Was not ready for Eric Church to deliver the best commencement speech I’ve ever heard.
Six guitar strings. Six pillars of a life.
Faith. Family. Spouse. Ambition. Community. You.
Tune them when you’re whole, not just when you’re broken.
Watch the whole thing.
Fourteen days ago, a stranger who has been stalking me for nearly a decade was sentenced to 20 years in prison. From my first report of his behavior to his sentencing, 1,614 days passed. During that time, I chose not to share what was happening so the case would have the best chance of success and so the law could finally halt what it has too long enabled.
The prosecution relied entirely on my documented experiences and my testimony. I took the stand four times during the trial, with the stalker seated front and center as a captive audience. For the chance of a few years of reprieve, I handed him my playbook and exposed my life, my fears, and the steps I took to stay safe. That trade is a cruel but inevitable feature of criminal justice and a risk I had to take. Since the day this individual first darkened my door, I have prayed that he would go away. I knew in my gut that he was dangerous and I have not been able to shake that sense of threat.
Stalking is an insidious and terrifying crime that sits on the pathway to lethal violence, yet it often does not receive the response it requires. Stranger stalking is even less common, with offenders often offered the chance to plead to lesser charges, if anything at all. I am fortunate that is not my story.
I have been battling the system and this stalker for the greater part of my twenties. This individual had multiple opportunities to change and refused. He is a repeat violent offender who has dodged accountability more times than anyone should be comfortable with. People like him do not suddenly begin this type of behavior in their thirties or forties. His extensive criminal history exposes his sustained pattern of harm and disregard for the law and for others. He shows no remorse for the devastating impact of his actions and nothing suggests he intends to stop. He is a delusional predator who preys on others under the false pretense that consequences only apply to his adversaries. Unfortunately for him, he picked the wrong girl.
Unlike most crimes, this offense forces the victim to become the case builder, documenting the pattern, preserving evidence, and repeatedly reliving the events while the perpetrator’s history sits isolated across multiple agencies and case files. That level of vigilance became a full-time job and kept the case moving, but it is not a fair or realistic standard to expect from most victims, especially when the offender has a known history and should already have been removed from the community.
The fear of escalation and retaliation, both in the years before trial and in anticipation of his eventual release, has been all consuming. Living with that kind of uncertainty changes how you move through the world, how you make decisions, and how you feel in the most ordinary moments. For me, the burden is personal. I had to put my entire life on pause to manage this risk and carry the case to the finish line. Responsibility should not rest on how much a woman can contort her life, absorb harm, or perform for the system. We can and must do better.
Stalkers, like all high-risk offenders, do not stop because someone asks them to be reasonable. They stop when there is a multi-agency response that uses the full force of the law to stand between them and the people they hunt. I am deeply grateful to the Collin County District Attorney’s Office, the Frisco Police Department, the Collin County Sheriff’s Office, and the U.S. Marshals Local Fugitive Task Force for their coordinated efforts to finally hold this individual accountable to the fullest extent the law currently allows.
Special mention to my starting five:
Dewey Mitchell
Kailey Gillman
Kim Laseter
Sarah Putman
Brenna Bearden
“If you want peace, prepare for war.”
The quoted statement has a typo. The gifts started in 2021 when I was 24.
At precisely 11:11 a.m. each Veterans Day (Nov. 11), the sun’s rays pass through the ellipses of the five Armed Services pillars to form a perfect solar spotlight over a mosaic of The Great Seal of the United States.
Thank you for your service, Veterans! 🫡
250 years ago, a Navy was born - forged in the fight for freedom, built to defend a nation, and ready to meet every challenge since. ⚓️
From wooden ships to nuclear carriers, from signal flags to satellites - the U.S. Navy stands ready on every horizon.
@SECNAV@USNavyCNO@navy_reserve
#Navy250
Medicare might be the most Kafkaesque corner of our healthcare system.
I tried to pay out-of-pocket for a treatment—only to be denied because I’m a Medicare recipient. When I asked where I could get the treatment through Medicare, the clinic told me… nowhere.
So let me get this straight:
I can’t pay myself
Medicare won’t cover it
And I still can’t get treated
How did we end up with a system that blocks access to care on every front? @DrOz please look into this!
I’ve sent you a DM here with no reply. My emails have gone unanswered. I only receive scripted replies via Instagram DM. I’m approaching 2 weeks since my account was erroneously suspended/deactivated. Pinning since 2014 and have done absolutely nothing to violate community guidelines. Something has gone awry with your back end system. AI?? Please reinstate my account 📌❤️
@elonmusk We could sure use some reciprocal @Support@elonmusk How is it that you cannot verify the ownership (since 2009) of a #HackedAccount that was subscribed and verified? We can easily prove and provide all assets if help was from a human as opposed to your AI support bot