The change must come from us

As news broke around the nation that a man has been arrested for allegedly raping and murdering Aiia Maasarwe, we felt that small light inside us all diminish.

Not knowing made the monster less human, not knowing allowed us to imagine that for a moment no human being we share these streets with could be capable of something so horrific.

But we do know. We have the information and that monster now has a face.

As Aiia’s family prepares to bring their daughter home, we’re left shell shocked and in complete and utter disbelief.  

The accused sits in the back of a police car, eyes downcast and filled with what one can only hope is remorse. While Aiia will never smile again, she’ll never listen to a new song, she’ll never see another movie.

How can a world like this still be our world?

One thing that keeps replaying over and over in my mind whenever a story like this, breaks, is the fact that these people, these criminals have been known to police. These incomprehensible monsters have committed crimes which should never have allowed them to leave the confines of a prison, let alone roam the streets of our cities becoming predators and taking dreams away from innocents.

Things must change, and they must change soon.

The climate is turbulent, people are starting to lose faith in our legal system, though, praises must be given when due; the men and women who put this man away have done justice to Aiia and her family and countless women around the world who’ve never had their story heard.

But it isn’t enough.

For every Aiia there’s another woman who will never share her dreams, for every monster put away, another crawls up from the darkness.

Things must change, and the change must come from us.

It must come from teaching our brothers, our sons, our friends that we cannot live like this, we cannot.