Leah and I woke up today with messages from our daughter Katy, my best friend George, plus postings by two of our nieces on Facebook. Other messages have followed.
It was 49 years ago on March 7, 1975, that Leah’s mom, Florence, was murdered along with two teenage employees (Cathy and Carlos) and the owner’s son (David), execution style in the backroom of Allan’s Jewelry store in River Rouge. The memory of that day and week never leaves me.
Since I have written about this mass shooting the last two years, I was hesitant to bring it up today. My hesitancy about writing about Florence’s murder changed a few weeks back when I read an article in the Detroit Free Press by Jeff Seidel about the gruesome but incredibly uplifting story of Amedy Dewey a young woman who somehow survived a close-range shotgun blast to the face in a murder suicide involving her monster stepfather and her mother.
This story like no other story I have read, shows what happens to the victims who survive gun violence. Amedy’s story is not unique. I am sure the surviving victims of Oxford High School, Michigan State, Uvalde, Shady Hook, the Orlando night club, the grocery store in Buffalo, the Las Vegas concert, and all the others mass shootings have similar stories.
I remember reading about Amedy’s story when it happened. Like so many other mass shootings, including the one in River Rouge 49 years ago, the story lives in the public eye for a few days, and then other news items take over. The public forgets and gets on with their lives.
Unfortunately, at that point, the surviving victims and their families and friends only have each other and they must fend for themselves using various coping mechanisms. Some are healthy, and some are not.
I have thanked Jeff Seidel for writing these in-depth articles about the incredible bravery of Amedy, her support system, and the wonderful physicians and staff at U of M’s Mott Children’s Hospital who have helped put Amedy back together piece by piece. I hope Seidel gets a Pulitzer Prize for his work.
Stories such as Amedy’s need telling because death by guns in this country is a major issue. For those of us who have lost a loved one, it has changed our lives forever. There are not many places we can go to get help. Leah and I have been fortunate because we have each other, and we are not afraid to talk about it. Others are not as fortunate.
The five articles about Amedy are in the links below. They do not require anyone to be a subscriber, so they should be easy to open and read. I hope all of you take the time to read the story. As you are reading them, think about Amedy and all the other victims you have read about over the last years. Like Amedy, their lives are changed forever.
Amedy is described best by Detective Phillip Hesche of the Iona County Sheriff’s Office. ““That girl is the toughest human being I’ve ever met in my entire life.” This is my Quote of the Day
Amedy Dewey thought she was going to die in I-96 shooting by stepdad (freep.com)
Detective vividly recalls finding Amedy Dewey in gruesome I-96 scene (freep.com)
Amedy Dewey begins painful road to recovery after gunshot to face (freep.com)
Amedy Dewey battled her attacker months after gunshot to face (freep.com)
Years after being shot in the face, Michigan woman gets a new nose (freep.com)
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Quote of the Day: See above.
Orchid of the Day: Jack “Buzzy” Blair, one of my best friends since before kindergarten, who lived a few doors down from Leah on Maple Street. Buzz died twelve years ago on this date. He was a one-of-a-kind character with an emphasis on character. To this day, whenever I think of Buzz, a smile comes to my face. Buzz, my best friend George, and I did almost everything together when we were growing up. When Buzz died, George and I each lost a part of ourselves.
Onion of the Day: No onion today.
Question of the Day: Do you know victims or friends and family members of victims of gun violence? Have you reached out to them to see how they are doing? Have you talked to them about it?
Video of the Day: On a brighter note. The following video should not surprise anyone who has followed U of M’s Blake Corum’s career. His work ethic and strength are legendary. He showed it off this week at the NFL combine where he tied for the most bench press reps by lifting 225 pounds 27 times, which is only 2 reps off the record for the combines. This includes lineman who outweigh Corum by over 100 pounds.
Remembering Bonnie Harrison losing 2 sons in 2 separate incidents.