Every year around this time, the City of Lawrence held a march followed by a vigil to remember the victims of domestic violence. What propelled this annual march was the premeditated and cold-blooded murder of a woman in her wedding dress the day she was preparing to get married, by a man who believed that she could not be of anyone else but his as if she was an object.
Last year, during the vigil held after the march, eleven candles were lit in the name of the respective victims. This year, you can count then on the cover photo, 19 candles were lit.
Amazingly, and organized by survivors of violent acts, another vigil was held for the first time. A Memorial Day for the victims of murders that have occurred in Lawrence from 1974 to 2014, 114 in total. As the event organizer was praying for this one to be the last victim, another one happened the very next day. It’s something that seems endless!
And after that, what? Asked Rev. Victor Jarvis. When will this violence end?
That same question was asked by Father Joel Almonó last year at the end of the vigil and suggested that next year, mothers come accompanied by their children. We must begin to pay more attention to raising our children – they must know that the abuse exists and that it is a mistake, said Father Almono.
Now we ask, how many mothers paid attention to what Father Almonó said last year?
