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.
