National Crime Victims' Rights Week

Although final exams are upon me here in Tulsa, I would be remiss if I did not post this week. National Crime Victims' Rights Week began last Monday and runs until Saturday. This week here in Tulsa the District Attorney's office sponsored an event, dedicating a garden to the victims of homicide. People all over the nation have had similar remembrance ceremonies for victims of homicide. Some state officials have given awards to the men and women who have assisted victims deal with what they have been through.

I would like to honor my brother Bryan. He was a good brother, don't get me wrong we didn't always see eye to eye, but I admired his loyalty. He was loyal to his family and friends. There are few men as honest as him. He was always there for his friends that may not have been given the things he was given in life. I remember an instance where a friend of his was too intoxicated to drive. Bryan snuck up behind him and took the keys from the guy's pocket. When I was in Oregon, he was the one that called me to tell me our father was in surgery due to an apparent heart attack. He was always so calm under pressure. I tried to live up to his example when he died. His example got me through each step of the way. Every exam I take I think about him, and that ability. I didn't say it much when he was alive (in the name of bravado), but I love him.

Every survivor of homicide has a story, and every crime victim has a voice. Please support organizations in your area that support victim rights.