This question has bothered me for weeks and in light of the recent death of an HWT member, I have to ask;
Why is it so hard to convince others to care about those who go missing and are murdered?
- Is it because unemployment in the United States is still at unprecedented numbers?
- Is it because family’s homes are being foreclosed?
- Is it because they don’t have enough food to eat?
- Are soldiers dying in Iraq and Afghanistan draining all of our resources and our will to keep up the fight?
I don’t know… But I do know that:
- Corporations care first and foremost about their bottom lines…
- The rich are protective of their fortunes and their wallets grow bigger;
- Many politicians and legislators are all about “business as usual;
- Many police officers lack training and give in to corruption;
- Those who know better get complacent and lazy;
Homicide is an unpleasant business. Its companions may include drug addiction, prostitution, illegal guns, homelessness and human trafficking to name a few…
Definitely not for the faint of heart…
But… victims of intimate partner homicide lack the power and the voice too…
They are controlled by others with violence lurking around every corner. They may be on the verge of all of the things “good people don’t want to discuss;”
So, if you find yourself caught up in any of the life problems mentioned in the beginning of this blog, think of it this way…
When you go to the corner drugstore and find the little jar with pennies, saying, “If you need one, take one. ‘If you can spare one, leave one for others.”
Even in our materialistic society, it doesn’t take much to care….
Leave some pennies or do whatever you can for intimate partner homicide NOW because….
Time’s Up! You’ll be glad you did!
Donna Gore is a champion of victims rights and justice. She is a survivor of homicide and has turned her personal situations into a positive approach to life by participating in several areas of victim services. “LadyJustice” is the host of Shattered Lives, Saturdays at 5pm ET.
Kay: Hey, I listed to one of your YAK shows today! Well put…. I agree that as advocates or anyone who serves in a human service profession (as I have for over 30 years in my paid professional endeavors as well as this calling…) that we can easily suffer burn out or compassion fatigue. However, as there are so many worthy causes to commit to, everyone can pick just one at minimum to help others… I think those who “don’t want to watch the news” ..or have to be sheltered from real life is a total cop out …and very unrealistic…as something of significance will occur in everyone’s life. Those who make such statements may be motivated more from selfishness and denial.
If everyone knew the real joy that can come from helping others, this would be a better world! I write this as I just finished my intro show for “Shattered Lives”. It was important to me that I display some of my natural humor as well…as it is part of my personality… But more importantly, to illustrate that there is life after homicide…and it doesn’t have to be sad all the time! Let’s just get up to speed with life… instead of fluff and superficiality….Care about something important and put your talents to work to help others…even in a small way. Is that too much to ask? DRG
I have a theory about this. I believe many people suffer from compassion fatigue. We’re bombarded daily with news about horrible things happening. And with social media, it’s coming at us from all directions. I don’t think people have lost the ability to care, however, I do believe people block out the ugly images to maintain a healthy emotional state. I know many people who avoid the news because they don’t want to feel depressed. It’s a balancing act to educate oneself, help others, and maintain a happy disposition.