Poem from NARSOL Conference: Have you forgotten us yet, dear Stranger?

Dear Society, who bases judgment solely from what is seen on a web page;

Dear Lawmakers, who should be far more concerned with prevention than punishment-like ‘civil’ duties that inform the public of individuals and of families who have strived to heal and become better people because of their pasts;

Dear Culture, so fearful of discussing sexual deviant behavior that you have no mechanism in place to stop it before it happens;

Dear Church, that claims to be available to those most in need;

Dear Community, which begs for safer streets yet, has no regard for the homeless offender who survives on the waste from your garbage bins;

Dear Victim, that didn’t deserve it, and I’m sorry as I’ve been one too but prefer to be a survivor;

Dear Politicians, who advance your position based on myths and misinformation;

Dear Media, who sensationalizes topics and promotes hysteria;

Dear Vengeful Keyboard Warrior, afraid of your own idiosyncratic mental vices, trying to make yourself feel better about yourself by maligning others;

Dear Taxpayer, whose money would be better spent on evidence-based practices and policies than on the overtime paid to law enforcement to check on compliant, law-aiding citizens;

And finally, Dear Stranger, you know nothing about my family; you do not cry our tears, pay our bills, or live our lives, yet you are convinced you know my husband, my loved ones, my family, based on something from the past that cannot be forgotten but should be forgiven.

You even seem to hate us because we attempt to overcome the obstacles you’ve created for us, and you seem to hate us even more when we succeed.

Isn’t it time that you understand who we really are and accept that we are not and never will be who you want us to be?

• T. Jackson