https://www.voicesofgunviolencesurvivors.com/overview daily 1.0 2020-05-23 https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5ebe00f36b143a1b3ac8d3d9/5ebe107d49d4cd56dea16f71/5ec1755442d7f07cca80a0d4/1589739769438/IMAG0204%281%29.jpg Voices Arron Crable https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5ebe00f36b143a1b3ac8d3d9/5ebe107d49d4cd56dea16f71/5ebe10da4f31054b869a8ac2/1590274765967/image0.jpeg Voices Shawnta Moore-Lee https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5ebe00f36b143a1b3ac8d3d9/5ebe107d49d4cd56dea16f71/5ebe10ca9ed68b7cf0a5290f/1590274783419/pic.png Voices Armani 'Rip Gram' Ford https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5ebe00f36b143a1b3ac8d3d9/5ebe107d49d4cd56dea16f71/5ebe10b522646b3aec48a450/1590274790119/IMG_4966.PNG Voices Mager https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5ebe00f36b143a1b3ac8d3d9/5ebe107d49d4cd56dea16f71/5ec9aca73bbee218ed89926b/1606001393591/Diedre%E2%80%99+Michele+Walker.png Voices Diedre’ Michele Walker https://www.voicesofgunviolencesurvivors.com/about daily 0.75 2020-05-31 https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5ebe00f36b143a1b3ac8d3d9/t/5ebe15820a67ce269cc3772a/1589515930151/457956_10100140109301862_1943088044_o.jpg About Me - About Me. I am a surviving sibling of gun violence. My brother, Arron Crable, died February 23, 2012, as a result of gun violence. I do not have all of the details of his death, I am not sure it really matters, but what I do know is that he no longer has breath in his body. He was 23 years old when he died, I was 25. Although we grew up in the same household, our lived experiences were very different. For starters, he walked this world as a 6’5, 290 lb. Black man. I, on the other hand, am a much smaller Black woman. When the world saw him, some may have seen fear. When I saw him, I saw a loving, respectful person. The kind of person that showed up to church service a little early to help the elderly off of the church van, the person who loved Christmas and made it a point to get the decorations up the weekend after Thanksgiving. He also would sign my gifts from celebrities - any given Christmas I would receive gifts from Beyoncé, Bruno Mars, President Obama, and the list goes on. The person who would drive me anywhere, at any time of day without advance notice (I did not get my license until later in life). My memories of Arron contain an endless amount of positive encounters. I was living in Chicago at the time when I woke up one Saturday morning to missed calls in the double digits with somber yet calm voicemails from my parents stating that it was urgent and that I needed to call them back. It was then, I heard my mother say, “It is Arron, he is gone.” She explained a little more, but I had heard enough and started to tune her out as I began to process what she was telling me. The saying “you never know how much you love someone until they're gone” rang true. I was broken and no longer whole. Although he was my younger brother, Arron had always been my protector, calm presence, and comedic relief. He was gone, now what? I always say God works in mysterious ways - the weekend before he passed away, I “randomly” made a trip home to visit. Aside from my dad who dropped me off at the airport, Arron was the last person I saw that weekend. He gave me a big bear hug, and told me how much he loved me. The feeling was mutual, and I told him too. I will forever be grateful that those were our last words to each other. I moved back home to Pennsylvania at the end of the summer of 2012 and started to plant roots. I started my dream job in advertising, I was dating an amazing person and everything I had worked for started to fall into place. However, I remained partially empty as I was back home and all was well, but yet there was something so large missing. When someone passes away due to gun violence, it feels different - to put it into words as best as I can, it is heinous, abrupt, and gut-wrenching. It can leave you lost and isolated, especially since that is not the type of real topic of conversation people can tolerate. I would find myself at the grocery store, work, riding in my car, wherever, and get reminders of Arron and immediately start crying. It is an indescribable pain that never really goes away. Fast forward to a few years later. When you lose someone to gun violence, the funeral, and burial services are step 1, step 2 is dealing with the legal aftermath of who did it, and their consequence. All while trying to process this new reality. You are forced to relive the trauma over and over again. During the court proceedings, after the judge sentences the assailant, they let someone from the family make a public address. My Dad, who I would not consider a public speaker, made the most profound speech I have ever heard. He stood in front of the judge, officials, and the assailant and proceeded to address the audience. He began to explain his family tree, that he and his brother had daughters, and his sister has a mentally challenged son. Arron, from my father's vantage point, was the only mentally able male to carry on the Crable lineage. And this person, regardless of motive, simply destroyed an entire family. Arron’s memory forever lives on in my heart. https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5ebe00f36b143a1b3ac8d3d9/5ebe127d13dea97f3c539626/5ebe14d86b504275e5a307f9/1589515487587/IMAG0132.jpg About Me https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5ebe00f36b143a1b3ac8d3d9/5ebe127d13dea97f3c539626/5ebe14d849d4cd56dea1ea88/1589515487396/IMAG0133.jpg About Me https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5ebe00f36b143a1b3ac8d3d9/5ebe127d13dea97f3c539626/5ebe14d85c7d92109ffaddfc/1589515487381/IMAG0134.jpg About Me https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5ebe00f36b143a1b3ac8d3d9/5ebe127d13dea97f3c539626/5ebe14db55c4026a66754c8f/1589515488577/IMAG0135.jpg About Me https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5ebe00f36b143a1b3ac8d3d9/5ebe127d13dea97f3c539626/5ebe14dd589fc96071b5feb7/1589515491613/IMAG0171.jpg About Me https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5ebe00f36b143a1b3ac8d3d9/5ebe127d13dea97f3c539626/5ebe14dd9ed68b7cf0a5ab62/1589515491995/IMAG0194.jpg About Me https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5ebe00f36b143a1b3ac8d3d9/5ebe127d13dea97f3c539626/5ebe14de9a656c695c05c112/1589515491875/IMAG0200.jpg About Me https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5ebe00f36b143a1b3ac8d3d9/5ebe127d13dea97f3c539626/5ebe14e3d34cf503a62b7d2b/1589515497290/IMAG0201.jpg About Me https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5ebe00f36b143a1b3ac8d3d9/5ebe127d13dea97f3c539626/5ebe14e35afd0a54297e52d1/1589515497273/IMAG0203.jpg About Me https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5ebe00f36b143a1b3ac8d3d9/5ebe127d13dea97f3c539626/5ebe14e751dadb2dcdb998b8/1589515503823/IMAG0209.jpg About Me https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5ebe00f36b143a1b3ac8d3d9/5ebe127d13dea97f3c539626/5ebe14e751dadb2dcdb998b7/1589515502569/IMAG0206.jpg About Me https://www.voicesofgunviolencesurvivors.com/healing daily 0.75 2020-05-20 https://www.voicesofgunviolencesurvivors.com/overview-1 daily 0.75 2020-05-31 https://www.voicesofgunviolencesurvivors.com/ford daily 0.75 2020-05-20 https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5ebe00f36b143a1b3ac8d3d9/t/5ebe1dc95afd0a54297f3f6e/1589517779769/DBBB071A-90B9-4533-AA5E-2FEC16A7C1F5.png Armani 'Rip Gram' Ford - “What Have We Learned“ by Aunt Jamie Hicks It’s been ONE year on April 26, 2020 since Armani 'Rip Gram' Ford departed from this earth and what have we learned: Life is but a vapor and everyone has a time stamp whether you’re ready or not. You can still grow and find triumphs while going thru the stages of grief. Your values get radically rearranged. You learn that people are way more important than material things, accomplishments, and success. Life is significant, has meaning and purpose. We have to teach this to our children, otherwise they will continue to slaughter for the sake of envy and greed, significance, and lack thereof. A patient spirit is better than a proud spirit b/c anger abides in the hearts of fools. Patience will have its perfect work, if you let it. We are needy people, meaning we need people and we need God! God’s Grace is sufficient to get us thru even the most difficult times and will keep you from loosing your mind. It’s ok to seek professional help. Grief has precious uniqueness and looks different for everyone. We are both wonderfully made and complex. God created the process and He isn’t shocked or surprised by your unpredictable responses. Gods Grace is sufficient and will get you thru. Psalm 6:2-3 You can’t always count on people, and most times not even yourself. You can’t expect people to fulfill your needs the way that’s suitable for closure and comfort. Only a Matchless All Knowing God can do that. After all it’s been a year and still no arrests. I learned that I cannot fight spiritual battles with the flesh. I can’t control the people’s responses, or choices. We are facing a culture that has believed the lies of Satan, embraces them, and wears them as idols around their necks of pride. When you already know who wins, you work backwards, from a position of victory, and certainty. This is why I won’t loose hope. Unforgiveness holds you hostage, and releasing the offender allows you to operate with freedom in your journey to healing. Forgiveness doesn’t make you weak. It breaks the strongholds and cycles that keeps us bound. We live in a broken world, with broken people living broken lives. Understanding this helps your resolve, and allows you to love with compassion and purpose. My prayer is for the young men and women that were involved and their families. I hope this time of shut down has allowed you to re-evaluate. We don’t know the day or hour when Jesus will crack the sky. Will you be ready? We can see that we are closer than ever before, as the chain of events unfold. God’s Grace is sufficient, and available for all. The choice is yours. To our family and friends that are remembering this day last year, you can get thru this, I promise. God will give you a peace that will surpass your understanding... just ask. I luv you! 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