Furious seeks to raise community awareness of domestic violence and to send a clear message that this sort should not be tolerated in our communities. There is a great deal that we as a community and individuals can do.

Speak up. Say something. Whether that means reaching out to a neighbour or using your voice to say enough is enough. It could be in conversation, a gathering or even online. Ignoring this problem is not going to make it go away. Just because it happens mainly behind closed doors doesn’t mean we can’t shine a light on the problem that affects everyone in our community. Educate our children. Call for help. Offer assistance. Just listen. Donate. Volunteer. There can be healing but first we need to drag this dark beast out from under the rock it’s been attempting to hide.

When considering the implications of domestic violence consider more than the physical aspect alone. Also reflect on the emotional aspect, the mental illness effects, the social & financial control that could have been crafted over years. It is abuse. Then there are the children. Role models should be something to aspire to, not simply to emulate. It’s time to ask what kind of future we want and invest in the people who will help enact it. Our children.

Parents, grandparents, sisters & brothers, hospitals, schools, workplaces, neighbours, correctional institutions, ambulances, police, … This list could go on and on. Abuse in the home is as insidious as COVID-19 and has permeated and damaged our communities far longer than its 2019 counterpart. With the global pandemic, came an alarming exacerbation of domestic violence conditions. Alas, sitting on our hands and averting our gaze serves no-one. Time to take action. Begin by listening to Padre’s debut album, Brown Town as it takes you on a musical journey to country town Australia and a heart wrenching story of abuse and triumph over control. The story isn’t easy, but the music certainly is. Melodic and rich whilst keeping you waiting on that next track. Varied and beautiful. Clearly a labour of love with a dark story that pierces the heart of the matter and somehow coaxes hope out from the shadows.