Where is the justice?

A 35 year old mother of two was ambushed and shot dead in front of her children. The gunman then turned the gun on himself and in the most cowardly act, killed himself. There were two witnesses: their 10 and 12 year old daughters. See, the killer was the ex-husband of the woman. He told her to come to his house and pick up the child support check while he was at work. The mom and her girls stopped by their father's house on the way to visit grandma. He was hiding in a closet for their visit.

Now these two girls not only have lost both parents, they have the most terrifying and brutal memories that constantly replay whenever they close their eyes.

Because the killer also killed himself, the case does not go through the criminal justice system. This makes it very difficult for the girls to receive any crime victims compensation from the state. Yet they are among the most vulnerable of victims.

Their grandparents are stunned and are forced to re-enter the workforce in order to raise their two granddaughters and provide for them. Not surprisingly, their father left nothing for them. And mom worked hard everyday as a teacher; hardly an occupation that lends itself to excess cash to stash for rainy days.

Well, it's pouring on these beautiful young girls and their grandparents. We, as a community of women, mothers, wives, sisters, and brothers, husbands, fathers, and men, must let it be known that while the cracks in the system have become canyons, we can join together to support this and other similarly situated families re-build their lives. Unfortunately, this is not a rare crime in America. It happens every month.

How can we make a difference?
By sending donations to the memorial fund to help the grandparents raise the girls.
By speaking out against violence. Violence and abuse in families is even worse than "random" violence. The scars are longer and deeper.
By keeping the family in your prayers.
By serving as a mentor for youth.
By encouraging a woman you know who is in a troubled marriage to seek help.
By encouraging depressed or violent men to seek professional help.
By supporting legislation and funding that provides better assistance for crime victims, even if the perpetrator takes his own life.

Sitting here and saying to yourself, "oh, what a shame!" just won't do it.
We've got to make our voices heard.

Then, and only then, do those girls have a chance to say when they grow up: "I probably would have lost it, but my family did the best they could and so many in the community rallied around us and showed us love. We finally realized that it wasn't our fault. We have to grow up and live good lives to honor our mother, family, and community, that their love was not in vain."

Can't you imagine the alternative routes they could take based on their experiences?

What will you do to help?

let me know!