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Thread. CW: domestic violence. The insurrection at the Capitol completes the narrative of Trump as an abusive partner & this country as his target. This is classic escalation into violence when the abuser is being stripped of their power & control 1/11
I lived through an emotionally/verbally/physically intimidating relationship. When I finally ended it, my partner physically attacked me. 2/11
Trump, like every abuser, has spent his time as president humiliating, gaslighting, & threatening us. His enablers & followers have encouraged his abuse. 3/11
Now that their power is being taken away, their rage has exploded into physical violence. Power & control are all that matters to them & when they lose power they will do anything to hold on to it 4/11
So many people have been pointing out this abuse for years. But they said (or we said to ourselves) "It can't be that bad" "He just speaks his mind". "He isn't hitting you" But then, on January 6 2021, the violence become public. The bruises are visible. 5/11
Now people gasp & say "I never thought it would get this far". "We never imagined". Well - I certainly imagined this. I expected this to happen. I was utterly unsurprised. These stories happen all the time. 6/11
I look forward to sleeping soundly on January 20th as I did the night I fled from harm many years ago. I have felt our collective trauma in a deeply personal way for these 4 years. We are a nation of trauma survivors we will need to name the abuse & come together to heal. 7/11
The abusive mob isn't gone, of course. The impulse to frantically hold on to systemic power when those who have been victims start to dismantle that power will continue to explode into our lives. 8/11
I still wake up every day grateful for what I took back- which was only possible because of people who loved me & helped me-it took a village. I hope as a country we can stay mindful of what has hurt us & the powerful feeling of escaping. We must remain vigilant. 9 /11
We can only stay safe together. Helping each other. If you are in an abusive relationship or wonder if you might be, reach out to the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-SAFE (7233). To help stop abusive leadership in US politics-Vote ! Call! Donate! 10/11
