It was with a heavy heart that I watched the news report in my hometown, Houston, on Monday as 8 hearses trailed in the funeral procession for the last journey of Valerie Jackson, her husband, Dwayne Jackson, and her six children – Nathaniel, Dwayne, Honesty, Caleb, Trinity and Jonah. They were all murdered by David Conley and what was most horrifying is that one of the children he murdered was his own son. For the past two weeks, we all have watched as the story behind this relationship triangle and subsequent tragedy unfolded.
You can read about the facts here at one of the many news stories about it:
I am haunted about this entire situation because of the deaths of the children. When I mull everything over in my thoughts I keep coming back to no one protected them – not the adults in their lives, not Child Protective Services, and not the court system. When I think about the mother and the choices she made about the men in her life I feel the children suffered the consequences of those bad choices. I keep thinking that they will never reach the fullness of their own lives. It is totally none of my business but I am angry about that fact.
I know the mother was a victim of domestic violence many times over. I know that experts in that arena caution society not to be judgmental towards victims of domestic violence. I know the hope is that the victim will come to a realization and acquire the strength to make those choices necessary to become a survivor and a victor.
But, until the victim can get to that point, what happens in the meantime? What happens when children suffer, are abused, and murdered? What happens when the vicious cycle continues for years and years (as in this case)? Where does the responsibility ultimately lie for one to progress from victim to victor? How do we instill the survival instinct in a person so they will not become a victim of domestic violence? How do we raise awareness in mothers that the persons they bring into their lives will impact their children lives?
Somehow we need to change the paradigm because the current one isn’t working. When you have six children that have been brutally murdered because of the choices of the adults in their lives, it is time to re-evaluate and seek answers to the hard questions. The buck stops somewhere and we need to determine exactly where that place resides.
As for the mass murderer, David Conley, he killed 2 adults and 6 children – in Texas. Everyone knows that Justice always comes down swift and hard here. Let us wait to see what happens.
QUESTION(S):
Did you read about these murders? If so, please share your thoughts.
