Dear Editor,
The death of Diamoney Greene, a 20-year-old criminology and criminal justice major, a high school cheerleader and a fellow student, is a tragedy. But this is more than just, as the media has so far portrayed it, “a murder-suicide.”
It was an act of domestic violence. This is in a state ranked second for the number of women killed by men. This is a month after the trial of Hank Hawes, a man found guilty of killing professor Jennifer Wilson, his then girlfriend, in an act of domestic violence.
To ignore this fact is to ignore the 36,000 victims who report domestic abuse annually in South Carolina. We are silencing them.
Diamoney Greene died this weekend, but no mysterious stranger broke into her house. No dark shadow in the night found Brandon and her sleeping safely in their bed.
A man who was supposed to love her shot Diamoney Greene.
I don’t know the history of Diamoney Greene and Brandon Early’s relationship. According to sources, there was no past of violence.
But by ignoring the truth of domestic violence, we give the aggressors power. I am tired of living in a state known for domestic violence. The murder of Diamoney Greene should be a wake up call to every student at USC.
This is a real issue. This is an issue that affects us and not something we, as students or South Carolinians, can afford to ignore.