（ケヴィン・アネット氏）
２００４年に私は再びケヴィンと繋がるようになりました。それは、彼が彼らの恐怖の館である、原住民寄宿舎学校のことを暴露したため、カナダ合同教会から追い出された後のことでした。私はその情報提供をするデモの一つにやって来ました。そこでは彼と、何人かの原住民の人達が、バンクーバーのダウンタウンの教会の外に立っていました。
そこには同じように笑みを浮かべた、恐れを知らないケヴィンがいました。彼は私がそこにいるのを見て喜びました。彼は私のことを、私が自分のことを責めるように、責めたりはしませんでした。というのは、私はこの世界のでたらめなこと全部に対して、あまりにも臆病なため、何もしない人間だったからです。彼にとっては私がそこにいるだけで十分でした。
ケヴィンは私が今まで信用した唯一の人だと思います。彼は内側は穏やかですが、鉄のように強くもあります。彼は他の世間的な性質も持っていますが、そのことが彼を誰とでも一緒にいられるようにしています。彼は本当に自分の敵を前にしても、愛することのできる人です。良い考えではないかもしれませんが。
例えば、私達がその教会に皆でデモに行った日、合同教会の司祭が出て来てケヴィンに向かって怒鳴り、なじり始め、彼を罵り始めました。彼のことをよい父親でも夫でもないと言って、卑劣な言葉を投げかけました。
ケヴィンの妻はその時から彼の元を去り、娘たちは彼から取り上げられました。彼の痛みと個人的な損失にも関わらず、また彼に投げかけられる全ての嫌悪にも関わらず、ケビンはやり返すことはありませんでした。憎しみも卑劣な手段も、彼を動揺させることはありませんでした。
彼は自分を攻撃する者を鎮めようとし始め、彼のことを説得し、その心に訴えかけようと務め続けました。私は今までそのようなものを見たことがありませんでした。私達のいる病んだ世界では、ケヴィンのような人は決して理解されず、評価されないのだと思います。それで私がこれを書かなければならないと思ったのです。
少なくとも誰かが彼を認め、多分神がいれば、彼にとってそれで満足なのです。私はケヴィンが、自分のような、沈黙させられ、打ちのめされた犠牲者のために、いつも一緒にいてくれたことを知っています。彼らは決して裁判所に行き、証言したりすることはないような人達です。私達のために戦えればそれで十分なのです。ケヴィン・アネットのような人が私達の世界にいるということを知るだけで、私にとっては十分なのです。
私は私の内なる悪魔や、自分の人生を無駄に費やしている羞恥心によって、自分がこれを書けるとは思ってもいませんでした。しかし少なくとも、私の一部はケヴィンの光によって奮い立たせられました。それは決して私から去っていくことはないことを知っています。
私の彼に対する愛と尊敬の気持ちは、言葉にすることはできません。彼は今もなお自分の孤独な道を歩き続けています。私や他の多くの人々にもたらしてくれた、全ての希望と愛と喜びが、彼の上にもあるようにと願います。
アンナ
（おわり）
Here We StandのＨＰの以下の文章から訳しています。
https://bbsradio.com/herewestand
The Kevin Annett I know
How does one describe a bright valiant soul like Kevin? I want to try. After all these years, I owe it to him.
I first saw Kevin at a riot. He was seventeen and holding a megaphone. The cops were shoving people around but Kevin was standing there unafraid and unbending, keeping his cool.
The scene looked kind of funny to me, an uninformed bystander. Here were all these long haired freaks going crazy outside the U.S. consulate, fighting with Vancouver's finest, and there was Kevin, speaking calmly, trying to get the cops to stop what they were doing and arrest the real criminals, the visiting Chilean dictators who'd just murdered 30,000 people. A strong, brave, passionate voice of good will and reason right in the eye of the storm. That was Kevin.
I'm one of those, I guess we're the majority, who love bright souls like Kevin from the sidelines because we're too afraid to risk what he does and face what he's endured through his life just for being who he is. Just because we lack his valor doesn't make us love him any the less. But for a long time my cowardice made me afraid to approach him. When I did I was even more impressed. My admiration for him has only increased over the years.
I was a mousy girl in the high school I went to with Kevin, University Hill. I showed up there in grade eleven and I never mixed much, especially after one of the teachers there raped me and I got threatened to shut up about it. That made me burn inside with anger and a gut feeling for anyone who gets screwed over and shut down to protect some asshole. The same kind of righteous outrage that won't look away that Kevin has always carried.
We only spent a year together at U Hill before Kevin and I went our own separate ways. But it was hard for me to lose contact with Kevin. He's not the kind of guy to stay unnoticed, as you may have noticed.
Some ignoramus in our grad class said Kevin was the one most likely to become Prime Minister. The funny thing about that statement is Kevin is a born revolutionary. I mean that in a good way. He can't tolerate any wrong, no matter who's doing it. And he dreams of a world without somebody screwing or exploiting somebody else. From what I can see, he's never let go of that dream.
In 2004 I reconnected with Kev face to face after he'd been thrown out of the United Church for exposing their residential school house of horrors. I came to one of the information pickets he and a few Indians were holding outside one of the downtown Vancouver churches. There was that same smiling, fearless Kevin. He was happy to see me there. He didn't judge me like I judged myself, for being too chicken shit to do anything about all the bullshit in the world for so long. It was enough for him that I was there.
I think Kev is the only man I've ever trusted. He is gentle to his core but as hard as iron. He has an other worldly quality about him that lets him be present with anyone. He really is able to love his enemies to their face, not just as a nice idea. Like on the day we picketed that church together, the United Church minister came out and started screaming at Kevin and heckling him, taunting him, hitting him low blows about not being a good father and husband. Kev's wife had left him by then and he'd had his daughters taken from him. But in all his pain and personal loss, and with all that hatred thrown in his face, Kev didn't strike back. The hate and vile shit didn't faze him. He stared his attacker down and kept trying to reason with him and reach his heart. I've never seen anything like it.
I don't think a sick world like ours will ever understand or honor a man like Kevin. That's why I had to write this. At least someone sees him and maybe if there is a God that's enough for Him. I know Kev's always been there for people like me, the silenced and messed up victims who never get their say or day in court. Fighting for us is enough for him. Knowing that there's even one like Kevin Annett in our world is enough for me.
I didn't think I could write this because of all my demons and my shame for wasting my life. But at least part of me is inspired by Kevin's light, knowing that it will never go out. My love and respect for him has no words. He is still walking his lonely road and I wish him all the hope and love and happiness that he has brought me and so many others.
Anna
