America has come to know of a brave young woman by the name of
Marissa Alexander ...and not for a very good thing. Marissa isn't a bad person, let me make that very clear. But for the reason we know her name, I've got some choice words to address the
unimaginable and outrageous situation Ms Alexander finds herself in.
Civility. What has happened to civility?
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Marissa Alexander
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Us females-- married or not, are all Marissa Alexander and injustice in America seems to be alive and well. Complicated by antiquated or poorly crafted laws with loopholes yielding hung juries, unending gridlock and expensive litigation-- in Marissa's case, injustice has grown an ugly energy and is slanted (again), toward victimization of the female in need of help. Why do we re-victimize the victim?
Why?
BREAKING:
Prosecutors Now Seeking a 60-Year Sentence for Marissa Alexander's Alleged Warning Shot |
--by Amanda Marcotte, SLATE, filed 04 March 2014
Here's the story. Imagine this... A woman named Marissa, as it were, was "cornered" in her garage-- whilst an aggressor was in a nearby room of her residential home. The aggressor was her spouse but this dynamic can also be applied to any intruder. Realizing her only escape route would be to once again find herself in the presence of the aggressor, she was left to her own devices to overcome the situation and find safety. Her escape plan didn't quite happen as she'd expected.
Here's the thing. No one wakes up in the morning and decides--
I think I'll shoot my living room wall today. So, what's the story? Marissa fired a "warning shot" and the bullet became lodged in the wall. What could have happened between two adults and in the presence of [their] children, which would rise to the level of causing a woman to flee (i.e., abandon?) said little persons and fear ultimately for her safety over the safety of persons who couldn't speak or defend themselves? Does anybody even care? Will this condition be the basis for the prosecution at retrial? Did Marissa believe that securing a weapon would prove beneficial to ensuring safety for her and the children? And if that be the case, would her 'tactical maneuver' show any favor to Marissa's defense?
What would you have done? Weather you're in a 'odd' relationship with someone or not, do you have an escape plan and would you have the presence of mind to utilize such a plan in the heat of the moment?
Get one.
This is one of many very important messages you've got to hear. Can you walk with ease from your bedroom to the kitchen-- blindfolded?
Practice it.
Pretend you're up for the part-- J Lo in "Enough!"
Get a strategy.
In retrospect and as advocates and women everywhere, watch this "justice" unfold in the court room, Ms Alexander may have been better off actually shooting the husband in the leg-- for then, their may have been
justification of a more reasonable arrest;
because of --harm done to another (self defense or not)-- rather than, say, being arrested for shooting the living room wall.
In her original trial Marissa was '
sentenced to 20-years for three counts of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon-- one for her husband and two for his children who were in the room at the time, to be served consecutively.' Except now, she may be facing up to 60-years in prison if convicted again in a Florida retrial, which begins in July of this year.
"...Sometimes things in life happen that allow us to understand our
priorities very clearly. Ultimately you can see those as gifts." --Mariska Hargitay
As I blue line this article for publication, I wanted you to know an spisode of LAW AND ORDER: SPECIAL VICTIMS is running on my TV in the next room and 'Olivia Benson' is giving the guys hell (like she always does). So I thought it would be fitting to add in the above quote from actress, Mariska Hargitay. I don't know what 'gift' God is handing Marissa Alexander through this experience. I do know that from my own personal experience with domestic violence and the ongoing egregious behavior done women by others, this madness has got to stop! Our World must return to a state of civility and know what it means to be human. I'm also holding out that in Marissa's retrial, twelve members of her peers will slant toward "reasonable" punishment based on the severity of the crime!
We must decide today... that... we must do better. There's so much work to be done to end unrest in our homes, townships, municipalities, states, the world... for this bad behavior can translate into the halls of our courtrooms. Please take a quick second to look at the diagram below, showing the warning signs of abuse. Negligent behavior is always in plain sight. We must not ignore the signs nor should we make light of and/or dismiss
obvious circumstances surrounding those who seek help. The least that could be done is to refer reporting parties to community resources or advocates. Judges and Officers of the Court will thank us for being more civilized toward one another. ~djg~
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