|
|||||||||
|
|||||||||
|
A moment of MISSION with Nancy Grace
by Fawn Germer Famed prosecutor Nancy Grace planned to be married to the love of her life and go into teaching. At age 21, her fiancé was murdered, forever changing her mission and drive. Now a regular fixture on Court TV and CNN, Grace has become a fierce advocate of victim rights. "As a prosecutor, I never told anyone about losing Keith. I feared some defense attorney could somehow bring his murder out to a jury and suggest there was some sort of vendetta. I didn’t want to jeopardize any of my cases. Even, to this day, it is difficult to talk about it. It is always like cold water in the face, and it is still very, very upsetting. "It felt as if my whole world had exploded. Like I’d been on a beautiful, hand-painted merry-go-round that suddenly stopped. It’s surprising that the world kept turning. Up until then, I had no knowledge of evil or violence. It not only robbed me of my dreams for my whole life, but of the whole world. "I really want other victims to know that they are not alone. I hate that word people use – closure. It’s like, if you break your arm and don’t get it fixed, but you learn to flip pancakes anyway. I’ve never been the same person I was before Keith’s murder. Yet, I am very blessed. "I don’t feel powerful. It’s important that I try to keep that violence from happening to other people. I feel like I am a piece of driftwood at sea, fighting against some huge world. If I were powerful, none of this would have happened. Victims have no power in our system, I feel invincible. I feel I am doing something right. I didn’t live through all those years of pain for anybody – any defense attorney or judge – to stop me now. "It’s hard to tell someone else what that feeling is like, that feeling you can’t rest until you try to set something right. I probably would have had the family and home I’d dreamed of, if I had not believed I had been called to do something about it. I felt unhappy with the system. Fine. Change it, even if it means you become a part of it. I just couldn’t take it lying down. "I was very poor, growing up in rural Georgia. If I can graduate from NYU and landed at Court TV and CNN, let me tell you, anybody can do it! If I could win 100 jury trials, you can win 100 jury trials. I am nobody from nowhere, and I’m proud of it. It means anybody can do it if you want to work, if you want to work triple time. There were many, many nights when I would leave the courtroom or the law library exhausted. I could hardly haul my cartons of research behind me. I would think of Keith and would gain strength, believing that, somehow, I was making good out of bad. "If you are going to jump, jump. Don’t second-guess. If you want anybody else to believe in you, you have got to believe in what you are saying. If you screw up, pause and explain. You’ll get a chance. "I’m told I’m 5’1", but I think I’m 6’3". Nobody ever told me I couldn’t. I don’t think I am anything special, but I think my message is special. It’s more important than me or anything I could ever dream of. I had a lot of labels attached to me when I started doing TV. ‘Ellie May (from the Beverly Hillbillies) with a law degree.’ ‘The dumb blond with the Southern accent.’ I really do believe, if you dwell on labels, you are wasting a lot of energy that you could be using to do a much better job. Think of the energy you waste when you worry about what somebody else thinks of you. Does it matter? If I really am Ellie May with a law degree, who cares? So, fine. "If you don’t want to get dirty, stay out of the mud fight. When your beliefs require you to stand up and fight, then fight rather than die watching." "When roll is called, I want to say I tried." Copyright Fawn Germer. All Rights Reserved. END | |||||||||
|
|||||||||
|
| © Copyright @ 2004 Keynote Resource Inc. All rights reserved. Permission is granted for linking to web pages within Keynote Resource To book a speaker call toll-free : 1-800-420-4155 e-mail: yvon@keynoteresource.com Privacy Policy |
Privacy Statement/Policy Keynote Resource realizes that when you complete forms on our web site you are providing us with information that is of a private nature. We assure you that we will not share or sell this information to a third party for any purpose. We treat all information provided to us as strictly confidential. |
| About KeynoteResource.com: Keynote Resource speakers bureau can help you find the ideal keynote speakers for your next event. We represent inspirational speakers, motivational speakers, corporate entertainment and more. Keynote Resource speakers bureau will find the perfect keynote speaker for your upcoming event, whether you are looking for inspirational speakers with a message, motivational speakers to set the tone of your conference or a facilitator for your annual retreat. Keynote Resource speakers bureau works closely with executives, meeting planners and training directors to create events that result in highly productive learning or are just plain fun. We can identify business speakers, inspirational speakers or motivational speakers that are well suited to your event, send you videos and press kits to help you with your speaker selection and we’ll work closely with the keynote speakers you hire to ensure they customize their presentations to meet the specific needs of your audience. We have speakers in all areas including Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nevada, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Oregon, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Virginia, Washington and Wisconsin. We can book speakers for you worldwide, in Canada, New Zealand, Australia, Singapore, Hong Kong, China, Ireland, England, France, Italy, Switzerland, Denmark, Sweden, Brazil and The Bahamas. Click Here to Search A Speaker Disclaimer Speaker fees are determined based on a number of factors and may change without notice. Fees may vary based on the speaker’s availability, supply and demand, program length and location of the event. Each fee range listed on this website is intended to serve as a guideline only. In some cases, the actual price quote may be above or below the fee range stated. For the most current fee, please contact your representative directly. |