Beulah Community Steps up for Mr. Reddy

A community fundraiser was held Saturday at Beulah regional park for Mr. Kotha Govarhdan Reddy.

He was a local merchant that was robbed at gunpoint last month and murdered at the Quik Fill gas station on Mobile Hwy.

Volunteers from the community solicited food and vendor donations, there was a silent auction, t-shirts were sold, and other items of value were raffled.  Navy Federal Credit Union set up an account where citizens could donate funds for the cause.

The mood of the day was upbeat as a DJ played country music that reverberated throughout the park.

Dozens of citizens enjoyed good food knowing the proceeds would be going to Mr. Reddy's family.  The pulled pork sandwich plates with chips and BBQ beans were selling very well--and for dessert-homemade banana bread was also being sold--with all proceeds benefiting Mr. Reddy's family.

In speaking with one of the organizers after the event, it appeared that the day was a big success.

"We raised $3,600.00 just today at the park, and with the additional donations we have taken in--I believe we will be right around $4,400.00 raised for the family"  she stated.

I'm glad folks supported this effort--I am sure Mr. Reddy's family will appreciate the kind gesture--even in the midst of their grief.

American Dream Stolen Part III: Can We All Achieve the American Dream?

In the wake of the terrible tragedy in Beulah this week, where three individuals allegedly conspired to rob a local shop owner and in the process murdered this man--thereby shattering his family's American Dream--some might ask the following question:

Is the American Dream still a reality that all can achieve?

I believe the answer is a resounding YES.  But it takes lots of hard work and lots of sacrifice.  It is there for the taking--more so here than in any other country in the world.

That's why people are clamoring to get here, by any and all means including sneaking in illegally, overstaying  student or visitor's visa (s),  and/or following the process to come here legally.

Point is, everyone knows America is the land of opportunity, and that's why so many are coming here by the thousands.  I mean, just look at the caravans of thousands of people coming up through Mexico from Central America, one after another,  trying to get here.  People know that this is the place where a person can succeed if he/she works hard.

And that is what is so depressing about some folks that are born here, raised here, and still haven't figured out what the rest of us all know about how great this country is.....

Why some people choose not to participate in society like normal, law-abiding and upstanding citizens--I will never understand.

America offers opportunity for ALL!

How do we know?

---When we see families from the orient coming to America not even speaking the language and within one generation owning their own businesses and sending their children to our finest schools.

---When we see immigrants from around the world come here to work and these folks find their slice of the American Dream by starting businesses and purchasing homes, and becoming naturalized citizens

---When we see record unemployment and record earnings gain by virtually every demographic category in the USA over the last several years.

Sadly, there are some citizens among us that still feel that America is not a great country and that America is not a place where they can succeed.  Many of these folks choose not to work or work as little as possible.  Many use drugs, abuse alcohol, have children they cannot afford, blame others for their failures and lead lifestyles that are completely dysfunctional.

Often these folks end up engaged in criminal activity.  Often these folks blame others for their lives that are disasters--or worse blame their dysfunction on the Country in Which they live--the USA---even though they were blessed to be born here where anyone, I mean ANYONE who works can achieve the American dream.

And so we get back to Pensacola, Beulah, and the robbery attempt and murder that tragically took the life of a minority business owner who was just trying to make his version of the American Dream a reality.  This guy came to America legally from India, he invested in a business, and served a community with products and services the community needed--and for this he is murdered by folks that were born here and could not, apparently, figure out how to lead a normal and productive life and not prey on upon others.

What a sad commentary on some folks and the levels to which they will stoop to get over on folks and victimize others to take "short-cuts" in life.

Luckily, most of these types--the non-workers and excuse makers--will sooner or later end up in jail when they cross the line from dysfunction into criminality.  And the rest of society will be better for it.

It's just sad and tragic that so many good people, like Mr. Reddy in Beulah, have to be victimized in the process....

American Dream Stolen Part II: Who Stole a Man's Dream?

A clerk was murdered by a Pensacola man seen in this screen grab from the convenience store's video system.  In the process, a man's life was taken, his family was shattered, and the American Dream this family had has been stolen from them...

A trio of alleged conspirators has now been captured and charged in the murder of Mr. Kotha Govarhdan Reddy.  Justice awaits them as the charges have been made.

These are the people of Pensacola that stole a man's dream and shattered a family.

They obviously obtained a gun for the crime which it appears the two men could not have done given their records.

And according to some rumors that have surfaced--this trio apparently scouted several nearby stores on Blue Angel and Mobile Highway that were deemed to be "too busy" before they drove down the road and found Mr. Reddy's shop and did what they are alleged to have done.

I'll never understand the senseless nature of holding a gun to someone's head, demanding money, and then---as the victim is simply attempting to comply and hand over the money----the bad guy shoots the victim and kills him.  Why?

According to reports, the victim was shot once in the chest and once in the head, as he was simply trying to comply and empty out his register and hand over the cash.  In the process of the robbery and murder, though, the register money wasn't touched nor were any items taken from the store. The thing that was stolen was a man's life, his family's future, and their version of the American Dream.

Now the victim's family is destroyed, and in the process the alleged perpetrators lives and their families' lives and their childrens' lives will never be the same.  Four families forever changed by the senseless actions of a three people trying to get over the system and take something that did not belong to them.

What a shame, what a senseless and unnecessary tragedy.....

American Dream Stolen Part I: Mr. Reddy

Mr. Kotha Govarhdan Reddy was murdered in his store last Tuesday and his family's American Dream was stolen.

Mr. Kotha Govarhdan Reddy was a merchant out near Beulah in District 1.  He bought a small convenience store that was run down and not doing well, and he turned it around.  He cleaned it up on the inside, spent a lot of money installing new tanks and a new canopy system so he could sell gas.

And he worked.  All the time.

I drive by his store nearly every day on the way home from work, and over the last year or so I noticed an interesting trend...one that I liked.

His gas was always 10-12 cents cheaper per gallon than his nearby competitors (Shell and Tom Thumb at Blue Angel and Mobile Hwy.)  Smart strategy--lower the prices well below your competition to drive traffic to the store, then make sales of other higher-margin items to the new gas customers!  Loss-leader.

So I started buying my gas at his store, and eventually I would go inside and buy lottery tickets, soda, snacks, beer, or an occasional newspaper.  His store was immaculately clean.  I mean it was incredibly clean.  And his prices were very good on an array of items.

He also had a game in his store that brought me back to my youth and that I hadn't seen anywhere else locally:  You insert a quarter and it pops out on a platform with other quarters  that moves back and forth--with the object being to position your coin drop so that your quarter is in the front of the others such that it would push more quarters (and cash) over a ledge and down a chute for the game player to collect.  As a kid growing up in Japan I used to play that game with 10 yen pieces.  You rarely win at it, but it was a cool game.

One day as I walked out of the store (the game was near the door) I asked him "Hey, is this game even legal?"  To which he quipped "As long as nobody tells the county commissioners..."

He didn't talk much, we had small talk on several occasions.  I told him I liked his gas prices, and he would just smile.

I noticed he was always working though.  Always.  He was a hard worker that was becoming more