CVAC Memorial Service

What broke in a man when he could bring himself to kill another? ~Alan Paton

The moment a man claims a right to control the will of a fellow being by physical force, he is at heart a slaveholder. ~Henry C. Wright, The Liberator, 7 April 1837

The CVAC (Crime Victims Advocacy Council) annual memorial event on 4/10 had to be one of the most heart wrenching things to be a part of. So many people who have lost loved one's to violent crime; whether DUI, murder, or teen violence they all have suffered tremendous losses. Family members can line up and walk up to a microphone and say who they were here for. To look into the eyes of other's who are hurting, there just aren't any words. In the Atlanta area alone 176 murders took place in 2010. With 365 days in the year every other day in Atlanta someone lost a loved one to a selfish act of violence.
We all lit candles in memory of those lost. I think I cried out a lot that I had been holding in for so long.

The 2010 Murder Wall was revealed. I looked at all the names on the wall and none of them were personal to me except my brother's. But all of those people have a story, family who mourn their loss. They have now become a statistic, just like my brother. I think that hurt the most at that time. I had to leave the room, I couldn't stand the sight of my brother's name etched in granite for so many to see not knowing who he was, his smile, his generosity, and all of the things that made him, "HIM."

 His Birthday was 4-14 and we went to the grave and sat for a while together with a few family and friends who would drop by. He is missed by many and has made a mark in a lot of lives; he will never be forgotten. I love you and miss you like crazy Brother.
A good character is the best tombstone. Those who loved you and were helped by you will remember you when forget-me-nots have withered. Carve your name on hearts, not on marble. ~Charles H. Spurgeon