The waiting area is painted a soft, soothing blue-gray, and the seats are not uncomfortable. But waiting to enter a prison is anything but restful. What the heck was I doing? How did I come to be in this place, at this time? Did I really want to go through those doors?
All kinds of thoughts ran through my mind. This was your decision. You knew what you were doing. You can’t run out now. You’ve got to see this through.
The guards were a surprise to me. I had expected surly, dispassionate, and a touch of mean. Instead, I got warm, open, and friendly. Really? They were exceptionally nice and polite, an attitude I found somewhat disconcerting. Weren’t they supposed to snarl and snap? A sense of disquiet settled in my soul as the minutes ticked by while I sat, waiting.
And then something completely unexpected happened. I had come to this place to meet Brian Gore, to speak with him for a bit, to let him know about the book I was writing. I had my questions planned. I had put together everything I was going to say.
I was ready for this moment.
Until the guard at the front desk motioned over to me while speaking to her replacement. “They’re waiting to see Gore.”
Wait—they? When I looked behind me, a quiet man sat, patient and serene.
Brian’s father.
The last thing I want to be is intrusive and pushy. Some writers are known for those qualities, but I am not comfortable with that approach.
When we were finally called in, Mr. Gore and I began the long walk down to the visiting area. It’s not really a long walk, but once that first door clangs shut and locks, first-timers like me feel closed in.
It’s a good thing Mr. Gore was with me, because he had to show me how to get through the next set of doors. He was gracious and kind, showing a touch of humor and a bit of emotion. As a parent, I cannot imagine what it is like to have a child in prison for such a crime.
Overall, I think my first visit went well. I accomplished what I wanted to, and I was able to quickly get out so that Mr. Gore could spend some time with his son.
Tomorrow morning the trial begins. Perhaps we will find answers. Or perhaps, as Mr. Gore intimated, we’ll never really understand, no matter how many questions we ask.
Showing posts with label child abuse. Show all posts
Showing posts with label child abuse. Show all posts
Sunday, May 17, 2015
Wednesday, June 22, 2011
Our Children
I felt as if an invisible fist had punched me in the stomach, knocking my breath out and bringing tears to my eyes. It was an April 29 news report, one that most people in this area would not soon forget.
Gloucester, Virginia deputies served a search warrant on Shannon Gore, only to find something very different than the stolen gold they were looking for. They found a child, a little girl, left in a cage and starving. Outside, buried under the shed, were the remains of another child.
After the horror of the situation sank in, my first reaction was pure anger. “That’s my daughter!”
Now, let me be clear about something. I know that the little girl is not my biological daughter. I understand the difference between my kids and someone else’s kids. I am not that far gone that I am about to go snatching children from their homes or dementia ridden with the belief that my children are wandering around out there.
But my initial reaction, the outrage I felt, was tied to a very strong instinct I believe most parents have, and that is the instinct to protect.
Obviously not every parent feels this way, or deputies would not have found the little girl living in those deplorable conditions. But many of us do have those feelings, that natural inclination to nurture and care for the kids we know.
Consider this: if everyone felt that each child, whether they are biologically yours or not, was “their child”, things might be a little bit different.
Maybe as a society we would direct more attention to the needs of our children, instead of allowing them to waste away in a foster system that clearly does not work. Maybe we would address the fact that there are more than 115,000 children in this country available for adoption, children who are older or have serious medical needs, children who may very well never find a “forever home”. In the state of Virginia there were more than 106,000 cases of reported abuse in 2010, and children all over the United States die from neglect and abuse every day, regardless of race or income level.
Maybe we would reach out and help the children that desperately need our help instead of not facing the reality of what is happening in our neighborhoods.
Neighbors who lived next to Shannon and Brian Gore were outraged. They had no idea that a little girl was living there, much less that she was being starved. There is no doubt that someone would have stepped in to help.
The little girl (dubbed “Sunshine” by a special online group committed to helping victims) is doing much better. She is still hospitalized but shows signs of significant weight gain (she was believed to be six years old at the time of her discovery and weighed 15 pounds) and has been reported to be doing as well as could be expected.
Just because these monsters have been caught doesn’t mean there aren’t more abusers out there, or that we can look the other way when we see child neglect, or that we can ever forget how a child should be treated.
As a community we can make a difference in the lives of so many kids. After all, they really are “our children.”
Gloucester, Virginia deputies served a search warrant on Shannon Gore, only to find something very different than the stolen gold they were looking for. They found a child, a little girl, left in a cage and starving. Outside, buried under the shed, were the remains of another child.
After the horror of the situation sank in, my first reaction was pure anger. “That’s my daughter!”
Now, let me be clear about something. I know that the little girl is not my biological daughter. I understand the difference between my kids and someone else’s kids. I am not that far gone that I am about to go snatching children from their homes or dementia ridden with the belief that my children are wandering around out there.
But my initial reaction, the outrage I felt, was tied to a very strong instinct I believe most parents have, and that is the instinct to protect.
Obviously not every parent feels this way, or deputies would not have found the little girl living in those deplorable conditions. But many of us do have those feelings, that natural inclination to nurture and care for the kids we know.
Consider this: if everyone felt that each child, whether they are biologically yours or not, was “their child”, things might be a little bit different.
Maybe as a society we would direct more attention to the needs of our children, instead of allowing them to waste away in a foster system that clearly does not work. Maybe we would address the fact that there are more than 115,000 children in this country available for adoption, children who are older or have serious medical needs, children who may very well never find a “forever home”. In the state of Virginia there were more than 106,000 cases of reported abuse in 2010, and children all over the United States die from neglect and abuse every day, regardless of race or income level.
Maybe we would reach out and help the children that desperately need our help instead of not facing the reality of what is happening in our neighborhoods.
Neighbors who lived next to Shannon and Brian Gore were outraged. They had no idea that a little girl was living there, much less that she was being starved. There is no doubt that someone would have stepped in to help.
The little girl (dubbed “Sunshine” by a special online group committed to helping victims) is doing much better. She is still hospitalized but shows signs of significant weight gain (she was believed to be six years old at the time of her discovery and weighed 15 pounds) and has been reported to be doing as well as could be expected.
Just because these monsters have been caught doesn’t mean there aren’t more abusers out there, or that we can look the other way when we see child neglect, or that we can ever forget how a child should be treated.
As a community we can make a difference in the lives of so many kids. After all, they really are “our children.”
Wednesday, May 11, 2011
A Caged Life
Sometimes there are no words for the unspeakable horrors that happen in our world. We read about it, we see it on television, but when the worst of the worst happens in our backyard we cannot describe the despair we might feel.
Especially when it happens to children.
Honestly, I’ve spent the past week and a half walking around my house muttering “Those (insert expletive) people…”
If there’s one thing I abhor it’s people who hurt children. I don’t need to explain, I’m sure most readers can understand and identify with that sentiment.
In Gloucester, Virginia, Brian Gore and Shannon Gore have been charged with first degree murder, attempted capital murder and felony abuse and neglect. It seems they were keeping a little girl locked in a makeshift cage in their trailer and had buried another child under the shed in the backyard.
This is one of those terrible, terrible stories. And it keeps getting worse. From the fact that none of the neighbors even knew of the existence of this little girl to the fact that the alleged parents never properly fed or cared for this child, it is abuse at its most horrific.
And now, added to that, is the fact that there are laptops and a camera that Brian and Shannon tried to hide.
Matt Sabo, reporter for the Daily Press, has provided amazing coverage of this story. For complete details check out http://www.dailypress.com/news/gloucester-county/dp-nws-gloucester-abuse-charges-20110502,0,2474271.story and read everything from what led deputies to this gruesome discovery to what the search warrants read.
Her future is uncertain, but definitely brighter than it was on April 28. At that point, doctors are quoted as saying she would have died within a week living in those deplorable conditions.
We’re glad she was saved. But, here’s the important part: how many others are out there, locked in cages or abused through neglect? How many children live in conditions so horrific we cannot begin to image that life?
If you know or see a child being abused or neglected don’t be afraid to speak up. Call social services and be sure to follow up on the case. Make sure something is done. After all, you may be the only voice there is for that child.
Especially when it happens to children.
Honestly, I’ve spent the past week and a half walking around my house muttering “Those (insert expletive) people…”
If there’s one thing I abhor it’s people who hurt children. I don’t need to explain, I’m sure most readers can understand and identify with that sentiment.
In Gloucester, Virginia, Brian Gore and Shannon Gore have been charged with first degree murder, attempted capital murder and felony abuse and neglect. It seems they were keeping a little girl locked in a makeshift cage in their trailer and had buried another child under the shed in the backyard.
This is one of those terrible, terrible stories. And it keeps getting worse. From the fact that none of the neighbors even knew of the existence of this little girl to the fact that the alleged parents never properly fed or cared for this child, it is abuse at its most horrific.
And now, added to that, is the fact that there are laptops and a camera that Brian and Shannon tried to hide.
Matt Sabo, reporter for the Daily Press, has provided amazing coverage of this story. For complete details check out http://www.dailypress.com/news/gloucester-county/dp-nws-gloucester-abuse-charges-20110502,0,2474271.story and read everything from what led deputies to this gruesome discovery to what the search warrants read.
Her future is uncertain, but definitely brighter than it was on April 28. At that point, doctors are quoted as saying she would have died within a week living in those deplorable conditions.
We’re glad she was saved. But, here’s the important part: how many others are out there, locked in cages or abused through neglect? How many children live in conditions so horrific we cannot begin to image that life?
If you know or see a child being abused or neglected don’t be afraid to speak up. Call social services and be sure to follow up on the case. Make sure something is done. After all, you may be the only voice there is for that child.
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