My big brother Patrick was kidnapped one night, forced to drive into the country, then executed on the side of the road. Then he was robbed and his car stolen. Pat was eaten by buzzards and other animals for five days before he was found. My entire family and I have been traumatized ever since. The killer had just been released from a mental institution, only to have easy access to a shotgun.
My life changed after that. No longer can I look at a buzzard (vulture) on the side of the road. I have to drop my head down. I cannot watch certain shows on TV that contain violence. Every time there is a mass shooting or murder, I feel the pain of the families, and I go into a tunnel of sadness. I wrote a book of what happened to Patrick and the trials that followed. I wrote of how my father and family changed, and what should be done to stop this irresponsible gun society we live in. It has given me purpose to be a part of the change that must occur.