22 Comments

Yes to all of this. I am so sick of these pathetic, insecure men. My self-love & boundaries have come much later in life than I wish they had, but I am standing on that foundation.

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👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻🩵✊🏻

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Mesa,

I hear you. What you’ve lived through, what you’re witnessing now—none of it should have ever happened. And yet, here we are, under a system that has, especially and much more ingrained, always protected those who wield power through harm, and discarded those who don’t.

The rage isn’t new. The scale, the visibility, the impunity—maybe that’s what’s changed.

You wrote about survival—how sometimes it means running, sometimes freezing, and sometimes fighting back.

And that’s the truth.

There’s no one right way to respond to oppression, no singular path through it. But what I’ve come to believe is this: survival alone isn’t enough. Not for me, at least. Survival is the beginning. What comes after—the reclamation, the refusal to let the system define us—that’s where the real fight is.

I won’t tell you to hope. I won’t tell you it will get better.

But I will say this: as long there are people, who like you are here, speaking, refusing to be silent, there is something beyond survival.

I see it. I see you.

You, I—we are not invisible.

We are not objects to be placed wherever it’s convenient for them.

We will never be.

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Wherever we are, there is always room for hope. Absolutely. I see you too friend 🩵 Thanks for seeing me in return 🩵🩵

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God, I'm so angry. None of this should have happened to you- to any of us. I think... I think maybe some anger is fueled by love, by a white hot insistence that this ugliness has no place in a beautiful world, and some is fueled by hate and ignorance and insecurity. I see how your anger is a part of your unconditional love, friend, and not separate from it at all. Burn it down, Mesa. 🔥💙

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I love you, friend. And YES to ALL of this!! Burning it all!! 🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥

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I’m so sorry for all of these terrible terrifying experiences due to unhinged men. I have been planning since I came to Substack to share my own terrifying experiences with men. I haven’t done it yet, mostly because I really really prefer to put positivity into the world…. Since there is already so much negativity. I think withholding my own stories may not actually be serving the good of anyone though.

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Thank you, Jules. I’m learning that our stories (whether positive or negative) are worth sharing. It’s how we connect and remember we’re not alone. Only share what you’re comfortable with though 🩵🩵

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💜💜 to containing multitudes forever and always

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Always and in all ways 🩵🩵🩵✊🏻

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I'm sorry for all you've had to endure with male rage, but the most infuriating thing is that every one of us women have similar tales. Your story is all the more painful because it isn't unique. Reading this triggered some deeply buried memories in me. I might have to generate a post, once I've managed to process those. And yes, women have rage, but we aren't the ones committing over 80% of the violent crimes.

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I’m sorry for triggering you and you’re right- I’m not unique which makes it all the more heartbreaking. ❤️‍🩹

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Mesa, I am so sorry some asshole attacked you on the road. I'm so relieved you are okay, but how scary! God bless your husband.

I knew a man would point out that women have rage too. I think the difference is that women tend to swallow their (our) anger, which then turns inward towards ourselves, while men tend to explode outwards. According to the FBI, 80.1 percent of violent crimes are committed by men. Violent crime includes murder, rape and sexual assault, robbery, and assault.

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Thank you! 🖤🖤🖤✊🏻

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This is horrible, relatable, and very well well written. I love how you summed it up in the end.

some will fight

Some Will flee

Some will ….

Yes, I find raged to be very sacred and clean. It’s always well earned and need a place to go.

Thank you I’m sorry for all the shit you’ve gone through

I’m glad you have a good man

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Thank you, Prajna 🩵🩵🩵

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Oh Mesa, this is heartbreaking. For the little child who had to witness this, and continue to do so. For all children who grow up with this, marry into it, have bosses like this. I've married men like this, I've had bosses like this. My heart breaks for them and their inner children who were also subjugated to this. It's such a sad cycle.

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Thank you, Summer. In a lot of ways I believe these experiences forged the fire that sings in my veins. Even though they are horrible and I would not wish it on anyone, I am grateful to be able to say I’ve alchemized them into something that keeps me fighting. ♥️♥️♥️

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Yes queen. More power to you. ❤️‍🔥❤️‍🔥❤️‍🔥❤️‍🔥❤️‍🔥

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I do think the rage in women is working itself up to a boiling point and rightly so. I think men have no idea what women filled with righteous rage could unleash. We are growing weary of “nice.”

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Agreed ✊🏻🖤🖤🖤

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Down with the bullies. Down with the system. Down with the mango idiots (hilarious & ingenious alliteration-btw)!

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