Or a note from the White House . . .

March 16, 2006
Dear Lisa,

I recently finished Steven's book In the Red Zone. I enjoyed Steve's insights. I appreciate his courage, his sense of history, and his strong stand against tyranny.

I know you miss Steve. May the good Lord bless you and comfort you -

Sincerely,

George Bush

Or some testifying. At the Solidarity with Denmark rally in NYC last March, we all decided that since we didn't have any scheduled speakers, anyone who wanted to address the crowd could just get up and speak. When a six feet tall Amazon with long ravenblack hair, in a fringed leather jacket, black leggings, and cowboy boots, strode into the center and said : "I can warn you first-hand of the dangers of Islamic extremism. My husband was murdered by these fascist thugs . . . ." . . . . everyone paid attention.

Today Kathryn Lopez at NRO interviews Lisa, about the current state of Iraq, the visa status of Steven's translator Nour, and Steven's reputation among his fellow journalists.

I want people — especially those who constitute the apologists for “the insurgency” — to remember that my husband, a brilliant, literate, compassionate, caring, decent, kind, deeply loved and loving man, who accomplished a great deal with his life, was poised to accomplish even more and had so much to offer and to give, was kidnapped, beaten, and murdered by a gang of brutal thugs who probably never read a book in their pathetic lives other than the Koran, thugs who kill indiscriminately for a living and thus make a daily mockery of the fatuous claim that Islam is “a religion of peace and tolerance.” Steven is dead while they walk free, having no conception of, nor caring, what they took from the world, from my life, from the lives of his family and friends. These are the kind of men who would be in charge if the United States pulled out of Iraq.

Lisa started a foundation (see Blogads in the sidebar) in Steven's name:

I wanted something good to come out of Steven's brutal and senseless execution, something that would help people who had suffered the same kind of devastating loss that I had. I know now how deep the pain and despair of suddenly and violently losing a loved one can be, and while the money the foundation will dispense can in no way replace a murdered family member, it can at least make life a little easier for the survivors in a time of profound grief and shock.

It will also send a valuable and much-needed message to those who will benefit from it, a way for us to thank, albeit posthumously, those journalists who pay the ultimate price because of the things they see, photograph, write about, and to pay tribute and salute them for their bravery in trying to bring us the truth from half a world away.

Many of them will remain forever unknown to us, unless something dreadful happens to them, in which case they may get a mention or two in the news before being swept away in the constantly changing tide of world events. Their lives are just as precious to them and their families as ours and our loved ones' are to us, and we must do a better job of acknowledging the debt we owe them, especially if they are murdered in the process, and I can tell you from personal experience, long after the news coverage has ended, the loneliness and sorrow remain, an ever-present reminder of all that has been lost.

. . . . If anyone, after having read what I have written, would like to donate to the foundation, I can assure you that literally 100% of your monies will be sent to a family whose lives have been shattered by mindless violence, or to a woman fighting against the brutalities of sharia. Every donor will receive a receipt, and any donation, regardless of the amount, will be gratefully received. Checks can be made out to "The Steven Vincent Foundation" and sent to:

THE STEVEN VINCENT FOUNDATION
534 EAST 11TH STREET SUITE 17-18
NEW YORK, NY 10009

Or donations can be made via Paypal (www.Paypal.Com) to the email address stevenvincentfoundation@yahoo.com .

Steven Vincent Blogger Commemoration - Part I
Steven Vincent Blogger Commemoration - Part II
Steven Vincent Blogger Commemoration - Part IV