PLATFORM : Survivors Cope With Pain
COLLENE CAMPBELL of San Juan Capistrano, whose son was murdered
in 1982, founded Memory of Victims Everywhere. She commented on a campaign by the parents of a boy wounded in a drive-by shooting for stronger penalties against juvenile offenders :
There are those for whom it is better to try to walk away and not deal with it, because it’s easier that way. There are those who actually become obsessed with grief. And then there are those who try to take the tragedy and the unsolicited education of becoming a crime victim and turn it into something to make it a better world.
It’s very courageous because to continue to work within the system is very painful. You relive the tragedy all the time. People who try to channel their energy into making a positive change are to be tremendously respected. It’s a large sacrifice but it carries some rewards because you can see that there are fewer people getting killed.