I AM GOING TO READ A POEM TO YOU
They say, don't go there. That's a bad neighborhood. Stay Out.
I say, go there.
They say, you can't live there, that's a black neighborhood.
I say, live there.
They say, don't walk alone, don't go by yourself...
I say, walk alone.
They say, live in fear.
I say, live.
They say, stay at home, with your doors locked and your lights on, watchingtelevision.
I say, Take Back the Night.
THIS POEM WAS WRITEN BY MY VERY DEAR FRIEND SUE DANIELS FOR TAKE BACK THE NIGHT A FEW YEARS AGO. SUE CANNOT BE HERE TONIGHT TO READ IT HERSELF BECAUSE SHE WAS KILLED ON NOVEMBER 18 BY A MAN WHO CLAIMED TO LOVE HER.
SUE HAD A DEEP AND INTIMATE RELATIONSHIP WITH HER MURDERER THAT WAS SOMETIMES ROMANTIC AND SOMETIMES NOT ROMANTIC. SUE TOLD HIM THAT SHE NO LONGER WANTED TO BE ROMANTICALLY INVOLVED WITH HIM AND HE GREW ANGRY. HE WAS BECOMING SO UGLY TOWARD HER THAT SHE WAS UNCERTAIN HOW SHE WAS GOING TO COPE SHARING THE MANY SPACES WITH HIM THEY HAD IN COMMON DUE TO SIMILAR ACTIVITIES AND FRIENDS. SUE AGREED TO MEDIATION WITH NIK TO SORT THEIR BOUNDARIES BUT HE REFUSED TO RESPECT HER WISH TO LIMIT CONTACT WITH HIM. HE GREW VIOLENT, GRABBING AT HER WHEN SHE TRIED TO LEAVE HIS COMPANY, KNOCKING HER PHONE FROM HER HANDS WHEN SHE TRIED TO CALL A FRIEND FOR HELP, AND SHOWING UP AT HER HOME UNANNOUNCED, REQUIRING ANOTHER FRIEND TO LITERALLY RUN HIM OFF OF HER PROPERTY WITH A TRACTOR.
SUE TOOK A SELF DEFENSE COURSE. SHE ENLISTED FRIENDS TO HELP KEEP HIM AWAY FROM HER IN PUBLIC AND PRIVATE PLACES. SHE HAD A LIST OF US TO CALL IF ANYTHING WEIRD HAPPENED. SHE INQUIRED ABOUT A PROTECTIVE ORDER BUT LEARNED SHE DID NOT QUALIFY FOR ONE BECAUSE SHE WAS NEITHER MARRIED TO HIM OR SHARED A CHILD. HER ONLY OPTION WAS TO HAVE HIM ARRESTED FOR STALKING AND SHE DID NOT WANT TO TAKE THAT STEP. SHE WAS CONCERNED THAT HE WOULD BE OSTRACIZED FROM HIS COMMUNITY AND WAS CONCERNED THAT ACCESS TO HIS COMMUNITY WAS ALL THAT WAS HOLDING HIM TOGETHER. SHE TOLD ME, "I WILL DO THAT THE NEXT TIME HE DOES SOMETHING." THE NEXT TIME WAS NOVEMBER 18.
NO ONE WILL EVER KNOW JUST WHAT TOOK PLACE THE MORNING OF THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 18. ALL WE KNOW IS THAT SUE WOULD HAVE GOTTEN HOME AROUND 12:30. SOME TIME BETWEEN THEN AND 7 AM, NIK WENT TO SUE’S HOME AGAINST HER WISHES, TOOK HER LIFE, BURNED HER HOME WITH HER INSIDE IT, AND HIKED TO THE WOODS BEHIND THE CABIN AND TOOK HIS OWN LIFE.
SUE WAS AN AMAZING HUMAN BEING. SHE LOVED LIFE AND LIVED FOR JOY AND DOING GOOD. AS A FRIEND AND SISTER SHE WAS FIERCE IN HER LOYALTY AND A STAUNCH BELIEVER IN HAVING FUN AND CELEBRATING OURSELVES. SHE WAS A WORLD-CLASS SCIENTIST EARNING A PhD IN BIOLOGY. SHE WAS THE AUTHOR OF MANY, MANY PAPERS AND THE EDITOR FOR SEMINAL WORK IN HER FIELD. HER RESEARCH IMPACTED THE MANAGEMENT AND USE OF OVER A MILLION ACRES OF PINE FOREST IN THE SOUTHEAST REGION OF THE UNITED STATES. SHE WAS AN ACCOMPLISHED SOCIAL ACTIVIST WHO WROTE OFTEN AND ORGANIZED LECTURES, FIELD TRIPS, PROTESTS, AND OTHER EVENTS FOR A VARIETY OF CAUSES RELATED TO SOCIAL JUSTICE. AMONG CAUSES NEAR AND DEAR TO HER HEART WERE WOMEN’S ISSUES, PEACE AND JUSTICE IN LATIN AND SOUTH AMERICA, ABOLISHING THE SCHOOL OF THE AMERICAS, THE ANTI-WAR MOVEMENT, AND MOUNTAINTOP REMOVAL.
FOR THOSE OF YOU WHO DID NOT KNOW SUE, SHE WAS NOT THE SORT OF PERSON YOU WOULD EXPECT TO FALL VICTIM TO THIS KIND OF VIOLENCE. SHE HAD ALL OF THE TOOLS TO SUPPOSEDLY HANDLE SOMETHING LIKE THIS. SHE WAS NOT CASUALLY INTERSTED IN ISSUES PERTAINING TO WOMEN AND VIOLENCE, SHE WAS AN ACTIVIST WITH A VERY SOPHISTICATED UNDERSTANDING OF OPPRESSION.
FOR THOSE OF YOU WHO DID NOT KNOW NIK, I AM SURE MOST OF YOU HAVE FORMED AN IMAGE BY NOW OF THE KIND OF MAN HE MIGHT HAVE BEEN. BUT MOST PEOPLE WHO KNEW HIM WOULD NEVER HAVE SUSPECTED HIM CAPABLE OF THIS KIND OF VIOLENCE. HE WAS A PEACE ACTIVIST, WAS SOFT SPOKEN, A VEGETARIAN DEDICATED TO MAKING THE PLANET BETTER AND SAFER FOR OTHERS. IF HE WERE ALIVE, HE WOULD BE HERE TONIGHT, I AM SURE OF IT, DAMNING VIOLENCE AGAINST WOMEN AND ALL WHO PERPETRATE IT.
SO WHAT HAPPENED?
THE FIRST THING THAT I THINK SUE’S STORY TEACHES US IS THAT WHILE A LACK OF KNOWLEDGE CAN CERTAINLY HURT YOU, HAVING KNOWLEDGE WON’T NECESSARILY PROTECT YOU. YOU MUST APPLY IT. I KNOW THAT THERE ARE MANY OF US WHO FEEL THAT WITH OUR INVOLVEMENT AND UNDERSTANDING OF THIS ISSUE THAT WE FAILED OUR FRIEND. PERHAPS IT IS ONLY IN HINDSIGHT THAT WE CAN SEE CLEARLY, BUT NIK HAD AN ALMOST TEXTBOOK ESCALATION OF VIOLENCE AND ANGER AND POSSESSIVENESS THAT OFTEN MARKS THE BEHAVIOR OF SOMEONE WHO WILL KILL AN INTIMATE PARTNER. FRIENDS DID CONFRONT HIM, WE OFFERED SUE A SAFE HAVEN. YOU HEARD SUE’S WORDS WHEN I FIRST APPROACHED THE PLATFORM. SHE BELIEVED IN LIVING HER LIFE WITHOUT FEAR, BUT SHE WAS AFRAID. NIK HAD FOR THE MOST PART BACKED OFF IN THE TWO WEEKS BEFORE HER MURDER, SO I THINK WE ALL HAD A FALSE SENSE THAT HE WAS NO LONGER A SEVERE THREAT. (continued below)
They say, don't go there. That's a bad neighborhood. Stay Out.
I say, go there.
They say, you can't live there, that's a black neighborhood.
I say, live there.
They say, don't walk alone, don't go by yourself...
I say, walk alone.
They say, live in fear.
I say, live.
They say, stay at home, with your doors locked and your lights on, watchingtelevision.
I say, Take Back the Night.
THIS POEM WAS WRITEN BY MY VERY DEAR FRIEND SUE DANIELS FOR TAKE BACK THE NIGHT A FEW YEARS AGO. SUE CANNOT BE HERE TONIGHT TO READ IT HERSELF BECAUSE SHE WAS KILLED ON NOVEMBER 18 BY A MAN WHO CLAIMED TO LOVE HER.
SUE HAD A DEEP AND INTIMATE RELATIONSHIP WITH HER MURDERER THAT WAS SOMETIMES ROMANTIC AND SOMETIMES NOT ROMANTIC. SUE TOLD HIM THAT SHE NO LONGER WANTED TO BE ROMANTICALLY INVOLVED WITH HIM AND HE GREW ANGRY. HE WAS BECOMING SO UGLY TOWARD HER THAT SHE WAS UNCERTAIN HOW SHE WAS GOING TO COPE SHARING THE MANY SPACES WITH HIM THEY HAD IN COMMON DUE TO SIMILAR ACTIVITIES AND FRIENDS. SUE AGREED TO MEDIATION WITH NIK TO SORT THEIR BOUNDARIES BUT HE REFUSED TO RESPECT HER WISH TO LIMIT CONTACT WITH HIM. HE GREW VIOLENT, GRABBING AT HER WHEN SHE TRIED TO LEAVE HIS COMPANY, KNOCKING HER PHONE FROM HER HANDS WHEN SHE TRIED TO CALL A FRIEND FOR HELP, AND SHOWING UP AT HER HOME UNANNOUNCED, REQUIRING ANOTHER FRIEND TO LITERALLY RUN HIM OFF OF HER PROPERTY WITH A TRACTOR.
SUE TOOK A SELF DEFENSE COURSE. SHE ENLISTED FRIENDS TO HELP KEEP HIM AWAY FROM HER IN PUBLIC AND PRIVATE PLACES. SHE HAD A LIST OF US TO CALL IF ANYTHING WEIRD HAPPENED. SHE INQUIRED ABOUT A PROTECTIVE ORDER BUT LEARNED SHE DID NOT QUALIFY FOR ONE BECAUSE SHE WAS NEITHER MARRIED TO HIM OR SHARED A CHILD. HER ONLY OPTION WAS TO HAVE HIM ARRESTED FOR STALKING AND SHE DID NOT WANT TO TAKE THAT STEP. SHE WAS CONCERNED THAT HE WOULD BE OSTRACIZED FROM HIS COMMUNITY AND WAS CONCERNED THAT ACCESS TO HIS COMMUNITY WAS ALL THAT WAS HOLDING HIM TOGETHER. SHE TOLD ME, "I WILL DO THAT THE NEXT TIME HE DOES SOMETHING." THE NEXT TIME WAS NOVEMBER 18.
NO ONE WILL EVER KNOW JUST WHAT TOOK PLACE THE MORNING OF THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 18. ALL WE KNOW IS THAT SUE WOULD HAVE GOTTEN HOME AROUND 12:30. SOME TIME BETWEEN THEN AND 7 AM, NIK WENT TO SUE’S HOME AGAINST HER WISHES, TOOK HER LIFE, BURNED HER HOME WITH HER INSIDE IT, AND HIKED TO THE WOODS BEHIND THE CABIN AND TOOK HIS OWN LIFE.
SUE WAS AN AMAZING HUMAN BEING. SHE LOVED LIFE AND LIVED FOR JOY AND DOING GOOD. AS A FRIEND AND SISTER SHE WAS FIERCE IN HER LOYALTY AND A STAUNCH BELIEVER IN HAVING FUN AND CELEBRATING OURSELVES. SHE WAS A WORLD-CLASS SCIENTIST EARNING A PhD IN BIOLOGY. SHE WAS THE AUTHOR OF MANY, MANY PAPERS AND THE EDITOR FOR SEMINAL WORK IN HER FIELD. HER RESEARCH IMPACTED THE MANAGEMENT AND USE OF OVER A MILLION ACRES OF PINE FOREST IN THE SOUTHEAST REGION OF THE UNITED STATES. SHE WAS AN ACCOMPLISHED SOCIAL ACTIVIST WHO WROTE OFTEN AND ORGANIZED LECTURES, FIELD TRIPS, PROTESTS, AND OTHER EVENTS FOR A VARIETY OF CAUSES RELATED TO SOCIAL JUSTICE. AMONG CAUSES NEAR AND DEAR TO HER HEART WERE WOMEN’S ISSUES, PEACE AND JUSTICE IN LATIN AND SOUTH AMERICA, ABOLISHING THE SCHOOL OF THE AMERICAS, THE ANTI-WAR MOVEMENT, AND MOUNTAINTOP REMOVAL.
FOR THOSE OF YOU WHO DID NOT KNOW SUE, SHE WAS NOT THE SORT OF PERSON YOU WOULD EXPECT TO FALL VICTIM TO THIS KIND OF VIOLENCE. SHE HAD ALL OF THE TOOLS TO SUPPOSEDLY HANDLE SOMETHING LIKE THIS. SHE WAS NOT CASUALLY INTERSTED IN ISSUES PERTAINING TO WOMEN AND VIOLENCE, SHE WAS AN ACTIVIST WITH A VERY SOPHISTICATED UNDERSTANDING OF OPPRESSION.
FOR THOSE OF YOU WHO DID NOT KNOW NIK, I AM SURE MOST OF YOU HAVE FORMED AN IMAGE BY NOW OF THE KIND OF MAN HE MIGHT HAVE BEEN. BUT MOST PEOPLE WHO KNEW HIM WOULD NEVER HAVE SUSPECTED HIM CAPABLE OF THIS KIND OF VIOLENCE. HE WAS A PEACE ACTIVIST, WAS SOFT SPOKEN, A VEGETARIAN DEDICATED TO MAKING THE PLANET BETTER AND SAFER FOR OTHERS. IF HE WERE ALIVE, HE WOULD BE HERE TONIGHT, I AM SURE OF IT, DAMNING VIOLENCE AGAINST WOMEN AND ALL WHO PERPETRATE IT.
SO WHAT HAPPENED?
THE FIRST THING THAT I THINK SUE’S STORY TEACHES US IS THAT WHILE A LACK OF KNOWLEDGE CAN CERTAINLY HURT YOU, HAVING KNOWLEDGE WON’T NECESSARILY PROTECT YOU. YOU MUST APPLY IT. I KNOW THAT THERE ARE MANY OF US WHO FEEL THAT WITH OUR INVOLVEMENT AND UNDERSTANDING OF THIS ISSUE THAT WE FAILED OUR FRIEND. PERHAPS IT IS ONLY IN HINDSIGHT THAT WE CAN SEE CLEARLY, BUT NIK HAD AN ALMOST TEXTBOOK ESCALATION OF VIOLENCE AND ANGER AND POSSESSIVENESS THAT OFTEN MARKS THE BEHAVIOR OF SOMEONE WHO WILL KILL AN INTIMATE PARTNER. FRIENDS DID CONFRONT HIM, WE OFFERED SUE A SAFE HAVEN. YOU HEARD SUE’S WORDS WHEN I FIRST APPROACHED THE PLATFORM. SHE BELIEVED IN LIVING HER LIFE WITHOUT FEAR, BUT SHE WAS AFRAID. NIK HAD FOR THE MOST PART BACKED OFF IN THE TWO WEEKS BEFORE HER MURDER, SO I THINK WE ALL HAD A FALSE SENSE THAT HE WAS NO LONGER A SEVERE THREAT. (continued below)
posted by DMP at 2:02 AM
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