My Take On The State of the Union

I was severely abused, tortured and traumatized as a child. 

Nothing can ever erase how that has affected my mindset or character as an adult. 

What is important to know about is that I recognize abuse of power and respond to it, with vehement opposition. 

The way abuse is conducted seems like kindness, at first.

It gradually progresses. 

It has a lot of catchphrases; grooming is one of them. A very important aspect of grooming is to keep the details secret. Presenting verbal evidence without actual substance is a trademark of abuse. 

This is the bulwark of what we are witnessing in our government today. Those of us who have never experienced abuse on this level will not and cannot recognize it. 

They see what I saw as a helpless child; a savior that is going to make everything okay again.

It is neither surprising nor unexpected that many people who already have witnessed corruption and dishonesty seek a powerful solution to what has been normalized… due to previous legislation that has no place in a democracy.

One very important aspect of abuse is the shame of victims over having been used in this way. It is more difficult than you can imagine to expose this about myself. 

But. 

At the same time, it is vitally important to prove myself as someone who can identify what is happening.

There is also an element of subterfuge involved. 

To write freely and express opposition is not a simple task. 

Language is an ancient science. What I say and what you hear is communication, and that is what matters. 

What stands out, screaming in my mind is the lack of accountability. 

There are statements and declarations without evidence being touted as something to fight for.

Pointless threats. 

Distractions.

Grandeur.

When I think back on what it was like to be that victim, what made it so awful was the compulsion to protect my oppressor. I still don't know why, but it was a fact that my instincts were to protect the secret and never tell. 

I guess I knew that I could be punished, beyond the horrors that I was already enduring because it seemed as if nobody could stop it. 

This is where we are.

I don't know the answer but I do know that identifying the problem is step one.

We are being abused and traumatized, as a nation.

The primary strategy is to create division and sides and hate.

This makes us abuse each other and lose our tolerance for individual expression.

We lose our voice, we lose our ability to speak out when we know we have something important to say.

Any words that are against the oppressor are considered to be hate speech.

This creates a sense of helplessness and apathy.

It is all too easy to fall into despair and simply succumb to silence.

When I finally became mature enough to stand up for myself I discovered that this person who had effectively destroyed my childhood and made me into somebody who would never fit into society was actually not very powerful. 

She was easily shut down.

We are not children. 

We can and will put a stop to this, if we stand together.