In Honor of Kelly Eckart

It's important to affirm tragedy. The 1997 murder of Kelly Eckart was, by all measures, a tragic and heinous crime. We're left shaking our heads wondering what went wrong that could lead someone to commit such an act and how we can possibly prevent this from happening again.

Too often, I think, those of us who work on raising awareness about issues with capital punishment can subconsciously "take sides" or are certainly seen as doing so. Some tend to gloss over the brutality of crimes for the sake of appealing to a deeper sense of humanity that might incite pity, and clemency, for the perpetrator of the crime. For society to move forward and earnestly address issues of crime and criminal justice, we must be willing to face head-on the worst acts perpetrated by individuals while attempting to counter them with the best that society has to offer: right to representation, due process, and other constitutional and civil liberty guarantees that define us as a people and nation.

This discussion will go on, but today it is important to remember that a young life was taken and the wake of the crime has left a trail of sadness and questions that may never be fully resolved. It is crucial to keep the Eckart family in our thoughts and prayers as they are navigated through the challenges of the justice system along with the accused.

Franklin College, where Kelly was a student, established the Kelly Nicole Eckart Memorial Scholarship Fund in her honor. Please consider making a gift in her memory and in support of the Eckart family (I was informed by the Franklin College Director of Major and Annual Giving that if the Fund is mentioned specifically in the "Comments" section of the online giving form that the donation would be properly allocated).