Monday, August 08, 2011
I used to work with a beautiful and talented woman named Alane Holsteen. I have known Alane for years as a treasured member of the office’s (almost wrote “our”) victim/witness unit, assigned primarily to crimes against children. Her work there is impressive, and truly incomprehensible for me.
Abused children tear at the heartstrings of even the most cynical prosecutor (who I guess, in fact, is me). I handled a few child abuse and sexual assault on children cases, and never wished to handle any more. Working with these victims through a difficult and often incomprehensible court process takes more strength than I possess. But Alane, and member of the crimes against children unit do this year after year. However, just being a star in the workplace is apparently not enough for Alane. Lately I have found out that Alane is a talented artist.
Alane has been kind enough to read my blogs and comment upon them. She suggested that I have readers subscribe and receive an e-mail notice of a new entry, a service available on her blog, http://urbanalchemyart.wordpress.com/. That is an excellent idea. I wish blogger allowed me to do that. Unfortunately, no subscription service is available. (I do plan on moving my blog to another website soon, and I will make sure to get a subscription service, but for now I will have to ask everyone to just check in from time to time.)
I checked in on Alane’s blog, and again, she demonstrates how impressive she is. Alane displays some beautiful pieces of art, along with some very personal statements. Alane writes about both her work and her art. She writes on a much deeper level, and far more succinctly than I do. But she did make one comment with which I have to disagree. In her blog of July 30 Alane wrote: “we humans are all the same–we all struggle to make it through each day, one way or another.”
I agree we all struggle day to day; I don’t think we are all the same. Those who victimize the innocents Alane comforts are not at like the rest of us. Many criminals are basically petty thieves, or victims of addiction, or mere opportunists. But child abusers and pedophiles fall into a much different category. Every parent been driven to rage by his or her child, but never have most of us reacted with extreme violence. D.A.s prosecute people who beat, burn, starve, neglect, even sell their children. They are not like us. Mothers who drown their newborns in the toilet and stepfathers who crush babies skulls are not like us. Perverts who sexually abuse toddlers, and even those who purchase the videos of this abomination are not like us.
It is incredible to me that Alane’s response is to create art. I wish I could have channeled my work into my writing, but there has always been a disconnect. You would think I could write exhaustively about what I did for 30 years, but I never have. Maybe I will. Later.
(Although I did write a novel once about a child killer and the attempt to bring him to justice. It was pretty bad, and will never see the light of day.)
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