A Day At The Oklahoma State Capital

Well here is the update of today's events. Ashleigh's domestic violence advocate Anna Marcy and I went to the Oklahoma State capital and spoke with the domestic violence fatality review board. There were about 15 people in the room people who are in a fairly high positions in Oklahoma. They were representative of organizations such as the Oklahoma domestic violence coalition, the health department, sheriffs departments, and numerous other organizations. There's so many I don't remember everyone and everything but it was a good experience. We discussed what happened to Ashleigh in detail and how Ashleigh had fallen through the cracks of many numerous things within the system that should have protected her. We discussed different things on how that can be changed so that other young women don't have the same experiences Ashleigh did. It was really nice when one of the members looked me in the eye and said that they were sorry that law-enforcement did not do what they could to protect Ashleigh that they really did fail her. To hear somebody say that and validate what we had felt all along meant a lot to me today. But they will use my testimony today on Ashleigh's case to start helping make things better for other women so, this kind of thing can't happen again. That's their job and what they do. We did discuss Ashleigh's and Patience's laws and how I have been talking to senators and what those laws entail. And they seem very receptive to those ideas. So that made me rather happy. I know Anna feels like she didn't do that much while we were together today but she was a great support and I love her. Just the fact that had having Ashleigh's advocate there with me so that the board members would realize that this just wasn't some mother saying Ashleigh did all she could but, her advocate saying it as well, I think meant a lot to the board. It is like I told them....once Ashleigh decided to get away she did everything everyone asked of her and yet still she died and something in the system has to change when victims do what is required of them and yet you still can't save them. Then this afternoon we met with a representative for Sen. Brecheen about Ashleigh's and patience's laws. We discussed the writing of that legislation into bills and what it would take and what might bring opposition to them. Really we think we narrowed it down where the really isn't any opposition that can be placed but of course you know once it gets into legislatures hands you never know. But I'm grateful that this is really going to happen now. Actually, it just doesn't seem real to me somehow, I don't know how I got here or how this happened I just know that God seems to be leading me and that I'm going to do what I have to. That and what better way to represent my Ashleigh in the creation of such laws. You know I remember a year ago someone telling me that Joshua Scott had said that he was going to be famous over these murders and my response to them was no he will never be famous, I will make Ashleigh infamous. And I prayed and that is what God has done. He is making her as a person living and breathing forever in these laws. I was extremely happy when they told me that this would be the first set of bills to be written for the new legislative year in Oklahoma. So the next few months will be spent in the process of writing all the legal terminology and then admitting it into a proper bill in November. After the election, and the new legislators have been sworn in, come February Ashleigh's and Patience's laws will be debated in the Oklahoma Senate and representatives committees. So in the process over the next year hopefully, we will see the creation of Ashleigh's and Patience's laws. I intend to start also asking representatives from Texas and then other states to help enable these laws to be in place. Ashleigh's documentary team and I had discussed all these events and we had decided that we are still gonna continue with APP documentary but slowly that way we can include in the APP documentary the creation of Ashleigh's and Patience's laws. I just want to thank everyone for all their love and support that they have given me over the last two years after Ashleigh passed away and that I hope you will continue to pray for me and my family in this whole process as we continue to try to do what we feel that God has called for us to do and what Ashleigh would want us to do. So please be prayerful and when the time comes help us within your state whether the Oklahoma, Texas or some other state across the country make Ashleigh's legacy possible. I think it's a good one.
 — with Ashleigh Lindsey and Ashleigh's Patience Project.