American History & Trauma Recovery.

~Trigger Warning~

*Condoning slavery, racism, & genocide because we got America out of it all, is no different from allowing someone like Brock Turner to get away with brutal sexual assault simply because he's good at sports & adored by his fans for shallow purposes.

The end does not justify the means.

Truth with a capital T does not come in pleasant, comfy, bite-sized pieces.

Justice cannot have double standards.

I can express both gratitude for living in America & woe for some of the history pieces that led us here.

I will not leave this nation because it sickens me: I will fight for it, as I wish others would. Part of fighting for it, is speaking up when I hear Truth being tainted & twisted & limited.

We cannot go back & change history, but learning from it & acknowledging the error of our ways as a nation is vital & necessary if we are to heal & truly move forward, both for me personally & for this country as a whole.

*Condoning slavery, racism, genocide, abuse, etc. does not have to be a bold statement that it was OK: sidestepping the conversation, dodging the point of the conversation, misdirecting the conversation, pointing out the positives of the abusers, etc. can all fall under the category of condoning in some contexts.

Examples of Triggering Comments Regarding American History, Why It's Triggering, & How It's Relevant To My Own Personal Trauma Recovery~~~

"Some slave owners treated them well."

--> TRIGGER: siding with abusers; condoning abuse; sidestepping the harsh reality of abuse {that the abused do not ever get to sidestep}.

"That's just how things were back then."

--> TRIGGER: "Boys will be boys" or something that normalizes sexual assault: siding with abusers; condoning abuse; sidestepping the harsh reality of abuse {that the abused do not ever get to sidestep}.

"A lot of bad things happened during that time period."

--> TRIGGER: sidestepping specific conversation to condone the abuse; generalizing to dodge painful specifics.

If you stand with abusers during any point in American history, my brain & body perceive that as a threat because it feels no different from you standing with my own abusers here & now, today, right in this moment.

To say that the United States of America is factually founded on Christian morals & principles, is to say that the religion of Christianity accepts & condones slavery, racism, & genocide as an inevitable & necessary evil.

Today, Americans of Old celebrate Christopher Columbus, while Americans of New celebrate Indigenous People's Day.

Do you see the difference in the quality of emphasis?

Can you sense the difference in the overall message we are sending with this day marked on SO many calendars?

{Literally: my phone reminds me even when I forget what month it is. People who don't know the story of Columbus will remember his name.}

Why do we immortalize evil people with impressive resumes?

Moreso, why do we use religion to justify it?