TAKE A BOW, PLAINWELL

I recently found out that shortly before Lori DeKleine [ http://michiganoidv.blogspot.com/2008/07/officer-ken-dekleines-trial-for-murder.html]
was murdered by her ex-husband, Officer Ken DeKleine [Holland PD], that she viewed Pamela's website.

Instead of a victim of OIDV finding a community who was outraged by the recent OIDV murder of Pam, and perhaps finding a community that she could turn to, Lori instead found that Plainwell was very supportive of Officer Kevin Brainard and viewed Pam's murderer as a hero.

Any outrage that Lori found in Plainwell, was unfortunately over Pam's family and friends speaking out...and of course the hatred expressed at a dead victim of OIDV in which Pam was often referred to as a 'bitch' and a 'whore'. At the same time that the public was vocally expressing its hatred at Pam, the Chief of Police of Plainwell commanded the citizens to remember all the good Officer Brainard did and not for his murder of Pam.

Meanwhile, just a few miles away, a victim of OIDV who was fighting for her life, was taking in Plainwell's response to Pam's murder. Is it any wonder that after Pam's murder, that Lori vocally began expressing her fear that her ex-husband/Officer Ken DeKleine would kill her?

Instead of Plainwell offering Lori hope, Plainwell confirmed Lori's worse fears: that communities do not care about victims of OIDV, and that their plight is hopeless because there is no where for them to turn.

So take a bow Plainwell. Instead of being outraged about Pam's murder and making a difference for other victims of OIDV, you reinforced to victims what their abusers tell them: "no one cares, because I'm a police officer".