Editor's note: The writer is the mother of Robin Welshons, who was shot to death last February in the doorway of an Aberdeen motel room. Welshons had worked for the federal authorities as a confidential informant, family and friends say, in an effort to reduce a looming prison sentence. Those close to Welshons say they have received little information from police about the investigation, and there have been no arrests.
Shooting death still torments
Robin's death and what the system has done to her is tormenting me. I will never be the same person I was before. Robin's death has taken my heart and soul from me. The reason she was taken from me was because she was helping the "system" do its job. She was sent out to do their work, having no experience, training, nor protection from the authorities to ensure her safety. All of this was done as a "deal" with the authorities, which was supposed to end her problems with the system.
The authorities knew the danger Robin would be exposed to and the consequences - Robin didn't know. In essence, they put my daughter out on the street to gather their information and evidence without any regard for her safety or life, a life that was extinguished far too early. What should Robin have done when she couldn't count on the system she was helping out to protect her? Her death has terribly devastated those of us who knew her, love her and miss her so much every day.
Before becoming involved with some questionable people, Robin had a successful life. While in high school, she consistently made the honor roll. After Robin's graduattion, she obtained certification as a medical assistant. Robin worked for a physician for 10 years, formed friendships with many of the patients and was an asset to the community.
Robin was beautiful, sweet and intelligent, but easily misled by the wrong people. My daughter did not have serious problems until 2004, when she became involved with the wrong people. From that point, her life began going downhill.
We plan to have a memorial service for Robin at noon on Thursday at Harford Memorial Gardens in Aldino. That's the one-year anniversary of her death and I still don't know the truth about her killing. I know from my life's experiences that other people can get a person into serious trouble and I know this was the problem in my daughter's case and death.
My daughter's death was unnecessary and should never have happened.
I offer this as an explanation as to why my daughter is no longer with us. I blame it on the system and those people that the system put in Robin's life. Can the system handle the truth? They know why this happened to my daughter. This is a plea for justice for my daughter, Robin Lee Welshons.
Mary Welshons
Aberdeen
Help for victims of fire praised
eyes are a bit misty as I write to tell my fellow citizens how proud I am of them even through the heaviness in my heart. I knew a grandson of the elder Shropshires and went to pay my respects at the funeral of the five deceased members of the Shropshire family who were victims of the fire in Abington.
What an outpouring of sympathy and goodwill. As my daughter-in-law went from merchant to merchant collecting food, there was no mention of what color or religion the victims were. To see all the volunteers manning the church and preparing the donated food for the huge family renews one's faith in his fellow man.
Barry J. Glass
Baltimore
Forget stereoptypes of the homeless
The count is only a start. Educating the community as a whole is the real solution. The local homeless are veterans, nurses and people you may have baby-sat when you were in high school.
The stereotype of all homeless Americans is alcoholism, drug abuse or mental illness. I do not fit into any of these categories. The path is not always lined with roses. Many of my friends have no family or reliable resources. I lost a job and along went the car and motel room. People are divorced, living in tents, under tarps, in scrap yards, sometimes in abandoned cars with no choices, only survival skills.
No one has taken the easy way out. Freezing to death is reality for many past homeless names that won't be added to the most recent counted this year.
That's the thing, we are all our brother's keeper. Not to judge or put stipulations on a pot of hobo stew. With so much money arming foreign countries and rebuilding Muslim cities, our strongest allies are ignored, forgotten or counted to be labeled. Thrown away to sleep in the streets, where "The Star-Spangled Banner" first played.
Timothy A. Norman
Bel Air