But Mr. Sauser says this is not about race. This is about the the breakdown of the American family. And he said there needs to be a national conversation about the issue.
“No one talks about this,” he said. “There’s no family structure — kids who’ve never had a dad. What kind of life is that? Not a single person can replace your dad — not a single person can. These kids have to have families.”
Nevertheless, a crime has been committed — and someone must pay.
“Somebody’s got to be held accountable,” he said. “Somebody’s got to be responsible.”
Life in the Sauser household is slowly returning to normal. Their resilient son is returning to school today -- and when he’s ready -- he plans to return to his job bagging groceries at Kroger.
“He’s going to be OK,” Mr. Sauser said. “He’s going to be fine.”
That’s because the 17-year-old clarinet player with a penchant for building computers has something money cannot buy — a family.