History is Happening RMHS!: Dead Giveaway

From Left - Amanda Berry, Gina DeJesus, Michelle Knight

What is a decade? A decade is 10 years, 120 months, 521 weeks, 3652 days, 87658 hours, 5259480 minutes, or a whopping 315568800 seconds. In pop culture, a decade generally describes a new generation of people, music, fashion and values. A decade is close to one eighth of the average human life. Ten years ago was in 2003. For a lot of freshman in high school, we were only four or five. George Bush was the president of the United States, and the Boston Red Sox had still been cursed by the Bambino. Imagine if you went to sleep on night in 2003, and woke up in 2013. How would you feel? You might feel a lot of things, shocked, amazemed, deprived and most likely confused. 11 years ago, Michelle Knight fell asleep after work at the Dollar Store. 10 years ago, Amanda Berry fell asleep on her walk home from Burger King. 9 years ago, Gina DeJesus fell asleep after she found out her friend could not sleep over that night. The thing is, these women didn't actually take a ten year nap, they were kidnapped, abused and held captive by Ariel Castro in Cleveland, Ohio. And they lived every waking moment through a decade of utter hell.

Ariel Castro was abusive kidnapper. He would chain the three girls to poles in the basement, and sexually abuse them day after day. If one of the girls got pregnant, Castro would beat the preconceived baby to death in their mothers stomach, by punching, kicking, and even jumping on Michelle Knight’s (Subject to the two of the still births) stomach and being starved for days. Castro would carry a gun and warn the girls they would be shot dead if they tried to escape. Amanda Berry was impregnated by Castro, however this time; she was allowed to give birth. Christmas day of 2006 was a stressful one at that, as Castro hovered over Berry as she gave birth to a baby that wasn’t breathing in a kid’s pool in the basement of Castro’s house. However, Knight managed to resuscitate the baby, and is Berry’s daughter today, she is 6 years old and this will be her first birthday and Christmas out of captivity. As on May 6, 2013, Charles Ramsey and Angel Cordero were alarmed to see a screaming Berry at the door of Castro’s house. They immediately rushed to her and kicked the door in, rescuing Berry and her daughter. The police were notified and rescued DeJesus and Knight from the home as well, ending their decade of torture.

Ariel Castro

The trials of these three girls are an excellent example of modern day slavery. For years, they were Ariel Castro’s sex slaves. All three girls were either at or under the age of 21, making them young subjects and could be considered child slaves. They were abused, raped, tortured and more than anything didn’t deserve it. The girls were all captured in forms of trickery. Knight was offered a puppy for her 3 year old son, Berry accepted a ride home because Castro was allegedly the father of a boy and girl she knew. And DeJesus, with her friend Arlene Castro, son of Ariel, tried to arrange a sleepover, but it didn’t happen and on her walk home, Castro picked up DeJesus in his car trying to find a “lost” Arlene. This is generally how modern day slave holders catch their victims. Often times to a poor target, in beliefs that they will be given a job or money, but are quickly turned over to a child slave.

Charles Ramsey

As for today, all three girls are alive, free and well. Ariel Castro was sentenced life in prison +1000 years; however he committed suicide not to long after his sentence. And Charles Ramsey, famous for his saying “Dead Giveaway” in interviews shortly after freeing Berry, still lives his everyday life in Cleveland Ohio.