Sometimes, I wonder why we blog. It's not like journaling - that's very private stuff. Someone asked me once why I bothered to blog and that got me thinking.
At the end of the day, the justice system in our country works sometimes and doesn't work other times. I am not here to complain about that fact - you generally won't see me trying to affect change, but I will highlight inequalities in the system. Change takes a long time to happen and in some cases, there won't ever be change but I want people to understand that it's fine to learn to accept realities. Most of all, I really believe that most people are drawn to read this stuff because
a) we believe most people are good
b) we don't understand how bad things can happen
c) we want better for our children and loved ones
d) just because someone's had a bad experience, it doesn't doom them forever
I have had the misfortune (and great learning experience) of being a witness in a notorious case that polarized people. Most of you don't agree with the outcome, but in the end, I am a joyous, thankful and lucky person and I want to share my story of what it's like to go through the system. The stories of others matter to me a great deal, too. The media loves to (it's their job) put a very salacious face stories of murder, rape, injustice, etc. Who's the victim, who's the perp, how badly were they hurt, what did the body look like? How are they acting? Are they too emotional? Too passive? We tend to judge what we see and read - I do it too, so I can't complain if some nutty people blog about how I deserved the crime that happened to me. It's a big world out there filled will all kinds of people. With computers.
The media also picks and chooses what stories they deem fit for publication and airing and I understand that so much. That is not a criticism at all. Sometimes I wonder why a story doesn't get more play, then a week later, I see it everywhere.
Some days, I'll blog about completely uplifting or trivial things. We're not trying to save the world or run for office here.
So, spread the word, suggest a story idea and know that, at the end of the day, I'm going to try to make you think, make you happy about your life, make you hopeful, make you laugh and that's about it. No one really takes blogging seriously, least of all me.
The surf off Main Beach, EH
3 comments:
Liz,
You are very brave to come out and share your story and you have touched the lives of so many others.
One of the reasons why I relate so much to you and Adrienne and Hillary is because my situation was very similiar. I went through our brutal system once for nine months- and that was just the invesitigation. Then it was sorry- your word against his.
Once I thought I put it all behind me- 3 years later, it came back in a snap. He did it again. We need you to testify to cooberate a pattern of behavior.
I was like hell no- NO WAY. If you did your job the first time, this wouldn't have happened. Well, if you don't cooperate, we can force you... which was what they did. That's kind of you Ms. ADA... rape me twice.
I too had to go through depositions and a trial where I was a witness in a case so the DA could use me not to prosecute him for what he did to me even though it was still within the staute, but to prosecute him for the other victim he raped. It was like I was their little pawn. But I forget sometimes, the system isn't like Mariska Hargitay on TV- NYPD and the DA don't work for me, they work for the state.
I always say if I ever go to hell, I thank the Lord for giving me a sneak preview of what it is like.
I wasn't as brave as you to go public with my story, but it made me so mad, that many times, I considered it. I just give you so much credit and am so grateful for all that you do for us.
And I do think you are right that we can learn from our experiences and gradually heal from horrible trauma. It just takes a lot of work, great patience, and faith.
Much Love,
Michele
liz,
for a moment there i thot you were going to announce that you were no longer going to blog!
btw, i find it unbelievable that there are people who believe that you deserved what happened to you!
blog on!
mario
Blog on indeed, Liz!
For me, my blog goes this way and that way. Like life there is no set recipe. I try to stick to the main ingredients: stories in the media, supporting and raising awareness for relevant causes, and the stories that come to me, affect me, or happen to me.
The more celebrity driven the news is, the more setting the records straight - or at least highlight the other side of things - seems necessary.
As a side note: as my head was filling with creative things that did not fit my inkwell blog, I created another one- and I got blocked from Blogger as a spam blog. It was a way for me to keep a daily diary of the creative as not to lose it on scraps of paper or I just forgot what I was thinking. Oh the irony! So I created a new one and went on a few lines about being blocked and why I blog. Holga!
Post a Comment