Readers of this blog may recall the very personal editorial I wrote about Howard Scott, one of the three people involved in the murder of Tyler Binstead at Byrd Park in March of 2008. Recently, I was contacted by Linda O’Brien, the mother of Tyler’s girlfriend, who was there when Tyler was killed and lucky to have survived that tragic event. Ms. O’Brien has been ostensibly moved by the tragedy to write a “community dialogue theater piece” and she is seeking collaboration from anyone who lives in Richmond and has been affected by numerous difficult and painful issues. To assist in her efforts, I am reprinting here the email I received and I hope you will join her efforts to create and grow from the pains many of us have suffered in one form or another in order to create “a better world.”

Hello friends, I live in Blacksburg but my daughter, a VCU student, survived a violent crime in Richmond almost 2 years ago. I’m doing a community dialogue theater piece on the event and all the discussion it provoked, to try and bring understanding to matters of crime, violence, history, discrimination, trauma, race, youth, drugs and guns. I also want to include all the vitality of Richmond community life. I need some friendly collaborators from the Richmond area to help out. I want a better world. Anyone interested please contact me. Lmobrientribe@yahoo.com

Howard Scott is only 17, but he may be serving three life sentences. I knew him. I could see he was going to have a troubled future. He was sixteen and already had two children, at least that is what I was told. One day he told me his girlfriend had a miscarriage. I lamented then as well as now.

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