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keeping vigil
Apr. 5th, 2006 01:40 pmToday's the tenth anniversary of the Vernon massacre; nine members and one friend of the Gakhal family were murdered by an estranged husband of one of the victims, who later killed himself as well. It's the second biggest murder in modern Canadian history by one person, which tells you that a), we don't have all that much serious crime in Canada, and b)it has a significant effect on people who live here.
I live six minutes from the home where they were killed, I walk past the memorial every time I go to the library, which is pretty often. I think about them, and pray for them (yes, even pagans can pray) quite often, though I never met them and moved to Vernon four years after the event.
That same year, another woman was also stalked and almost killed by an estranged boyfriend, also here in Vernon. Let's just say the local RCMP got into a heap of shit over the whole thing.
However, I probably wouldn't have posted anything on it, or had more than a passing sad moment except I somehow ended up being interviewed by CBC, a sort of person on the street, as they prepared to do a short piece on the anniversary and tonight's vigil. It really got me thinking.
I remembered that more than one person had been stalked and assaulted with a gun that year; Sharon Velisek was shot twice, and only survived because she pretended to be dead; her stalker killed himself next to her.
So why isn't that remembered as well? That the police screwed up twice, very shortly after the Gahkal family were murdered? Things changed a little for the better, afterwards, but largely because Sharon survived, and was able to contradict statements made on her behalf by the police.
I'm sure I babbled a lot and didn't make much sense to the CBC people, so they'll probably cut out my thirty seconds of fame. I can live with that, would prefer it even, since todays the kind of day for deep thoughts, not generalized self promotion.
I live six minutes from the home where they were killed, I walk past the memorial every time I go to the library, which is pretty often. I think about them, and pray for them (yes, even pagans can pray) quite often, though I never met them and moved to Vernon four years after the event.
That same year, another woman was also stalked and almost killed by an estranged boyfriend, also here in Vernon. Let's just say the local RCMP got into a heap of shit over the whole thing.
However, I probably wouldn't have posted anything on it, or had more than a passing sad moment except I somehow ended up being interviewed by CBC, a sort of person on the street, as they prepared to do a short piece on the anniversary and tonight's vigil. It really got me thinking.
I remembered that more than one person had been stalked and assaulted with a gun that year; Sharon Velisek was shot twice, and only survived because she pretended to be dead; her stalker killed himself next to her.
So why isn't that remembered as well? That the police screwed up twice, very shortly after the Gahkal family were murdered? Things changed a little for the better, afterwards, but largely because Sharon survived, and was able to contradict statements made on her behalf by the police.
I'm sure I babbled a lot and didn't make much sense to the CBC people, so they'll probably cut out my thirty seconds of fame. I can live with that, would prefer it even, since todays the kind of day for deep thoughts, not generalized self promotion.
