Discussion of the long-term effects of Mia Zapata's death inevitably turns towards Home Alive, and there have been grumblings over the years that the organization is exploiting Zapata's memory for its own purposes, however noble they may be. Home Alive's current executive director, Becka Tilson, who took over in 2005, is obviously cautious about making Mia a martyr for their cause. "We open every [self-defense] class with the story of how Home Alive started. But it's important not to say things like, 'Home Alive started because of Mia,' or that all of a sudden this person died and everyone figured out that violence was an issue," asserts Tilson.
"People would say that about Home Alive—'At least something good came out of the whole thing,'" says Moriarty, with a trace of resentment. "And I'd be like, 'What? Home Alive, yeah, that's good, but is that something good that came out of this? No, it's something that should have been here before this...then it might not have happened.' People try to look on the bright side and sometimes there isn't a bright side." That said, it's clear that Moriarty respects Home Alive's work and harbors no ill will. "I definitely thought that was a cool story that was part of the whole thing."
ROBIN LAANANEN
From eBay obsession to final cut: filmmakers Bender (left) and O’Kane.
Related Content
More About
What's more, the fact remains that Mia's death and the formation of Home Alive signaled a new era of political activism within the music community that hadn't existed with such effective potency before. "Mia being murdered was like the music community being attacked," says Fuzed Music owner David Meinert, a notoriously vocal political activist in music-community issues who also manages the careers of local hip-hop stars the Blue Scholars and Common Market. Meinert and others see a correlation between the momentum from Home Alive and the 1995 formation of JAMPAC (Joint Artists and Musicians Political Action Committee), the organization that eventually helped overturn the constrictive Teen Dance Ordinance in 2002. "With Home Alive, you had people organizing something that had a specific action to it...there was nothing so coordinated around one issue that continued for so long. I think that showed people the potential of what a community can do when it stands together and supports a cause."
Unsurprisingly, Richard Zapata sees both sides of his daughter's impact on the community of her adopted home in Seattle. "The collateral damage seems to stick out for me," he says softly. "There were so many people at the time that were shocked and frightened by what had happened in that part of the city. When I've seen the film, I've been left with that—the ripple effect of what happened."
He feels a special concern and affection for Moriarty and Kessler. "You look at them and you can't help but think about what might have been. I remember for 10 years, when I ran into Steve or Andy, I cried. I could be walking down Broadway and goddamn it, I'd see Andy walking toward me in the crowd, and by the time he'd get to me we'd be embracing and crying. During those 10 years, I probably saw him 15 or 20 times, and every time I saw him it was the same thing. I couldn't just walk up to him and say 'Hey, Andy, how are you?' I would venture to say if I saw him today I'd have the same reaction."
Perhaps what is most striking about talking with the man who had to bury his daughter far too soon is the comfort he finds in reflecting on how much Seattle has treasured her memory. "Mia was not born in the state of Washington. She was not raised or educated in the state of Washington, but after the crime, the city of Seattle literally took her into its bosom. And year after year, while we waited for someone to be apprehended, the people of Seattle never forgot. That has always been extremely comforting to me. I think that is a real tribute to the citizens that make up Seattle. It's a very caring and loving city. Sure, it has its problems and it's made its mistakes, but by and large, it has a very wonderful heart as far as I'm concerned."
rocketqueen@seattleweekly.com
The Gits Movie will screen for a week at the Northwest Film Forum starting Fri., July 4. Bender will also attend a one-night showing at Metro Cinemas at 8 p.m. on July 7, followed by an afterparty at the Comet.
