Trauma Doesn't Skip Generations
As we watch the genocide of Palestinians be supported by so many world leaders, including the United States of America, I am reminded of what happens when trauma is not addressed.
This article on how the Holocaust is being weaponized to justify the suffering of others is a glaring example of what happens when we don’t acknowledge and heal from harm that’s been caused to us and our communities. Similar to the way Black communities globally have had our healing excruciatingly prolonged because of re-written history that refuses any true acknowledgement of the atrocities our ancestors experienced or that we continue to experience. In my piece I Want a White History Month, I write about this large gaping hole left in White people that they attempt to fill with appropriation, deceit and more recently the support of genocide. All these uncared for wounds are bound to be internalized or spread to others.
Saira Rao: White people hate themselves.
Without radical honesty we are doomed to repeat history. In my own life I’ve pretended several times that if someone’s ancestors had hateful beliefs stemming from unhealed generational issues, that didn’t necessarily mean the person I’m in relationship with had any healing to do. In my piece My Husband Would Kill Me, I share how my ex-father-in-law’s abusive behavior was extremely apparent to me but I didn’t mention how I ignored my ex-husbands dismissal of these issues. Without acknowledgment he could not heal, he would continue to see nothing wrong with these abusive behaviors and would be more likely to exhibit these behaviors towards others. So many leaders of this world are just hurt little boys desperately trying to fill their emptiness with power and greed, refusing to acknowledge the pain they feel or that they are causing others.
Never Again To My People, Never Again To Any People
This genocide in Palestine is causing and will continue to cause so much pain to go unaddressed. This lingering pain will be passed down and our world will never know “peace” because of it.
Thank you for reading through! Hi, I’m K Mataōtama Strohl (They/Them). I’d love to be able to continue to share stories like this but I need your help to be able to do so. Please visit my Ko-Fi page to tip what you can and gain access to my other work. You can learn more about me and my work at the link below.
