Following his death, Tony's mother, Doris Bluntson, wrote a letter to her beloved son.
Hello Tony,
No need to ask how you are doing. I know you are safe in the arms of Jesus. I miss you son. There are no words to describe the severity of my pain. No words can fill the void and the emptiness carved in my soul. But I find consolation in knowing that you are safe now. My heart does not panic anymore when I hear gunshots and don’t know where you are. I know where you are. I know you are safe.
You used to tell me I worried too much for nothing. You said I was too strict and had too many rules and overly protective of you. Do you still think I worried for nothing?
You always talked about your boys even though I never knew who your boys were. You were convinced that you were invincible. Nobody was going to do anything to you because your boys had your back. My question to you Tony, where were your boys when you were staring down the barrel of that gun? Where were they?
You did not want to hear other people’s stories told trying to save your life. You said everybody has a story and you wanted to have your own story. So you did what you wanted to do; went where you wanted to go; hung with who you wanted to hang with. Now at age 15 your story is over as you would tell it. Was it worth dying for? What good is it to have your own story if you don’t live to tell it?
I would remind you over and over again that you are a covenant child. We tried for seven years to have a child and I was told that I could not conceive. I said God if you give me a child I will give that child back to you. Tony you were that child. You came into this world with strings attached. God will not allow you to do what you want when you want without consequence. You would say Mom I know. I know. But I wonder, did you really know?
Did you know that God would use your death to bring souls to Himself? I spoke with two of your friends who love you and miss you beyond measure. Their hearts were broken and they turned to Jesus to give them new direction and meaning in their lives. Did you know that you would be more powerful in death than you would ever be alive?
Tony your story as you would tell it is over. But your story will live on. I will be your voice because you can not speak for yourself. I will go to the schools and to the churches and plead with our young people to listen to the stories told trying to save their lives. I will go to the community and be a constant reminder that on the other side of that gun is somebody’s baby. I will plead with mothers who have lost children through crime to stand up and to speak up against violence so no other mother knows this pain. I will plead with our community to come together unified as one family to increase the peace and stop the violence.
You see Son, your death is not in vain. My pain is not in vain. As painful as it is, I trust my Father. He makes no mistakes. Even in your death God is working everything for our good and his glory. So I praise him through the night as I grieve for you. And I rejoice because I know trouble don’t last always. Weeping may endure for the night but joy comes in the morning. Now Son, you rest. Mama’s got to take care of some business on this side then I will see you at the appointed time. Until then, give Daddy, Daisy, James and Ivy Jean a kiss for me.
I love you Tony,
Mom
In Loving Memory of Michael Anthony Bluntson Jr. (Tony)
October 4, 1990 – February 24, 2006