Wednesday, February 18, 2009

violence unsilenced

One of the first bloggers I discovered when I started blogging was Maggie at Okay, Fine, Dammit.  I was drawn to her writing for many reasons, but I really fell for her loving, passionate heart.

Maggie created Violence UnSilenced to give a voice to survivors of domestic violence.  To give hope to victims of domestic violence, to shine a light on a tragedy that affects one of every four women in the United States.

One in four.

How many women do you know?  The statistic becomes staggering when you begin to attach faces to numbers.  Don't think you know anyone who's been hurt by a spouse, boyfriend, partner, relative, parent?

You know me.
 
Surprised?  We don't usually talk about Things Like This.  It's embarassing.  It reminds us, and we don't need to be reminded.  We don't like to relive it.  It's not really good Sunday dinner conversation.

Here's what Maggie has to say:

My vision for this site is to bring the survivor stories of other bloggers to you with the hope that you will see yourself, or your brother, or your daughter, or your neighbor, in their words. With the hope that you will feel safe enough and inspired enough to chime in. With the hope that by the telling and the listening we will all be better people. I know what you people are capable of. I’m here to collect and disseminate your stories of abuse. I’m here to ask you to tell them, to hear them, and to spread the word.

Sure, I still want big things. I want to make a difference. I want to ‘be the change.’ I want to spark awareness and I want to reach you through your computer screen and I want to shake you and show you either that you are not alone, or that you are blind to what is all around you. I have such high hopes. But every big thing needs a beginning. This is ours.


I am sharing this with you today because it is important.  It's important to the person who needs to get out.  It's important to the person whose body and mind and spirit are broken.  It's important to the person who IS out to know she is not alone.  It's important for the person who is fortunate enough to have safe relationships to keep their eyes open to what is going on around them.  It's important to give these victims their voices back, to give them their power back.

Maggie will get a copy of my story to publish (if and when she chooses).  I urge you to read what the other survivors have written.  Link up if you're a blogger; email your contact list if you're not...or do both.  Chances are high that if you have 100 contacts in your email, 25 of their lives have been touched--no, scarred-- by domestic violence.

And most important...if you are in a situation right now where you are not safe, where your life and the lives of your children and family are at risk, please get help.
 
Contact the
 National Coalition Against Domestic Violence
1-800-799-SAFE (7233)


”Violence

4 comments:

  1. You're right, it IS important.. I came across her blog yesterday but didn't have the time right then to give it the attention it needed.. Thanks for the reminder to go back, read, and link up. ;)

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  2. funny how ... if it's not happening to us RIGHT NOW ... we ignore it ... but it IS happening to someone RIGHT NOW ... and there is no ignoring that.

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  3. It's so important. Good for you that you are speaking out.

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  4. You're brave.

    Have you found a house and job in my neighborhood yet? The schools are good. You'll like it here.

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talk to me, people. because you know i get all giddy when you do.