People recently gathered in Brandon Park for a National Day of Remembrance for families of homicide victims.

We believe it is an important occasion and we hope the event was a step forward for managing the grief inflicted upon these families.

We also believe the message or purpose of the annual event goes beyond the support it offers these families — the National Day of Remembrance should be an introspective moment for Lycoming County and surrounding communities.

“There is a silence that follows violent loss, a silence that outsiders expect us to ‘move past,'” Angel Families Unite coordinator Bridget Irwin said. “But in truth, we carry the silence into grocery stores, into church pews, into workplaces. It is a silence that can feel like exile. Tonight, we break the silence together.”

We are grateful the organizers of this annual event take the opportunity to gather and reflect on the consequences of violent crime for innocent people. We appreciate the challenging work the organization does to provide a support system for people confronted by the ugliness of the world in devastating ways.

We hope our communities and our leaders can reflect on how better to serve and support their neighbors challenged with the pain and loss of violent crime — when the silence is broken, we hope our communities and leaders can reflect on how better to listen.