Dear Editor,
Now that we’ve all voted for the candidate of our choice, let’s consider how else we vote in our daily lives. Where and how and on what do we vote with our dollars? Does our voting help create the world we want? Does it make our region, our country a better place for people to live?
Where and on what do we vote with one of our most valuable assets, our attention? What we focus our attention on is fed and nourished and grows. Do we want more love? more laughter? more co-operation, caring, sharing and kindness? More violence?
I was one of hundreds who filled the Killaloe Lion’s Hall on Saturday to remember and celebrate the life of Anastasia Kuzyk. A vibrant, woman remembered for her caring, fun, and loving approach to life. People spoke of how, when serving customers at the Wilno Tavern, she never forgot or mixed up an order. Her attention was on serving others with care and love. Anastasia’s skills as a “horsewoman” were also spoken of highly.
Her murder at her home in Wilno on September 22, on the same morning as the murders of Carol Culleton and Natalie Warmerdam, brought forward how much domestic violence has been happening in our community. It also has brought forward how their deaths have left holes in the web of our community. How many people they each touched and how many knew them.
I appreciated John (and Vicki) Yakabuski’s presence at the candlelight vigil honouring these women in Wilno a few days after their murders. John was present as one of us, one of this community, not at all in the spotlight. A representative of this community, experiencing the pain, emotions and beginning steps towards healing in this community.
Since then, and especially at Anastasia’s memorial, people have been talking about how they don’t want these women’s lives and deaths to have been in vain. People want to put their attention on doing something so this does not happen to anyone else’s daughter, sister, wife, or mother.
It has come out that responsibility for the early release from prison of Basil Borutski, the alleged murderer, and his being allowed to live so close to women he’d abused and tried to kill before, lies within the Ministry of the Attorney General of Ontario. This Ministry is also responsible for funding the excellent and effective local program, “Living Without Violence”, based in Eganville. Sadly, the Ministry has felt it appropriate to cut funding to “Living Without Violence” and, obviously, to local probation officers.
Can our representative to the Ontario government, John Yakabuski, please contact The Honourable Madeleine Meilleur, Attorney General of Ontario, to let her know she bears some great responsibility towards helping this community heal from these tragic murders, and towards making the “Living Without Violence” message and program more available. With over 3,000 calls being made to the Women’s Crisis phone line every year, and knowing that most women don’t bother calling, we know that more help is needed. More education is needed on how to live without violence in our human relationships. Non-violent skills are also needed to be taught in our schools.
A better world is possible, the more attention we put towards a better future,
Robbie Anderman
Killaloe ON
