Pictures of young Americans with gunshot wounds are everywherein the newspapers and on television lately, but University ofMemphis student Prentice Tate didn't have to go to war to know howthey feel.
Tate, who is currently completing work toward his master'sdegree at The U of M, also works as a Memphis Police Officer.
Last summer, while responding to a domestic disturbance call, hewas shot in the leg. The bullet shattered bones in his left leg,and after having to undergo numerous surgeries, he was left lyingon his back unable to do even the simplest things for himself. "Itwas like being a kid again," he said. "My mother had to come to thehospital every day to help take care of me."
As he lay in the hospital bed recovering, Tate's thoughts wereof returning to his previously healthy self, not of finishingschool. Although he had never had any doubts about getting hisdegree, suddenly school no longer seemed a priority.
"My doctor told me to get back to doing something as normal aspossible," he said. But that just didn't seem possible.
Distant relatives, friends and passing acquaintances heard ofthe shooting on the news or read about it in the Commercial Appealand dropped by to offer flowers, cards and their words ofencouragement. Beyond their visits, much of his time was spent justlying in a hospital bed.
The decision of what he should do about school loomed in theback of his mind and refused to be ignored. He had to decide if hewas willing to retake courses in which he would receive anincomplete if he couldn't complete them.
That is where Professor Mahmour Al-Sadi came in. Tate had beentaking a collective bargaining class from her. She spoke with himand told him she would see what she could do to help him.
Al-Sadi said after speaking to "the powers that be and findingout what she could do," she decided to arrange for Tate to take hisclass as an independent study class. He did so and completed theclass with an A.
Tate is quick to admit that much of the credit belongs toAl-Sadi.
"Every day I tried to call Professor Al-Sadi and give herexcuses for why I couldn't do the work," Tate said. "She gave me areason why I could do it and continued to make concessions thatshowed me that she cared about me getting back to normal."
Al-Sadi said she was only doing her job.
"We are supposed to inspire and encourage our students asteachers and mentors," she said.
She said Tate was a remarkable student who was injured whileserving the city of Memphis, and while he didn't have any controlover what happened to him in the line of duty, "together", shesaid, "they could control the outcome."
Sentiments resembling Al-Sadi's came from other people, too.
"While what happened to him was an act of law enforcement, theoutcome was God's," a friend of Tate's who works as a SheriffCounty Deputy told him. When working in law enforcement, gettingshot is always a risk, but in the end, God had the final say, hisfriend told him.
This encouraged Tate. What had at first seemed a tragic accidentnow could be seen as God trying to get his attention.
Tate said God has given him a second chance at life, so he coulddo some things better. The three years he put into the police forcemade him distrustful and sometimes a bit cynical andunapproachable, he said. He never realized how much he had changedsince becoming a police officer. Now he thinks in terms of being abetter son, brother and friend.
"I have asked that God harden not my heart," he said. And hesaid that is why people who had been distant before call to checkon him daily. He said God wanted to bring them back together.
"My whole family has been brought closer together because ofthis," he said.
Just recently, members of his family gathered at his home toshare good food, drinks and stories from the good old days. It waslike a family reunion.
The real test of his newfound compassion came in the form offlowers and cards from the family of the man who shot Tate.
"We're sorry this happened to you," the card read. "Pleaseforgive him. We didn't raise him like this."
Forgiving the man who shot him and accepting this expression ofremorse from his family became a part of the healing process forTate.
"I opened my heart and accepted the flowers and the card," hesaid.
Tate refuses to be consumed by negative memories now. Instead,he has returned to The U of M this semester and continues workingtoward his master's and looks forward to his graduation in May2004.
In addition to graduating, Tate looks forward to being able torun again, once the external fixator, put on his leg to assure itheals correctly, comes off.
"I used to run about 3 miles every other day and do sit-ups andstomach crunches every day," he said.
Now his leg has to heal. There are times when it hurts, and hedoesn't feel like moving, but he says that it won't last. He plansto work himself back into the shape that he was in before andreturn to his job as a police officer.
"We take walking for granted," he said. He vows never to takeanything for granted again.
And, while this summer may not find him wearing shorts outside,there's always next summer.
"I don't want to walk around with shorts on," Tate said. "Idon't want to have to deal with all the questions."
He'll wait until he is completely healed, until all thesurgeries have passed. And then he plans to head to Disneyland,where he'll sport his shorts and maybe even a tank top. He has,after all, still been lifting weights. A week spent in sunnyFlorida will be his first step toward getting his legs back inshape.
The next step will be getting his parents and brothers to accepthis decision to return to the force.
"They would prefer I give up the police department and take mydegree and do something safer," Tate said, adding that he does notsee how he could not go back to his job. "It's the one place whereI can see myself making a difference in the lives of others."
