Several
hundred mourners gathered at St. Columba Church in Oakland, Dec. 10,
to commemorate loved ones lost to violence. Linda Hall (above, left),
remembers her son who was killed on Aug. 12, 2008. Standing with her
are her grandson and her daughter.
Judy Kerr (above, right) holds a candle
in memory of her brother Bob Kerr who was murdered in the Seattle
area in July 2003. She is spokesperson for California Crime Victims
for Alternatives to the Death Penalty.
Lorraine Taylor (right) lost her 22-year-old
twin sons to gun violence in Oakland on Feb. 8, 2000. She founded
1,000 Mothers to Prevent Violence (www.1000mothers.org),
which conducts an inter-faith grief support group (COPE) for victim-survivors
that meets every third Saturday in Oakland.
The evening service included poetry,
dance and music as well as pledges from members of the Oakland Police
Department to work with the community to end the violence plaguing
the area. Several community groups joined with St. Columba Parish
in sponsoring the event.
José Luis Aguirre
photos
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