Stand up and speak out

I dedicate today's posting to the memory of my beloved mom. She was a remarkable, vivacious, bright, well-travelled, creative, and passionate woman. She was also a wife who lived under the silent shroud of verbal and emotional abuse.

Every year on this date, no matter where I am, I go and pay tribute to the memory of the many women who suffer violence and abuse at the hands of men who often claim to love them. I weep silently in the candlelight and wonder why. This year I won't have Chris beside me for support and comfort.

We cannot remain silent and look the other way. It is long past the time for polite silence when our friends, sisters, daughters, and mothers are suffering at the hands of our friends, brothers, sons, and fathers.

This is not a 'women's issue' or a 'feminist issue'. This is a matter of life and death. ALL of us - women and men - must stand up and speak out. We can break the endless cycle of abuse.

Family Violence: It's your business
National Clearinghouse on Family Violence
The White Ribbon Campaign
.