Me Too ~ TRIGGER WARNING!!!

 

Page 52 of 366. I really want to put a trigger warning on this blurb because this is a very touchy subject; but one that needs to remain relevant to everything and everyone. It wasn't just a movement... #MeToo was a revolution for those of us who endured sexual assault, sexual harassment and rape... things that still seem very taboo to talk about, even today!!! 

Well, I am not one to keep my mouth shut, so I am going to go "THERE" and you can either continue reading this blurb and my opinion or you can close this page and carry on like a dog with your tail tucked...

I guess you could say something I saw triggered me, and that inspired me to write this piece.  Last night, I decided to watch Netflix's Depp V Heard miniseries...

Like most of the world, I was entralled with the court case, from the beginning to the end; already having a HUGE opinion of the people involved and the verdict. There is a reason I am using this case for my topic today. (If you do not know about the case, I suggest you read up on it, and decide for yourself who was right and wrong and was the verdict an appropriate one).

To make a very long story short, Amber Heard used the system and the "woe is me" AND claimed to be a warrior for all of us women who have dealt with domestic violence (DV), while she alleged DV and sexual violence caused by her then husband Johnny Depp.

After a trial that lasted a few months, it was Johnny who won the case, although courts did make him pay for some defamatory statements he had made against his then wife, Amber Heard.

Now, I had to give myself a pause before I continue this blurb because this entry is going to be the complete opposite of what most are thinking...

When the #MeToo movement finally caught media attention in 2017, it actually began back in 2006 by activist Tarana Burke. The movement became really big and was said that, "It was initially created to empower sexually assaulted people (especially young and vulnerable women of color) through empathy, solidarity, and strength in numbers, by visibly demonstrating how many have experienced sexual assault and harassment, especially in the workplace."

It truly gave women a chance to share their stories, and it became the newsworthy item it became after Harvey Weinstein's sexual abuse was exposed to the world. Alyssa Milano was the celeb who suggested if people started using the #MeToo hashtag, it would should how massive of a problem this was. Although I found this a beautiful thing for those who had to keep their stories tucked inside; repeatedly reliving the trauma because it's not something that ever leaves your mind; with it being a taboo topic, it was usually the women who were somehow blamed for either their actions, words or the way they dressed... 

To those of you who believe that.... here is a big FUCK YOU to your ignorance!!!

I need to jump back to the Depp Vs. Heard case because I can't help wondering why their wasn't more of an uproar in support of MEN who are sexually assaulted, or raped. Where was their support??? Because all I heard were crickets. Depp was 100% the victim/survivor/warrior, and even a trailblazer for the men's version of #MeToo. Amber was an evil sadistic woman, literally the definition of a narcissist and psychopath. Took away his "manhood". Forced him to lose plenty of work opportunities, all while she continued to work, even after it was repeatedly proven she was the abuser and attempted to play victim. I honestly feel she deserved jail time, but hey, that's just me.

She was down right cruel to him AND there is even a recording of her taunting him that he is a baby and would never say he was a victim of DV... You know what??? It was THAT moment you could hear the vulnerability in his voice, on the recording, as he said, "Yes, I am!!!" He knew what this would mean for his career and for his "manhood" (for lack of a better word); but he did it and I give him the biggest KUDOS for stepping up and speaking up.

I guess the bottom line of this entry is that the narrative needs to change. We, as a society, need to do better. We need to give men a safe place to reveal their own experiences with DV and SV. We need to change our way of thinking, it is not just women who endured this, and telling a man to "man up" or that "men don't cry" is not the solution. The world could and should have learned so much from Depp Vs. Heard, instead it all faded away into the background once again. I can only hope that one day society opens their eyes and stops shaming men who have the courage to speak out. It's a shame and disturbing how ignorant people can still be about DV and SV.

And that, my lovies, is MY 2 cents on this issue. I apologize if this triggered your own traumas, as much as it triggered mine; but I still feel its an important subject that should never be silenced!!!

Stay Safe. Stay Warm. Be Well. Be Blessed.