Vigil honors victims

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Wednesday, April 25, 2007

Michael Henderson-Download MP3- By Lauren Gregory

Staff Writer

When Linda Henderson first learned her son Cedric Moering had been killed on Jan. 8, 2000, all she could think about was the wedding she would never see and the grandchildren she would never meet.

But Mrs. Henderson soon realized there were other plans for her in life, as she explained to victims' rights advocates gathered Tuesday at St. Paul's Episcopal Church for Chattanooga's annual Victims' Rights Luncheon.

Instead of asking, "Why me?" Mrs. Henderson said, "I started saying, 'Why not me? Why not? I started changing my thinking."

Mrs. Henderson; her husband, Michael; and her surviving son, Justin Allen, said they have used their faith to overcome obstacles in the seven years since Mr. Moering's death. "We have to go on and live for Cedric, to show his brother that it's all right," Mr. Henderson said.

But the Memphis couple -- along with Mr. Allen, who now is a Chattanooga police officer -- have shown others how to live, as well. While Mrs. Henderson donates "love baskets" to victimized families, Mr. Henderson is involved in prison ministry and counsels children who have lost family members to homicide.

"We can all say, 'I can imagine what you're going through,' which is not true unless you have walked through it in someone's shoes," Mrs. Henderson said. "When you experience something tragic, you can identify with (others who have been through similar experiences)."

Regina McDevitt, director of crisis services for the Partnership for Families, Children and Adults, said organizers of Tuesday's luncheon hope to raise awareness about support systems in Chattanooga.

"In our community, we have come a long way in serving victims," Ms. McDevitt said. "There are resources out there."

That is important, she said, because "it allows them to have a voice. They need to have their voice heard. And without their participation in the system, their voice may not be heard."

Hugh Reece, president of the Southeast Tennessee Council on Children and Youth, agreed.

"So many times, the victims of major tragedies are soon forgotten," he said. "We latched onto the national victims' rights campaign because we had so many people here in the Tennessee Valley who had been victimized ."

Mr. Reece said the luncheon Tuesday, the fifth such event in Chattanooga, was sponsored by a number of local nonprofit and government agencies. It is an expansion on the 8-year-old tradition of holding a candlelight vigil each year to commemorate National Crime Victims' Rights Week.

E-mail Lauren Gregory at lgregory@timesfreepress.com