Ribbons in Colfax honor domestic violence victims

Purple ribbons remembering local women who died from domestic violence are tied up in several Palouse towns.

Each of the 20 purple ribbons will have the names of local victims and how they died.

Because October is Domestic Violence Awareness month, Alternatives to Violence on the Palouse has several ongoing events geared to educate the public on the issue. Colfax, Pullman, Moscow and Genesee have the ribbons.

About 392 area victims and survivors were served by Alternatives to Violence between July 2008 and June 2009.

Down the streets of Colfax, purple ribbons flutter on lampposts. Jennifer Dale of Thornton has a ribbon; she was murdered by her husband Wayne this August as she was trying to leave him.

Sarah Parks of Moscow also has a ribbon. Her husband murdered her and their unborn child, then burned her body by setting fire to their home in the summer of 2009.

Jason Hamilton went on a shooting spree in Moscow in 2007, killing several people, one of whom was his wife, Crystal Hamilton. Her name too is displayed.

In addition to putting up the ribbons, the organization will conduct a cell phone collection drive at stores around the Palouse. Even if they are out of commission, used cell phones can still be used to call 911. In Colfax, drop boxes for the phones are located in Rosauers, Main Street Books and Cottage Gate. In Palouse, a box will be located at Small Town Quilts.

The phones will be passed out to women living in abusive situations which Alternatives is trying to help, said Holly Campbell, coordinator of domestic violence services for Alternatives.

They will also hold a Week Without Violence on the WSU campus later in the month.

Campbell said domestic violence is a very real and ongoing danger in most communities. One damaging stereotype is abusive relationships are a “personal or private” issue, she said.

“People downplay how difficult and dangerous an abusive situation can be,” Campbell said.

As a crisis response counselor for Alternatives, Campbell told the Gazette she has spoken with hundreds of women who have been beaten hard enough to suffer broken backs, arms, fingers or who have been repeatedly raped.

Campbell noted people can find it very hard to speak about such relationships because of shame and fear.

“People are very ashamed when they are in an abusive relationship,” Campbell said.

The crisis hot-line for Alternatives to Violence is (509) 332-4357.