Common Sense Reborn

Break The Cycle

¹⁸The LORD is close to the brokenhearted; He rescues those whose spirits are crushed. (Psalm 34:18)

Morning. I want to interrupt my regularly scheduled lamentation about the state of the world and the spiraling decline of this country I thought I once loved to bring your attention to a much closer, much more personal matter.

On Thursday, January 15, in our hometown of Bradenton, FL, a 29-year-old man forced his way into a medical lab complex and murdered his ex-girlfriend. He then turned his attention to an innocent bystander, who had witnessed the brutal killing of her co-worker. He attempted to murder the immediate witness, shooting her multiple times, before fleeing the scene. His vehicle was identified by another witness and Bradenton Police did an excellent job tracking him and apprehending him within 25 minutes of the initial 911 call being placed. He has since been charged with one count of first-degree murder with a firearm and one count of attempted first-degree murder with a firearm.

The truly tragic thing about the world we live in today is that for most of the world, no one heard of this event. Others may have briefly read the headlines and thought to themselves, ‘that’s horrible’, and ‘what is wrong with people?’ We do it as a nation as we brush off trump’s threats of invading the peaceful nation of Greenland, instantly politicizing the murder of a woman just trying to drive her vehicle away from masked gunmen, and refuse to see the alarming similarities between the MAGA regime and the nazi empire. I know that I would have had no knowledge of the shooting in Bradenton if not for one thing: that innocent witness, who is currently enduring extensive recovery efforts, and is permanently scarred physically, mentally, and emotionally; that young lady is family.

Domestic violence is a plague that effects the entire world. In the United States alone, over 50% of all female homicide victims were murdered by an intimate partner. Click here to see more staggering statistics about Domestic Violence in the U.S..

But behind every number was a life. A life shattered by violence from an insecure, weak, evil partner that chooses violence over self-control. Death over life. Darkness over light. Domestic Violence is a dangerous cycle that most victims are trapped in. I have personally witnessed this in families I have been tasked to protect as a police officer, doing all I could do to place the aggressor behind bars, but constantly seeing the victims welcome these offenders back into their lives and putting themselves at greater danger for the next incident, which is usually a steady escalation of violence.

Not to say that is not always the case. I know that Jesus can turn a person away from violence and change their lives forever. This happens far fewer times than the perpetrator continuing down a dark path that eventually leads to them committing a serious enough offense to find themselves facing serious jail time. While that may finally “break the cycle“, at that point the victims have faced horrific crimes against them, and their lives are forever changed. If you, or someone you know, is the victim of domestic violence, I urge you to call authorities and do everything you can to intercede before it is too late. But if you fear that the intervention of law enforcement might accelerate further violence, at the very least speak up. Speak to the aggressor, offer to help them with counseling, reason with them that if this relationship is making them so angry that they are willing to physically harm their partner, they just need to get out of the relationship. Involve yourself. Do not just look away. Too many times, people ignore the warning signs, and then it is too late. Do not let your friend, coworker, neighbor, family member become just another statistic. Stand up, speak out.

I humbly request, that if anyone reading this post has the financial means to do so, my family is seeking assistance with covering the mounting medical bills for our niece as she recovers from this horror. You can donate to her Go Fund Me page by clicking here. I was unable to find any fundraising efforts for the family of the young woman whose time here on earth was ripped away from her. A mother, a daughter, a friend, while I never knew this woman, I know her murder shattered the lives of many, and my heart breaks for them. I ask that you keep the family of Myshaela Burnham in your prayers and continue to pray for victims of domestic violence around the world. And also, prayer for those committing the violence, that God removes the hardness of their hearts, the propensity for physical abuse, and that they receive the help they need to live peaceful lives with their partners. Tell those demons to run and hide.