"But Most Importantly, Our Sons"

He is 36 years old. He still lives at home with his parents. He lives near a ravine, Huntington Gorge. And he has had something of a sick fantasy. At least, that is my guess.

The sick fantasy is to snatch a woman, beat, rape and murder her; and then, after putting her pants back on her body, the fantasy is to wedge her between rocks at the bottom of the nearby gorge, cover her with some debris, and go home to bed. Everyone, perhaps, will think that the victim fell in the dark, perhaps too drunk to know where she was, lost in an alcohol haze having taken a ride in some taxi who-knows-where†.

The fantasy became reality for Brian L. Rooney on October 7, between the hours of 2:00 and 4:30 in the morning. And the sick, twisted fantasy became a nightmare for 21-year-old Michelle Gardner-Quinn, a University of Vermont student hailing from Arlington, VA. Her parents, who were visiting UVM for Parents' Weekend and who were with their daughter the night she disappeared while she walked down Burlington's most public street, made tearful pleas for Michelle's safe return, but to no avail. Police later found the man who assisted Michelle when her cell phone's batteries died; he had loaned her his phone as she chatted with friends, trying to hook up with them several blocks away on the same street; the man would hear that she was fully alone, and the door was open. No doubt it was kindness, capricious to the core, that he used to entrap Michelle. A store surveillance camera would capture him walking with Michelle along the sidewalk; there seems to be no tension between them. But darkness often appears as light; evil is often hidden behind goodness. A predator had his prey, and a young woman had no idea.

Hikers, six days later, would find her in a lonely ravine.

THIS IS WHAT WE NEED TO HEAR

I need not over-explain the following quote. Just know that I believe it is one of the most important statements to be uttered in a long time; the context makes it nearly over-powering. I have strained on this blog to get close to the lesson that follows, but I have merely groped in the dark towards the heart of the issue. What follows, really, IS the heart. Let me simply let you read the quote by Burlington, VT police chief Thomas R. Tremblay when he spoke at a press conference Wednesday afternoon:

"Being aware that crime can occur, anywhere, to anyone, is the first step in crime prevention. However, we cannot let these terrible crimes paralyze us in fear. We must demand our freedom from violence and crime. We must also renew our commitment to ending violence against women, violence perpetrated by men – in the form of domestic and sexual violence.

"As a community we must move beyond "victim blaming" and direct more efforts at those who are responsible for the violence. As a society we must do more to educate boys and men to stop acts of violence against women. We should talk with our friends, our families, our children – certainly our daughters, but most importantly our sons … "[emphasis added]

Our sons, indeed. We might want to pray for them as well.

Peace, at least for one day. And may mercy, peace and comfort fall on the family of Michelle Gardner-Quinn, and even on Michelle herself. Oh, how we pray there is more to life than this.

†I want it to be understood that I am not suggesting that Ms. Gardner-Quinn was drunk, or that she deserves any of this, or anything of the sort.

©Bill Gnade 2006/Contratimes - All Rights Reserved.

[Photograph of Burlington Police Chief Thomas R. Tremblay with portrait of Michelle Gardner-Quinn taken yesterday, as Chief Tremblay made his statement quoted above. Photo by Toby Talbot, AP. Image, and story, can be found here.]

Technorati tags: Michelle Gardner-Quinn, UVM, Violence against women