Silhouettes for those we mourn
By Kris Barney
Monday, as you drive down N. Trenton Street you will notice the front lawn of the Ruston Civic Center long before you arrive at the stop light. You can’t help but see them: the bright red, harsh reminders of the reality of domestic violence that has plagued our parish for decades.
When I pull up to the stoplight, I will count them as I do every year during Domestic Violence Awareness Month. Forty- nine bright red silhouettes. Forty-nine lives lost to domestic violence. Four of them are children. My heart is always heavy as I sit quietly in my car, anxiously waiting for the light to change. The view of so much red is almost too much to bear. Each red silhouette represents the women, children and men who have been murdered as a result of domestic violence. One of the smallest silhouettes re p re s e n t s my own little girl, Miranda, who was murdered by her own father, my exhusband, a Bossier City firefighter. He killed Miranda on a cold winter’s night in a parking lot while on a scheduled visit in 1999. Every year in October, the silhouettes are displayed as a reminder that no matter how hard we at DART try to fight to eradicate domestic violence in our parish and the six other parishes we serve, it is also a reminder that we as a community and a nation still have a lot of work to do. Since Miranda’s murder, I have been advocating for victims of domestic violence. For years I have been pushing for more domestic violence training for those who are in a position to protect the innocent. As I figuratively peer across the horizon searching for hope, I can see hope is there. Louisiana is finally making progress.
The Violence Policy Center recently released its annual report “ When Men Murder Women” and Louisiana now ranks No. 5 in the nation for domestic homicide for the third year in a row.
For years Louisiana ranked second. Still, Louisiana’s female homicide rate is 63% higher than the national average. ( https:// www. vpc. org/ studies/ wmmw2022.pdf) This is a staggering statistic, but I hold onto the hope that as each year passes, our statistics will continue to improve.
Every year, in addition to our silhouette display, each parish we serve holds a candlelight vigil where we call out the names of each victim in remembrance and light a candle in their memory. As advocates at DART, we make a vow to never let the names of those who died go unrecognized. Here are just a few. H a i l e y Stripling, age seven, and her baby sister, Brook, 19 months old, were shot and killed by their father.
Addie Jackson Taville, 53, was shot and killed by her boyfriend.
Vincent Dunn, 23, was stabbed to death by his ex-girlfriend.
Not only is it important for our community to recognize these victims, but it is also important that the families know that their loved one’s memory will live on in the hearts of the people in this community and that their names will never be forgotten. As you pass by the Ruston Civic Center, please take a moment to say a prayer for the families who have lost a loved one to domestic violence.
Whether you are man, woman or child, please know that DART can provide services to help you escape an unhealthy relationship.
Please take that first step and call our office at 318-513-9373, our emergency hotline at 888-4111333, or our shelter at 318-251-2255. Hope and happiness are just over the horizon.
