The following is a letter to the Editor from Sheltering Wings’ Executive Director, Cassie Mecklenburg, regarding the Johnny Depp – Amber Heard trial.
Dear Editor,
After weeks of intense media coverage and high public consumption, most people are aware of the Johnny Depp – Amber Heard trial and their accusations of domestic violence. As the verdict takes over news headlines, a fresh wave of national chatter will sweep over our social media accounts and TV screens will blare the pundits’ hot takes.
High profile cases tend to bring fresh awareness to domestic violence, resulting in an uptick of hotline calls and shelter visits. But the public response to this case has been different than previous abuse incidents like the ones involving Chris Brown or Ray Rice.
This time, cruel memes, victim-blaming accusations and outright mockery has spun across the internet and our phones. Facts have been shadowed by passionate opinions and comment sections are filled with misinformation and false statements like, “Someone who has been abused would never act like that” and “If it was that bad, why didn’t they just leave?”
I lead the team at Sheltering Wings, a domestic violence shelter in central Indiana. We’re in our twentieth year of working to break the cycle of abuse and helping our residents – your loved ones – build stable and independent lives, free from abuse. Over the last few months, we’ve paid attention to how our community, especially our teens and kids, is responding to the trial coverage.
We’re paying attention because we know victims are watching and listening. They are carefully noting who laughs at a joke about emotional abuse or who forwards a mash-up video mocking testimony detailing physical violence.
Even abusers are watching. They’re scanning for signs to confirm their behavior isn’t actually abuse and for justification to blame their partner or child the next time they lash out.
Every time a high-profile case reaches our phones and TVs, we have the opportunity to shape the conversation on abuse. Which way will we go this time? The younger generation is watching.
Will central Indiana be a community that takes domestic violence seriously or treats it like a punchline? On our social media profiles and around dinner tables, will we encourage each other to learn the facts about domestic violence and prepare ourselves how to respond if someone we love tells us they’re being abused?
You don’t have to look far to see how abuse can happen to anyone, male or female, from Hollywood movie stars to your neighbors, co-workers, even your closest circles.
Statistics show us that 1 in 4 women and 1 and 7 men experience abuse. This means we all know someone.
But another fact is just as true: everyone deserves freedom from abuse. Your words and your responses to instances of abuse can impact those suffering in silence, even casual comments on a celebrity trial.
If this sounds overwhelming, it’s understandable. Domestic violence is a critical issue that doesn’t have a one-size-fits-all solution. That’s why we offer resources and conversation prompts on our website at freedomideserve.com; we’re here to help Hoosiers know how to break the cycle.
Regardless of our own conclusions on the Depp-Heard trial – who we believe is lying and what a just outcome looks like – let’s foster conversations where victims feel safe and abusers face consequences. Let’s be a community known for breaking the cycle in our actions and with our voices.
Sincerely,
Cassie Mecklenburg
Executive Director, Sheltering Wings
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If you are a media source looking to schedule an interview with Cassie Mecklenburg to further discuss this topic and how our community can foster healthy conversations surrounding domestic violence, please contact Jenna Harris.
Contact: Jenna Harris, Communications and Annual Giving Officer
Office Phone: 317-386-5050
Email: jharris@shelteringwings.org
