By By JOHN EBY / Dowagiac Daily News
CASSOPOLIS - Trooper Rob Herbstreith of the Niles state police post isn't being nosy in wanting to make domestic violence "everybody's business."
Herbstreith knows "it doesn't matter what sex you are, male or female. It doesn't matter how old, as you'll see by the names" read at the annual Cass County Candlelight Vigil honoring victims for October, National Domestic Violence Month. "It doesn't matter what color your skin, how much money you make, where you live. Anybody can become a victim of domestic violence. We need to make it our business to help these victims.
About 40 people attended the first vigil in the courtyard behind the Council on Aging.
Keynote speaker Melodye Surgeon Rider of Marcellus United Methodist Church gave a faith-based perspective coming as a "mother, a daughter, a wife, a Christian pastor. I can only be who I am - a God person."
Two-thirds of Americans are affiliated with some kind of religious, spiritual or faith-based organization. One out of four actively participates in religious services. Cass County boasts a diversity of faiths.
Whether Christianity, Islam, Buddhism or Native Americans, "No one hates his own body, but lovingly cares for it, just as Christ cares for his body, which is the church," Rider said. "I didn't find a single faith tradition that didn't abhor domestic violence. But we also know that Hebrew Bibles and Christian scriptures contain story after story of violence against women embedded in their sacred texts.
Fitz added, "It is a night of promise and progress, but as you listen to those names, each of those (55) candles represents a person who died. We look forward to a day when no more candles have to be lit."
One name remembered on the 10th anniversary of the finding of her body was Rebecca Lynn Stowe of Niles, slain by her boyfriend when she was 15. Her mother and older sister attended the vigil for the first time.
Becky's sister, Cindy Slates of Niles, said, "He took her to his uncle's farm in Cass County, where he planned to kill her. That was July 13, 1993. Becky's body was not found until Oct. 4, 1995 - 10 years ago today. Becky was a very young, loving person. She had a lot of family and friends who loved her very much. She was a great student in school and athletic."
Lloyd Hamilton, the new Human Services Coordinating Council chairman, "welcome you with mixed feelings. On the one hand, far too many people have lost their lives to this deadly act. But on the other hand, it does my heart very well that we still come together whenever we can to remember the victims of domestic violence. Let us pledge in our hearts this evening that wherever we are, we're going to do what we can to eradicate domestic violence from our society."
Circuit Court Family Division Judge Susan Dobrich said, "This is a very important topic to our community. In Family Court, so many of our cases result in violence. We have three recurring themes: domestic violence, substance abuse and mental health issues. Certainly, substance abuse does not cause domestic violence, but when they occur together they become more of a lethal weapon. It's very important that we continue to educate the public."
Rita Reed, DASC volunteer and emergency outreach coordinator, served as mistress of ceremonies.
Chaplain Carl Ross of the Forgotten Man Ministry at the Cass County Sheriff's Office wrote a prayer for the occasion.
Elender Sykes, DASC personal protection order advocate, recited a poem, "Tending Your Garden," and sang "Somebody Bigger Than You and I."
Rachel Sutton prefaced her vocal rendition of "There's No Excuse for Abuse" by commenting, "In my own life, I had somebody next door who wanted to kill his wife and ended up killing himself. Somebody I work with was killed. I went to church with somebody whose son was killed in domestic violence. It just touches us all over the place."