This article is for the people out there who feel they are not being listened to and their concerns are not valid. This article is especially for those who have a mental illness that people may use against them when they voice their concerns to others. Even if you do not have a mental illness, this article is still for you. This is for all the times you have tried to speak out and have been brushed away. I am here to let you know that all of your concerns are valid. If you have ever voiced a concern regarding being bullied, harassed, or being hurt in any way, shape, or form, your concerns and feelings are valid. Do not let people tell you that it is not your business, or that the other person who is being hurt is the one who needs to step up and come forward even if they are afraid. I know that you want to give up, or you may have already given up, but I do not want you to give up. I want you to push forward and stick it out. I want you to be strong. I believe in you!
I know you’re probably thinking something along the lines of “you do not know me,” “you do not understand me or my situation,” “no one cares about me or what I have to say,” “just shut up and leave me alone,” etc. I may not know your story, but I am here to lend an ear. Go ahead and yell at your computer, or write me a strongly-worded email. In fact, I invite you to. If that is what you need at this point in time I will listen. I will be the person who you can go to if necessary.
Let me tell you my story- what I have been going through recently; how I know exactly how you are feeling and can understand what you are going through. I have seen this happen to two of my close friends. I had enough of witnessing them not being listened to, or simply being brushed aside. I took it upon myself to not only voice their concerns, but others friends as well. Guess what happened? You may think that our concerns were listened to and that they were resolved, but if this is what you thought then you are completely wrong. I voiced my concerns very calmly and only emphasized the most important phrases that I believed would help get my point across, yet still was told that what I was saying was completely uncalled for. But, what I had said was truly necessary, not only for my friends, but for myself. What I found was interesting was that the people protecting the “villain” in my story, recognized that my points were true, but continued to shelter the person causing the issues from any constructive solutions or consequences. People tried to turn me into the “villian” and referred to my friends, who were crying to me, as “ghosts.” I have seen people hurting others and time after time again continuously be allowed to behave in that specific manner and completely get away with it. Their behavior is constantly defended and it is simply unjust and incorrect. I did not give a single reason that made me appear disrespectful to anyone when I voiced my concerns.
“Really me? I was in the wrong?” I am taking it in and looking at the situation from both sides now. I see that I am the villain in their story. Do you readers know why? The reason is because I want the people protecting the villain to understand they were in the complete wrong with my friends and I. I am here to make a stand against all villains, not just in your story- but in mine as well. The reason I still keep going into battle is because I want this story to end with a happy ending. I am also here to provide a forum where injustices are talked about and discussed. I have seen people making the person with awful intentions the victim, when the real victim in the story is being cast away and meant to feel terrible because people believe it was their fault.
This feeling exists not only in social situations, but also within women and men who were sexually assaulted. Some people choose not to come out about being sexually assaulted because there are people in the world that make the sexual assault out to be the assaulted person’s fault. I am telling everyone right now in this article, if you were sexually assaulted, it is not your fault nor will it ever be your fault. You are not the one to blame. No matter what you wore, where you were, or who you are- it is not your fault. You are an amazing human-being that should be able to speak up about it and feel that you are being heard. If you feel you can not confront the person, or bring law enforcement into the situation, then you should be comfortable enough to speak about it and talk about it with someone. The person that is representing you should be seen as valid. You should be able to feel comfortable in standing up for yourself, or have a friend stand up for you to get your message across. I encourage you to go and recruit more people with the same situation with that person to help you all get through it together. Stay close to the ones that believe you and support the ones who are trying to get your story across. Everyone’s story should be heard and validated.
Even if your injustice isn’t related to being sexually assaulted, but maybe it was that you were bullied- you should still speak up! Better yet have someone there who has seen it speak up. I knew a little girl who was bullied in school so much that these kids would drag her across the playground. Even though the little girl’s mother went to the school to report her daughter being bullied, her concerns were brushed off. THIS IS A CRIME. Why did the school think it was ok to allow the daughter and bully to remain in the same class? The school aids let it happen in front of them and used the excuse that they are kids. Really? They were boys doing this to the little girl and she would come home crying everyday. It wasn’t until the mother pulled all her kids from this school and fought to put her children in a new school that action was taken. She went to the district to get her children out of that school and put into a real, healthy, school environment. It wasn’t until the school district came in and conducted an investigation that things began to change. The school district saw this girl’s story for the truth and allowed the mother to do what she saw fit for her children. Even with the school district’s help, the school that the child was attending began to bully the mother by sending social workers to her home. The social workers thought the mother had no real reason to pull her children out of the school, but once they began to see the mother’s side and began to see the evidence piling up is when they knew the truth. Due to the evidence coming toward the forefront of their investigation, the social workers left and gave their sincere apology, explaining that they will not bother her anymore. Despite these problems and obstacles continuing to pile up, the mother continued fighting and fighting for her daughter. The mother was ready and prepared to bring it to the School Board of their state. That mother who relentlessly fought for her daughter is a very brave woman. These results were not immediate. This occurred over a course of five grueling months. This mother not only fought for her daughter’s safety, but she also fought to salvage her daughter’s outlook on the education system as well.
Safety is and always will be a reason to stand up for oneself and others. Please stand up and do not give up. This mother I was referring to throughout the duration of this article is my mother. She continuously fights for her children’s wellbeing and safety. Because of my mother’s example and courage, I started to voice not only mine, but my friends’ concerns. My friends’ safety was in question, not only physically but mentally as well. This did not and still does not sit well with me. The people protecting the “villain” in my story do not know that their negativity and harsh words will stop me. I will continue to fight for my friends and my own safety. WE ARE ALL HUMAN BEINGS. WE HAVE THE RIGHT TO VOICE OUR CONCERNS. WE HAVE THE RIGHT TO SPEAK. WE HAVE THE RIGHT TO BE HEARD. WE ALL HAVE THE RIGHT TO BE RESPECTED!
Everyone in this world should be able to voice their concerns and feel valid. People should not be brushed off. This is one of the things that people are told when it comes to people who are suicidal. If you brush off someone who is suicidal, it might be the thing that pushes them overboard and I do not want to see this. To everyone who has read this entire article, know that I believe in you. I believe you can and will be heard if you keep going. The end result is always worth it. Even if you do not get your happy ending at first, I encourage you to persevere through the negativity. Stand up for yourself and for your friends because you deserve the happy ending that you may currently not think is possible.