Parents of Murdered Children, Inc.
6th Annual National Day of Remembrance for
Murder Victims will be observed on
Saturday, September 25, 2004
,I
Here in Washington, DC, the National Day of Remembrance
for Murder Victims will be commemorated by a Candlelight Vigil from 5:00-7:00
pm at the corner of Good Hope Road and Martin Luther King Ave SE.
Everyone is welcome to come and join us along with
other survivor organizations to remember our loved ones that were senselessly
murdered and send the message that we will no longer tolerate the violence that
has plagued our city.
Sponsored by the National Organization of Parents Of
Murdered Children (POMC), this special observance seeks to pay tribute to the
hundreds of thousands of people in America who have been murdered; to publicly
recognize the tremendous losses endured by their families and friends; and to
educate our community about the rights and services available to surviving
family members of homicide victims.
CO-CHAPTER LEADERS, DC CHAPTER:
SANDY JOHNSON; KENNETH E. BARNES, SR.,
MS
CONTACT:
QUEEN WASHINGTON, COMMUNICATIONS
DIRECTOR
(202) 332-1642 or email: Queen.Washington@blm.gov
_________________________________________________
U.S. Department of Justice
Office of Justice Programs
Office
for Victims of Crime
Washington,
D.C. 20531
September 1, 2004
Dear Friends:
As a longtime member of Parents Of
Murdered Children, it is truly a special privilege for me to send my best
wishes as you commemorate the 6th Annual National Day of Remembrance for Murder
Victims on
When my daughter Louama was murdered in 1979, my wife Patsy and I realized firsthand the power of understanding and support that can come only from others who have suffered the traumatic loss of a loved one to murder. Through my early work as a c0founder of Justice for Homicide Victims and the Coalition of Victims' Equal Rights in California, I also learned that when families and friends of homicide victims speak out from their hearts and in unison, we can have a tremendous impact on public policy, criminal and juvenile justice system reform, and in how our nation views and treats those who 'have suffered the devastating loss of a loved one to homicide.
Since 1978, the National Organization of Parents Of Murdered Children has offered a beacon of help, hope and
healing to families and friends of murder victims. Your efforts have had a
profound and powerful impact on our nation, and have promoted greater
understanding of the life-long devastating impact of murder in America. Parents
Of Murdered Children is the symbol of one of the most
important causes in
I salute the outstanding efforts of the National Organization of Parents Of Murdered Children, and its wonderful, dedicated state and local chapters. My staff and I at the Office for Victims of Crime within the U.S. Department of Justice send our best wishes for a successful observance of America's National Day of Remembrance for Murder, Victims on September 25th. .
Sincerely,
John W. Gillis
Director