Focusing on the legal side of the issue...

   Today we were part of a Domestic Violence Forum hosted by the Blount County Sheriff's Office. We heard about many different issues and experienced many different emotions. The forum began with a delicious breakfast and an introduction by Blount Memorial Hospital Director of Senior Services, Ed Harper. Following his intro we discussed the issue of privacy among social networking sites and social media and were provided tips about how to avoid putting ourselves in vulnerable situations. We then heard the law enforcement and patrol perspective of the domestic violence issue from Sgt. Keith Fletcher of the Alcoa Police Department. It was interesting to hear the challenges and viewpoints from the person called to intervene during a domestic dispute. After hearing from Sgt. Fletcher we took a break from the speakers and headed down to the court room to observe some court cases pertaining to Domestic Violence and Orders of Protection. 

     As we filed into the court room is was more empty than I expected. Shortly after we sat down they brought up the first case. Over the course of about five cases we saw a variety of domestic violence dynamics. This included a wife with an Order of Protection against her husband, a husband with an Order of Protection against his wife, and a young male inmate who had violated his Order of Protection against his younger girlfriend. It was very interesting to hear and see all the different scenarios because it helped many of us expand our perception on the people involved with  Domestic Violence. After watching a few of these cases we headed back upstairs to complete the rest of the forum and eat lunch!

    Lunch was delicious! We walked back into a room with tables filled with grilled tuna, grilled chicken, salad, pasta, rolls, fruits, veggies, and cookies. There was quite a spread and we all really enjoyed it. As we ate our lunch the judge whose court we had just been in came up to speak with us and answer any questions we had. Judge Robert Headrick was the highlight of the day for many of us! He was extremely welcoming and appreciative of our group being in town. He was eager to provide us with a deeper insight into what he does. After a great discussion he headed back downstairs to proceed with his docket and we continued on with our forum. The rest of the forum became filled with alot of heavy and emotional material. We saw images of victims who had been killed by their partner as well as alot of images of the terrible injuries that some victims have suffered. It was disturbing yet opened our eyes to the reality of it all. We also discussed elder abuse and heard a Deputy's story and her personal connection to the issue of Domestic Violence. Upon the conclusion of this forum we were given a tour of the Blount County Jail. Through this tour we saw the entire inside of the jail and learned how the jail operated and the lifestyle of the inmates in the jail.  Again, this was an extremely emotional and eye-opening experience.  After the tour we headed back to the cars and back to the church.

   When we got back to the church alot of people needed a little break from the day. We had some free time to relax and nap before it was time for dinner and reflection. After our break we headed downstairs and ate dinner. As we ate we reflected upon the day and shared our "highs" and "lows". It was great to release our feelings and emotions from the day with each other and it brought us even closer! After over an hour of reflection we cleaned up and headed back upstairs. Everyone began winding down and getting things ready for tomorrow! Overall, today was an emotionally and mentally challenging day but one that provided alot of us with an experience that we will take with us for the rest of our lives! I cannot believe tomorrow is our last day! This week has gone by too fast but I am excited to see what tomorrow holds in store for us!