On Friday morning, October 25, 2002 our nation lost a powerful and passionate leader. Senator Paul Wellstone's death, along with his wife Sheila, their daughterMarcia, three staff members and two pilots will leave a huge hole in our collective psyches. Silent Witness, as most of you know, held a special place in Paul and Sheila's hearts and we who have known and worked with them for the last twelve years are devastated by this loss.

The Wellstones were friends as well as colleagues and we shared an enduring passion for eliminating domestic violence in this country. I have met very few people in public life who have had as much commitment to domestic violence reduction as Paul and Sheila. In fact in a newsletter the week before their deaths I reiterated how deep their commitment has been. Little did I know that would be a sort of eulogy for them both.

In another fitting eulogy, the Silent Witnesses appeared at the Wellstone's memorial service as a mute and powerful reminder of what they stood for in Minnesota and in this country. This was a wonderful opportunity for the voices of the Silent Witness to be heard. We have made a new shield for an additional Witness with a special thank you to Paul and Sheila for their work in this initiative.

May we all rededicate ourselves to the elimination of domestic violence in our country in their honor. Let us pledge to make our local work more strategic, more impassioned, and more urgent. Let us promise ourselves to heal abuse in our own lives. Let us pray for peace.

You all do wonderful work. Do this work for yourself, for women, for your community, and now in memory of our most stalwart supporters, Senator Paul Wellstone and Sheila Wellstone.

Janet Hagberg, Executive Director