Being a Voice for the Voiceless

A personal essay by Talley Timms

“The human voice is the most perfect instrument of all” –Arvo Pärt

Last year, in preparation for an internship, I read a victim’s statement given by a ten-year-old girl who witnessed an argument between her father and stepmom escalate to the point of violence, ending in her father headbutting her stepmom and breaking her nose. What surprised me first about this victim’s statement was how careful the child was to protect her father, making excuses and minimizing the trauma, even though he clearly put her in a high-risk situation. What surprised me more was the obvious shame this child felt for events over which she had no control. But what surprised me most was how little I remembered of this witness statement considering that I was that ten-year-old girl.

Rebuilding from the Rubble

A personal essay by Clara Dunlop

Sometimes the greatest tragedies in life turn out to be our greatest blessings.

The phone rings.  “Hello?”
It’s my mission president. “Don’t worry, no one died”
“I’m putting your parents through right now”
I have so many questions. “What happened?”
Gone.
My mom confirms, “Are you sure you want to see that?”
“I just want to understand…”

In a daze, I leave the office that I had quarantined myself in. My companion, the girl with whom I solely co-exist, looks at me as if in pain, knowing she has the obligation to say something. She comes up with “I do not know what happened, but I hope you are okay.” Just this. We aren’t close enough for anything more. When I awoke, my eyes were inflamed. My friend embraces me as my eyes fill with tears yet again. And I say it out loud for the first time.

 “My house burned down.”