Excellent piece. Read it with tears in my eyes. Heroes fallen. Women and girls wounded. Movements that need to continue. I have no immediate answers, just trying to make more room in my closet to think it all out and find deliberate ways to move forward...with purpose.
Thank you, TaRessa, for writing this piece. I think one of the key aspects we need to develop as humanity is the ability to hold two truths. Our current engagement with complexity is the easy dismissal of either side. Yes, the movement was important. Yes, the perpetrator helped push the movement forward. Yes, the perpetrator committed heinous crimes. Yes, the perpetrator deserved to be called out in their lifetime. Yes, what the survivors survived is unconscionable. Yes, as a society, we need to evolve to the point where survivors don't feel forced into silence, and where perpetrators hesitate to act on their inhumanity. Yes, we need to relinquish the myth that our leaders are infallible, and that calling out their bad behaviour in the moment would ruin the movement. Yes, we must normalise the condemnation of personalised violence. Yes, we need to release the concept that doing societal good grants permission to do individual harm. And yes, we need to create systems where the fall of one man doesn't end a movement. Yes, the perpetrator is to blame — we should not displace that blame onto circumstance. The question is: how do we as a society reshape our world so that these inhumane acts cannot take root.
👏🏽👏🏽👏🏽👏🏽
Thanks so very much!!
Excellent piece. Read it with tears in my eyes. Heroes fallen. Women and girls wounded. Movements that need to continue. I have no immediate answers, just trying to make more room in my closet to think it all out and find deliberate ways to move forward...with purpose.
Thank you so much for reading and responding. Hugs!!
This is such a real piece, thank you for sharing.
You are welcome and thank you so much for supporting!
Thank you. All of this. And let’s not forget the crazy-making that ensues from hearing the monster you know hailed as a hero.
You’re most welcome—and yes that is truly the worst!!!
Thank you, TaRessa, for writing this piece. I think one of the key aspects we need to develop as humanity is the ability to hold two truths. Our current engagement with complexity is the easy dismissal of either side. Yes, the movement was important. Yes, the perpetrator helped push the movement forward. Yes, the perpetrator committed heinous crimes. Yes, the perpetrator deserved to be called out in their lifetime. Yes, what the survivors survived is unconscionable. Yes, as a society, we need to evolve to the point where survivors don't feel forced into silence, and where perpetrators hesitate to act on their inhumanity. Yes, we need to relinquish the myth that our leaders are infallible, and that calling out their bad behaviour in the moment would ruin the movement. Yes, we must normalise the condemnation of personalised violence. Yes, we need to release the concept that doing societal good grants permission to do individual harm. And yes, we need to create systems where the fall of one man doesn't end a movement. Yes, the perpetrator is to blame — we should not displace that blame onto circumstance. The question is: how do we as a society reshape our world so that these inhumane acts cannot take root.
This! Grateful for your nuanced take on this, TaRessa and Noélle!
Thank you so very much dear Judith!!!