widow of Amish schoolhouse shooter wrote a Christian book

[MissSeptember]

The widow of the Oct 2006 Amish schoolhouse shooter wrote a book and is now an inspirational Christian speaker. A short (4:50) video clip is in the link below.

 

While I'm interested in hearing her story, it makes me feel squicky that she is profiting off of her husband's crime. I know people profit off of tragedy all the time, but this feels different, like she's using the fact that he killed those kids to give her an opportunity to "$hare God'$ love."

 

Such a horrible situation, I do feel bad for her.

 

http://mariemonville.com/about.php

[Mela99]

I read the Amish Grace book on all this. The story of Amish love and support and forgiveness is amazing. The way they reached out and embraced her.

I would be curious to see what she has to say

[SomewhatFundy]

I can't put my finger on why, and maybe i'm wrong....but this whole thing feels really screwed up to me. The idea of her making money off the day when husband shot a bunch of kids is just totally nuts. Her intentions may not be bad ones, but it's kind of gross to me nonetheless.

Maybe i'm oversensitive, but this just doesn't seem right to me. I don't like it at all.

[Rachel333]

I actually think it would be interesting to hear from someone close to a shooter. I don't really find it worse than someone had a family member who was shot. She lost someone in that, too. I don't really see it as worse because it was her husband who did it, but I do understand the qualms about anyone profiting from a tragedy like that.

[lilwriter85]

I actually think it would be interesting to hear from someone close to a shooter. I don't really find it worse than someone had a family member who was shot. She lost someone in that, too. I don't really see it as worse because it was her husband who did it, but I do understand the qualms about anyone profiting from a tragedy like that.

I feel the same way too. I remember there were some people who had issues with Susan Klebold, the mother of the Columbine shooters writing an essay for O magazine a few years back. Susan's essay was very touching and I sympathized with her. The essay was a one time thing.

I can also understand people having qualms about Marie going out and doing speaking engagements and making money off of it.

[tropaka]

Not a Christian advocate, but reminds me of this woman, who wrote a book and does public speaking after her husband kidnapped and raped two women

shannonmoroney.com/

[Freebird]

I actually think it would be interesting to hear from someone close to a shooter. I don't really find it worse than someone had a family member who was shot. She lost someone in that, too. I don't really see it as worse because it was her husband who did it, but I do understand the qualms about anyone profiting from a tragedy like that.

I agree. Plus, I think one way to help prevent such tragedies from happening again, is by learning who the criminal was, how his mind worked (or did not work) etc. I would have some issues if she was the shooter, but as Rachel said, she lost a lot that day as well.

[PennySycamore]

I can't put my finger on why, and maybe i'm wrong....but this whole thing feels really screwed up to me. The idea of her making money off the day when husband shot a bunch of kids is just totally nuts. Her intentions may not be bad ones, but it's kind of gross to me nonetheless.

Maybe i'm oversensitive, but this just doesn't seem right to me. I don't like it at all.

She shouldn't be able to a dime off the shooting. If she wants to write about this let her donate the money to the families or donate it some organization that fights gun violence or fights for better mental health care.

[Freebird]

Who is to say that she won't do just that?

[Librul]

There is some Fundie slick trophy preacher whose son murdered his wife 's ex. He was a military officer and mr squeaky clean prior to deciding to kill someone. She has a whole cottage industry now speaking in filled arenas about "ministering" to her life in prison son and "Gawds precious mercy" . My fundie friends were squeeling about her arena talk in Kansas City earlier this year. Its all About HER. How this shouldn't happen to HER Gawdly family, how this affects HER life, etc. Books, CDs, speaking tours the whole 9 yards. If I was the family of the man he murdered in cold blood....I would be livid.

[salex]

And religion is just the place to go as a survivor whose life has miraculously changed after whatever tragedy-- committed by others or onself or an act of God.

The ickiest one I've seen is a ministry described here. pitch.com/kansascity/walking-on-water/Content?oid=2175323 His kids and wife died nearly 10 years ago, and he's still out preaching how wonderful he is for surviving with such faith.

mightyintheland.com/

His site is pretty sluggish, but he seems to have gigs over the next few months.

[dawbs]

I think this irks me a little extra because the victim's families can't speak out/respond.

I don't have great love for amish culture and what not, but, this puts victims families in a place where they don't have opportunity to speak out.

I mean, OJ Simpson writes a book and his victim's families can decry it, sue him, and at least make their objections known.

The families here can't.

[Arete]

This book made me ragey when I found out about it a few months ago. First of all, not only have the Amish refused to cooperate in the exploitation of their dead children by pimping out exploitive books and interviews, they really walked the walk as Christians by helping the shooter's widow as well. They forgave her husband's great evil and actually gave monetary assistance to his widow. :shock: They helped her sell her house and move into a new one, and the Mennonite community provides free tuitions to one of the most exclusive Mennonite private schools in the area. We are not talking about school of the dining room table here.

At least two of the Amish children who survived are permanently in wheelchairs. She has only made some vague comment about donating some money from the profits (and she didn't specify Amish victims), but hasn't committed publically to an amount or percent.

This book is a money making travesty, and there is nothing "Christian" about it.

[NurseNell]

And religion is just the place to go as a survivor whose life has miraculously changed after whatever tragedy-- committed by others or onself or an act of God.

The ickiest one I've seen is a ministry described here. pitch.com/kansascity/walking-on-water/Content?oid=2175323 His kids and wife died nearly 10 years ago, and he's still out preaching how wonderful he is for surviving with such faith.

mightyintheland.com/

His site is pretty sluggish, but he seems to have gigs over the next few months.

Very interesting. It certainly sounds like there was plenty of opportunity for him and his wife to exit the van with all their children before the water was very deep. This left me wondering what the true story was. And now he's remarried and busy with 4 or 5 children.

[NurseNell]

Very interesting. It certainly sounds like there was plenty of opportunity for him and his wife to exit the van with all their children before the water was very deep. This left me wondering what the true story was. And now he's remarried and busy with 4 or 5 children.

He said this: "We were covered by the Lord. He could have spared us," said Rogers. Amazing, and he only spared the husband/father. :wtf:

[hapamama]

I think it would be a good thing to remember that the shooter's wife and children are victims of the shooters crimes too. Not to the extent of the girls who were killed, the ones who survived and the affected Amish families, but FCOL, it's not the wife and kids fault that this guy went batsh*t crazy.

[PennySycamore]

He said this: "We were covered by the Lord. He could have spared us," said Rogers. Amazing, and he only spared the husband/father. :wtf:

I hope I see his POS one day on ID (Investigation Discovery) as they investigate the deaths of his wife and children. He would not be the first to murder his wife and kids and claim it was just an unfortunate accident.

[Stephanie66]

And religion is just the place to go as a survivor whose life has miraculously changed after whatever tragedy-- committed by others or onself or an act of God.

The ickiest one I've seen is a ministry described here. pitch.com/kansascity/walking-on-water/Content?oid=2175323 His kids and wife died nearly 10 years ago, and he's still out preaching how wonderful he is for surviving with such faith.

mightyintheland.com/

His site is pretty sluggish, but he seems to have gigs over the next few months.

He's still around?

I remember reading this YEARS ago, and wondering why his wife didn't try to get out on her own? I understand there were four kids, but three were old enough to at least get themselves out with assistance.

[YPestis]

I think many of the comments about the widow are quite harsh. She and her children are as much victims of her husband's crimes as the Amish kids. She lost a husband, her children lost a father and the family lost a provider.

The Amish did the rare, but the very Christian thing by not ostracizing the family of a horrible monster. I think it's easy to forget that those who commit horrible crimes often leave scars not only on their chosen victims, but also their immediate family members who are treated as pariah at best, and criminals themselves at worst. This is NOT the same as OJ Simpson writing his book. The widow did not commit any crimes and was, in fact, a victim forced to pick up the pieces of her life, just like the family of the shooting victims.

If the widow wants to speak out about the shooting, write a book or do whatever, then let her. Perhaps she needs the money. Or she enjoys the cathartic release of publicly talking about it. Domestic violence victims often talk about their experiences, some even write books. And yet we don't find what they do distasteful.

Families of high profile killers should not be treated as criminals. The widow didn't pull the trigger, she experienced negative upheavals after the shooting as well. If the victims of the shooting can see her in that light, I think I will try to do the same.

[blessalessi]

There was a similar sort of issue where I live, where the son of a local teacher set fire to the school and much was lost and many were injured. Most did not blame the mom for the son's crime and everyone was very sad for her as well as themselves. I think it is not just Christians who have empathy and can recognise and support other people in distress.

I don't think this woman in the OP should be compared to someone benefitting from a crime. However, I think it is very insensitive to use experiences like this to tell other people "I have been through the worst and God brought me through it, he can do the same for you". Her experience was awful but she did not lose her kids. She is still a mom. If the bereaved parents involved can choose to forgive, that is wonderful for them, but I don't think it is quite right for the woman here to hold herself up as an authority on what is the worst thing that can happen and how we should behave (trust God) when it does.

Not that she is acting alone. Part of what I didn't like was how her testimony was performed on stage with music and lights and hand movements. Emotional manipulation.

[Arete]

No one is saying the widow is guilty of her husband's crime or is not a victim, but on the hierarchy of victims, the dead and injured children come FIRST. Her children are alive and unshot and she can rebuild her life without taking care of a disabled child. Or mourning a dead one. It is distasteful the way a domestic violence victim writing her story is not because her husband's victims helped her both monetarily and socially, and for their trouble she will make money on the tragedy of their dead children.

She isn't even honest enough to say she is doing this for money, she calls it a "ministry". Because God allowed innocent children to die and be maimed so this special snowflake could "minister". All this acknowledgement of God, where is her acknowledgement of the actual people who helped her? That would actually have been something to write about.

[blessalessi]

on the hierarchy of victims, the dead and injured children come FIRST. Her children are alive and unshot and she can rebuild her life without taking care of a disabled child. Or mourning a dead one.

Yes.

Her heading to the page ""When all other lights go out, He still shines!" seems very cruel or unthinking, as if to say "Your children may be dead but it's OK because Jesus is alive!".