasn’t there, let me say again what struck me then and still strikes me now: this is an incredibly sad situation.
Two young men who had their whole lives ahead of them saw those futures violently altered in an instant. One lost his life. The other will spend decades behind bars. Two families will carry the weight of that day for the rest of their lives.
Seeking always to be respectful and to learn from the experiences of others, I was struck most by the reaction of Jeff Metcalf, the father of the deceased:
“… The moral decay of society today is rampant. And the only people that can fix it are us, the ones who exist at this very moment. To make sure you teach your kids right from wrong and guide them and give them love and guidance and let them grow and become a contributing factor of a member of society…
It’s been a long time since my son was murdered and not being able to speak. Why my dead son’s being drug through the mud, memes, pictures. But let me make one thing clear. That has went on from both sides and I don’t condone any of it. I’ve seen the things that they’ve made about Karmelo and it’s disgusting. It’s just as vile as the things that are done about my son.
Those people that are so far left or so far right, that has the need to attack a dead child or a child that’s going to prison, or any child, it doesn’t sit well with me. He’s going to have to take the consequences for his actions, but we don’t need piling on. I mean, this has been a tragedy for both families…”
Metcalf continues with further pleas: to “deal with facts and truth,” to refrain from spinning “webs to create narratives that benefit you,” and to choose love over hate.
Those words are worth hearing.
In a culture that increasingly rewards outrage, certainty, and tribalism, it is tempting to turn every tragedy into a talking point. It is tempting to decide beforehand who must be the villain, who must be the victim, and which facts deserve attention. But tragedies do not exist to validate our narratives.
And lastly, in speaking of the perceived moral decay around us, Metcalf asks a question that should give all of us pause: “Are you part of the problem? Are you part of the solution?”
God be with the Anthony and Metcalf families.
What a sad situation.
For all.
Respectfully…
AR