Never Forget

In the mid 90s I was working at a job given to me by a friend who then became my boss. The job was neither important nor demanding. At the same time I was also never excited about it, so I never even tried to be good at it. As a consequence I ended up spending a lot of time reading newspapers, news magazines, and so on, instead of actually doing my job.

On another note, which is related to what I'm writing here though the connection won't be clear for a few moments, from time to time various people have said to me things to the effect that "all parents love their children," "all mothers love their children," "parents will do anything for their children," along with other, similar statements. Some of these same people often make statements to me about my own life, including my childhood and my parents, even though often they know nothing or nearly nothing about any of that.

In 1995, while not doing my job, I read the life story of a little girl. Her name was Elisa Izquierdo. Elisa lived with her mother in New York. I imagine but don't know for a fact that Elisa was in most ways similar to most six-year-old children. I imagine that she liked to play. She probably did some things she shouldn't have done. It seems likely that she had a favorite color. She may have had a favorite toy. It seems certain to me that she had friends her own age with whom she liked to play. I am certain that she had her own thoughts and feelings, as all human beings do.

On November 22nd, 1995, Elisa's mother murdered her in a particularly brutal manner, after having abused her over a long period of time. At the time I found the story disturbing, saddening, and shocking, but not surprising. As much as most parents love their children and do everything to care for them, some parents seem to either hate their children or care so little for them that they either harm them, neglect them, or even in many cases kill them. Those truisms about parental love aren't particularly true; they are ideas which people like to believe, and because of this many people turn a blind eye toward abused children, some of whom end up losing their very lives.

Parents who abuse their children, along with other people who abuse children, are often described as "evil," "sick" or some combination of the two. I don't know the real reasons for child abuse, nor do I know what might be a solution to it, if any is at all possible. I do know that all of us who become aware of the abuse of any child must do something to protect that child. We must do whatever we can, and as soon as we can.

Elisa Izquierdo's mother killed her by beating her head against a wall. If Elisa were alive today, she would be a young woman, nearly twenty years old. I promised myself that I would never forget her. I haven't and I hope that I never do.

Elisa Izquierdo, 1989-1995. Requiescat in pace.

Hans Bricker