Time is running out

I attended the Costs of Crime Conference yesterday in Wellington. I want to thank Rethinking Crime and Punishment for organising the day. It was brilliant. One of the key speakers was Simon Powell our Minister of Justice. As he spoke he talked about the importance of getting policy on crime ‘right’. This meant, government conducting sound ‘research’ and rigorous community consultation. Calls from the floor pointed out that there has been ‘sound’ research, and ‘rigorous’ community consultation that it is now time for action. However, Powell stated that this will take time as the national party want to get their policy on crime ‘right’ before implementing anything.

Sadly victims of homicide do not have time – many people in this country are running out of time. Only yesterday Sandra Rachel Brown’s time ran out. Sandra was murdered, while attempting to protect her daughter Kate from being attacked in her home in Tauranga early yesterday. A pity her killer couldn’t have held out until Powell had undertaken his sound research and rigorous community consultation to find out why, what and who murder. As one man from the alcohol and drug sector pointed out, sound and rigorous research on the interconnectedness of alcohol and crime had been undertaken. It findings called for the government to increase the age limit as well as other initiatives that would be able to address this issue.  

Calls for bipartisan approaches to crime were also proffered by people attending. I want to reiterate the point I made yesterday - people in this country are running out of time and some such as Jordan Herewini, Kaine Lewis, Pihema Cameron, Ranjeeta Sharma, Emma Agnew, Jane Young, Hannah Rossiter, Jhia Harmony Te Tua to name only a handful of people whose time has ran out need more than ideologically speak. Violent crime is political however the answers must be bipartisan and not quick speak or populist answers to complex issues.

Its election year people so let’s demand bipartisan approach to addressing all crime.

Pukeroa Found Guilty For The Murder Of Murupara Youth Jordan Herewini

Pukeroa Found Guilty For The Murder Of Murupara Youth Jordan Herewini

Dec 8 - Gang Warfare - Story Archive - 60 Minutes - Shows - TV3

Dec 8 - Gang Warfare - Story Archive - 60 Minutes - Shows - TV3

Victims of homicide

The following is an anonymous poem witten by a survivor of homicide:

Don’t look at me with pity: I need your strength

Don’t crowd me with words: Just let me talk

Don’t touch me: I will reach out when I’m ready

Don’t call me: I need time to think and work it through

Don’t tell me how I feel: Feelings are beyond my control at this point in time

Don’t stop my tears and screams: They are my path to release and healing

Don’t cross the road to avoid me: Just smile and say hello

Don’t say you understand: Just thank god that you can’t

Don’t be hurt by what I say and do: My pain is clouding my judgment

Don’t think I’m mad: I’m doing the best I can to retain my sanity

Don’t tell me I’ll forget: His memory is all I have left

And whatever you do…

Don’t think I don’t appreciate you being here.

consciousness raising groups

In the 1960’s feminists argued that:

“…women were isolated from each other, and as a result many problems in women's lives were misunderstood as "personal," or as the results of conflicts between the personalities of individual men and women, rather than systematic forms of oppression. Raising consciousness meant helping oneself and helping others to become ‘politically conscious’. Consciousness raising groups aimed to get a better understanding of women's oppression by bringing women together to discuss and analyze their lives, without interference from the presence of men…

Well I want consciousness raising groups to rise again. This time I want to set then up for those who must live with the eternal death of a loved one because of murder. They call us survivors – they call us victims…we are both and neither. Our loved ones are the real victims and many of us barely survive. The organizations set up to help and the professionals who talk with us run from a script, one based on the idea that talking to a ‘professional’ will eventually bring us closure.

                                                                                                   

I’ve talked to the professional’s people and whilst I learnt a few things, talking to another survivor/victim of homicide has been the most important and enlightening engagement since Jordan’s murder. I feel understood, politicisised and somewhat energized – it’s still one-day-at-a-time…but it’s a bloody brilliant starting point.

I feel less isolated, far more understood and I believe we the victims of these most horrendous crimes can build communities of awareness and political clout. So taking from our feminist history - bring on the consciousness raising/support groups and the building of communities that actually can help heal, support and care.

If we continue sitting in rooms with a professional we continue to be isolated and all that happens is we learn to look after ourselves. This people, is not building communities and it is in supportive communities that awareness and growth can occur. In turn people become stronger. Stronger people can take on systems that have kept them isolated within the professional script.

So it’s time to use my skills and education to bring some of this change. God for the first time in months I feel revitalized.

So any support - ideas etc much appreciated.

Leave comments and contacts pass on my site...lets build communities people!!!!!