I came of age shaped by my sisters, grandmothers’ and mother’s pain and resistance. Their stories of struggle and survival were one of the principle factors that made me question this hell-on-earth capitalist system and how it came into existence. I will never forget when my sister clashed with the local townspeople one time. I wanted to share the story because my sisters, aunts, nieces, grandmothers and mother are my true anonymous working-class heroes. Certain biographical details have been changed to protect everyone’s privacy. December 2nd, 2015
“A working class hero is something to be
Keep you doped with religion, and sex, and T.V.
And you think you’re so clever and classless and free
But you’re still fucking peasants as far as I can see
A working class hero is something to be
There’s room at the top they are telling you still
But first you must learn how to smile as you kill
If you want to be like the folks on the hill
A working class hero is something to be
If you want to be a hero well just follow me”
-John Lennon
“I will not be part of Your Freak Show”
Some of the local town folks and “do-gooders” on the School Committee in Fitchburg invited my sister, Elizabeth, to speak to the high school about being a recovering drug addict. Fitchburg is a post-industrial town of 40,000 in Central Massachusetts, with a $22,000 family median income and a reputation for having “a bad drug problem.” One of my older brothers joked that he had moved to Snitchburg in reference to how shady the small city is. Back in my hustling days, we called Fitchburg “the little Bronx,” well, for many self-evident reasons.
Instead of asking to hear Elizabeth’s entire story, the School Committee pigeonholed her to meet their own agenda. They did not want the entire human story; they just wanted to “scare the kids straight.”
Their approach was odious. They wanted Elizabeth to parrot the usual clichés. They expected her to meekly appear and regurgitate a dead-end script that we have all heard over and over from this society’s disinformation outlets. It goes something like this:
Good morning children. Look at me. I was a poor, disgusting, good-for-nothing junkie. I did heinous things in the hunt. I have no history. I am not human. There is no context. Susie Q. and Johnny Appleseed: do you want to be like me? No! Don’t do what I, the mutant-monster, did.”
The mediocre school authorities wanted my younger sister to be part of a typical freak show, making a mockery of her life.
Flipping the Script
The bricks in the wall invited her last week to the high school auditorium to be a guest speaker. The naive bureaucrats had no no way of knowing what they signed up for. Elizabeth had her own independent ideas about what would leave an impact on the young minds. My sister was not going to be anybody’s mascot.
When she entered the auditorium, the high school classes were loud and disruptive. Most of them were playing on their phones and making fun of “Drug Awareness Day.” Elizabeth mounted the stage — appearing to be demoralized and broken — she refused to raise her voice in competition with the 350 students. She simply began to tell the truth:
My story is no different than most of us addicts. When I was five, I was sexually molested by my grandfather. I’m not sure how he became a demented, sick man. To this day, I hate him for what he did to us children. Where we come from, we were all abused.
There was a titanic shift in the atmosphere. Now there was only one voice. There was a background of deafening silence. The administrators shot quick, jittery glances at one another, Horrified. The students honed in on Elizabeth’s next words:
I’m not going to lie to you and tell you things will be ok. They never were for me. I never received the time, affection, hugs and patience I deserved. I was raised by an alcoholic, violently deranged mother. She blamed me for the abuse. It was strange. I never understood why she hated me. How do you hate a seven-year-old girl? Yet, she never hated her father-in-law? How was I to blame and not Chester the Molester? Our parents have a knack for rewriting history when the truth does not suit them. I guess in some ways, heroin abuse was payback to get her to notice me when I punctured my veins.
Though no one responded, it was as if there were a call and response. After some eternal seconds of reflection, Elizabeth vibed off of the students’ solemnity.
My own father ran away from the madness himself. There was only one problem. He forgot to take me with him. I found my own escape; lots of weed and then dope.
In his own way, dad was a great individual but he was too busy chasing substances and women, and being a man about town to prioritize us children.
When I was a preteen, my older sister’s husband raped me. That ignited more heroin abuse. I was not living, this was a living death. There was nothing that made the pain go away. It was only the needle’s penetration that finally calmed my mind. It was the first warm, comforting blanket I found. This led to a fifteen-year descent into lower rungs of Dante’s inferno.
Prostituting, thieving, double-crossing, mugging…I’ve known death. It is life I’m searching for.
Once we lured a taxi driver into the shadows of our despair. We knocked him, went joy riding and sold his taxi for a week of hits. Dehumanized, we acted the part. It appears surreal today to those of us who survived.
A Proud Older Brother
I was sitting in the back of the auditorium, thinking in our local Brockton and Fitchburg vernacular:
Got ’em! She horror-showed ’em! She homie-socked ’em! She Fitchburg’ed ’em!
Though I could not yell out in solidarity, my sister always knew I had her back.
The School Committee representatives did not know how to respond. They looked around searching for a way to close the curtains. But the truth is stubborn. Elizabeth stared over at the representatives who invited her. Her piercing glance penetrated them and their judgmental inadequacy.
I reflected in the back, chuckling to myself because I had seen this all before.
Society wants to criminalize and judge the individual while ignoring their social plight that produces us down-and-out Shaws.
Well, the good, always-on-time professionals wanted her story? They got it!
We had joked and cried before over these dynamics: The double-dealing, insincere cowards! There it is, for all the children to see. Tell the children the truth.
I wanted to jump on stage too but this was not my hour.
My sister was dropping love-life lessons on the youth so they could chart a different path:
Heroin abuse, burglary, prostitution, shoplifting, hustling, AIDS…none of it happens in a vacuum. It has its triggers. Until we come to grips with those triggers, and the social terrain that triggers the triggers, we will be impotent before the realities of drug abuse, alcoholism and every other escape mechanism. Pitiful, patriotic pricks! Teach the children the truth. You wanted a freak show? Well, you got one. Our society is a freak show!
Imagine their faces! She “grossed them out,” meaning that she gave them a tongue lashing, as my older brother was fond of saying, every time he ruthlessly tormented people with his vitriolic tongue. Elizabeth broke every taboo. She then played Trent Reznor and the 9 Inch Nails song “Hurt” for everyone to digest together:
I hurt myself todayTo see if I still feelI focus on the painThe only thing that’s realThe needle tears a holeThe old familiar stingTry to kill it all awayBut I remember everythingWhat have I become?My sweetest friendEveryone I know goes awayIn the end
For us daughters of Fitchburg and sons of Brockton, the abuse was the original sin. Our parents’ denial was the knife that plunged the sin deeper into our chests and souls. Elizabeth’s message was a beam of light for those who had been sheltered from the truth:
What can be done, can be undone. My trauma is mine. It not longer belongs to the rapists, abusers and denialists. I own my trauma. It is what made me. It is far too late for regret, guilt or self-doubt. None of this was my fault but it is now my path. I have to embrace it or it will destroy me. My name is Elizabeth and I am an alcoholic and addict. My middle name is denial and I am a professional escape artist in recovery. God: Grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, the courage to change the things I can and the wisdom to know the difference.
A Societal Shift & Transformation
From the perspective of the school administration, both here in Massachusetts and across the United States, it was ok for the students to gawk at my little sister’s pain, but not for them to understand the source of it.
How much easier to blame individuals than to ask the deeper questions: Why are so many of our children subjected to generational trauma? Why do all experts indicate that upwards towards 90 percent of addicts come from traumatizing childhoods like us? Why do the admins promote failed “scared straight” tactics but always ignore the childhood trauma staring them in their faces?
Elizabeth walked off the stage and calmly handed the mic to Principal McMahon, stealing the last word off his forked tongue.
The principle and AP’s — functioning as sub-oppressors, a microcosm of the larger forces acting on society — feared the truth. They felt secure, pushing their own version, blaming the individual. Generation after generation, they preach from pulpits of American hypocrisy:
There are no excuses. You could have done it. Pull yourself up by the bootstraps. You can be whatever you want to be.
I learned from my big sister that denial and silence is part of the insidiousness. The status-quo fears & rejects anything that calls into question the true causes of our hurt. We all form part of the collective social fabric. No one can edit our stories. No one can censor our pasts.
My sister — wielding a machete of truth — blazed forward with ferocity and fire, creating a path for all of us survivors to follow. The administrators tried to prevent the Q&A from happening but some 100 students stayed behind to direct their questions to Elizabeth and gave her a standing applause. Here finally was somebody they could trust and relate to.
probably the most powerful piece i’ve read from you, and it’s because you allow the material tell the story well done danny!
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This is one of the many hard stories I had read in my life. Is painful to see that a lot girls and boys have to go throughout situations like this where you don’t have a helping hand right next to you where you don’t have no hope is really hard. Ellen sofer a lot, been on a family where everything is falling apart where you don’t know where is your mother and your father is not there 100% for you and the one who stay make your life more misarable. Is hard to hear and painful to say it but this is happen everyday in our society and we don’t do nothing to stop it. We need to speak up! for those little girls and boys who been through a lot. Good piece Proffesor Danny!
This was a very powerful piece! It tells the truth about what people make drug addicts out to be…they always try to put them down and blame them ever once wondering what led them down that path. Ellen was very brave for going up there and speaking the truth about her story not what she thought people wanted to hear but the raw truth. She was right the children should know the real story not just some lie she was told to share about herself. I applaud her bravery.
This is an eye opener for people who look down on others because of habits they pick up without knowing what had caused them to do so.
This is such a classic representation of an attempt at exploitation. More people should use the platforms that are offered with the expectation of pushing a specific agenda, to tell the ugly truth and expose the circumstances not just the end results.
There is a common issue of exploitation when it comes to serious issues. A person who becomes apart of a lifestyle that is not excepted by society is constantly bashed and tarnished. There is never a thought about what actually happened in that persons life that made them become an addict, a prostitute, contract HIV, commit crime. People are so quick to exploit these people without understanding where these behaviors come from. For many, such as this case, drugs are an expect from reality. So is the problem really the drug or the reality.
I have never read anything more realistic than this. I can’t imagine what she went through but I can admire the courage and as I was reading what she said it felt as if she was talking to each individual by separate and to everyone at the same time
I think that what you said about the status quo is true because it’s like you make mistakes but you can’t go back and erase them. And if you do something terrible to yourself like do drugs and you’re telling your story to highschoolers there are some people in the board of education that would want you to sugarcoat your story to them and pretend like everything is perfect when in reality it’s not. Although you can’t erase your mistakes you could try to prevent others from making the same mistakes that you made.
Powerful story.
It does no good to cover up the truth. Your sister was brave enough to go up there and tell the group of kids her story. She had the crowd captivated from the very beginning. Who knows she most likely impacted a teens life with her testimony. Great Story! It takes courage to do something like that.
Thats the way it should be told, many of the youth are blinded and protected in a bubble by institutuions, and when eventually they get to see the real truth they react the way they were taught. For those who suffer through these events, can come out and talk about it because some sort of foundation has been laid. People who suffer through drug and sexual abuse need support not their backs turn on or ignored, its not our choice and its need to be known.
Certainly a shocking story. It shows cruelty and truth of addictions. True, we are responsible for each of our actions, but many are just victims of circumstances, with this I do not justified those who take refuge in drugs or alcohol, but it do invite me to think before judging someone , knowing that some people must go through some critical situations in life, unlike others.
Is not only the truth being told that surprises me, but also the courage that someone can have to be able to express their life in front of 800 students she do not know.
I can’t imagine the years of pain she had went through. It’s very sad to say that society puts down certain people’s lives and making a mockery of them. People suffer and go through things everyday and the fact the school wanted her to basically throw herself on stage to sugar coat reality is wrong. It was very touching and her courage to speak in front of them is amazing.
Her story is very heart broken. I can’t imagine my self going through all her struggles. Some times people just judge others individuals life without knowing all the issues that put them in that horrible situation with drugs.
Your sister is a brave person. You can not judge a person because of they did, you have to know first what is the story behind her.
After I know a significant part of your story I feel I have not excuses, we can overcome almost everything if we really want to. You and your way of sharing the true really allow us to see things As really see things the way they really are.
Some of the truth brought tear to my eyes, every word was dropped in my heart braking. No one would ever want to go throw.
Her story was really shocking and painful to read. I can imagine the impact it had in the auditorium full of students. What she did was very brave and it may have given other students courage to one day share the stories they are silently suffering from.
I cannot believe educated individual such as school teachers and the principal have such negative attitude. What good your education is if you’re the slave of the system? I feel bad for the young minds of children who are educated by such negligent and hypocrite individuals.
This was dope, I actually liked the method of your sister. We try to sugarcoat things as if everybody will be okay, as if we all go through the same thing. It is nice to see somebody say the actual truth instead of dummy lie.
This piece makes me wonder if your sister had not gone through such traumatic events in her life would she have had become a heroin addict.
YouTube or it didn’t happen. But seriously, this is awesome. The approach was spot on and refreshing. The institution of education is so enshrined in Disney land esque imagery. I remember those dare programs coming to school and always failing to address the truths. I applaud her fearlessness. I see it today with so many homeless combat veterans hooked on heroin, being treated as problems to society but not problems caused by society.
Very shocking and interesting. Such strong words from Ellen.
I think Ellen had a lot of courage to say what she did to the students. The principles response was completely idiotic. She was right to say instead of wanting to scare the kids into not doing drugs the truth about what triggers them to use drugs should be spoken about. We live in a society that’s want to hide and hush the truth behind closed doors and sugar coat everything. This is not the right way to do things we have to be blunt.!
Kids should always be told the truth. Hiding real life problems and situations continues the false spectrum society has implanted in our ideologies of how we should live a certain “proper” life. Great article!!!
nice story. I like how she told them straight up, not these stories we get told day to day.
She was a very brave person to stand in front of hundreds of students knowing they are at the stage of judging someone by their looks, talk etc. but also they are at the stage where they see people’s mistakes and either learn from them or try them. She did what she did before but today is what matters and she’s opening up so when those students who maybe today or later in the years go to sleep with tears in their eyes because of what is happening or had happened to them, can speak up. Her drug abuse or alcohol abuse isn’t the answer to these kind of things but for her she didn’t have anyone to help her. Her mom blamed it on her and her dad left, who will she run to with confidence and speak about the situation? Drugs and alcohol seem to be an answer to people with those type of issues and hopefully people listen to her and actually think about it and see where it had brought her and they don’t do the same mistake.
This is something that I feel needs to talked about more and not so much in terms of prevention, but so that children and young adults know the reality of the drug abuse. In most cases just the simple fact that the issues of drug abuse are talked about as a real thing will get the ball rolling for prevention of the abuse. If people are not aware of the effects of drug abuse then they will most likely try to avoid abusing drugs or not be surprised at the reality of drug abuse later on in life. There needs to be more awareness of why people become drug abusers and the overall issue of drug abuse.
I agree with the story told to the students. They give you the cause of drug use. The way the society is today there needs to be more people like her. Children need to be shown these things now so that they understand how the world is. Giving them a broader perspective of the world will take them our of the myopia they live in.
It just made me start to tear up. It’s sad how Ellen was treated growing up. No one should endorse those types of things. Also I’m glad she told the kids and the people that invited her off like that. She’s right that these children needs the real stuff, be straight up with them cause it’s a harsh world out there. We should never sugar coat anything. This made me upset because as a woman I feel like men think they can just take advantage and these things destroy these woman’s lives. They don’t get time to enjoy life because of the disasters that happen to them.
Ellen it takes a strong woman to get in front of an audience like that and talk about what happened to you, someone maybe going threw the same thing and you gave them strength to speak out. good job.
A strong story with a great message is easy to judge others when they’re not in their shoes ,she is a very courageous person .
This story is an inspiration to everyday people who are forced to hide their truths, fearing societies judgment. Ellen’s story is a true testament of in order to move forward in life , you have to come to terms with your past.
This is a very deep story. Unfortunately its true and really sad that some people wont ever understand others people actions, Instead they judge them because it might look horrifying for them.
This is something that inspires me to act and tell people the truth. The education system is producing new slaves. No more physical abuse is being made on the people in the country but severe mental abuse and brain washing is. Modern Segregation is in full on affect with gentrification. Racism is old news, classism it’s whats full on effect that creates racism.Why teach students about racism if race doesn’t exist? It starts forming a seperating ideology from day one. Society forces you to live up to certain expectations, and if you do not you are the worst. So what is freedom? Freedom is being who you want to be without fearing the next persons opinion. Education makes everyone take part of a rat race that doesnt lead to anywhere. People in this country want unity but unity is simply not possible in a country framed on pure competition. The poor are manipulated in ways that benefit corporations not what benefits the poor. Education system will reach a peak one day that will eventually break bachelors isn’t enough anymore but only a masters. Soon Masters won’t be enough anymore. It will become an educational inflation and once that happens then what?
So, I often wonder why do people use drugs? Why self-destruct, knowing it makes matters worse, I never understood that until I finally took a Substance Use and Abuse course. People use/abuse alcohol & drugs for so many reasons: peer pressure, poor self-concept, because it’s fun and pleasurable, parents, media promotes instant pleasure, short term goals, stress and the breakdown of the family, and this is what happened to Elizabeth. She injected herself to block out memories of unpleasant, traumatic personal experiences that brought her unmanageable feelings. She needed emotional support, guidance, counseling from her primary care givers, but unfortunately her parents were out of control, they were dealing with their own destructive implies that created trauma, damage, shame and guilt to Elizabeth. Heroin helped Elizabeth to cope with overwhelming feelings of rage, anxiety, panic, and depression. She thought using drugs will ease all pain because it is a quick solution to her life difficult problems. I bet it was hard for Elizabeth to overcome this addiction, but I am glad she was able to developed awareness to High School students, to let them know about the terrible consequences about the drugs effects that only lead to problems with academic/job performance, personal relationships, health, legal or financial troubles and ultimately death.
It is quite saddening to grow up and see that the education system has attempted to brainwash us into thinking addiction is something that happens to the pitiful because that is what they wanted. No one ever looks at the fact that most addictions are a cause and effect type of ordeal. Our discussion in class made me feel as though I should lend a helping hand to those in need. I, too, understand what it is like to grow up in house with addiction. When I see people with these problems, I cannot help, but think “that could’ve been me”. Although I’m certain what Elizabeth had the courage to do was hard initially, I am glad and proud that she refused to live up to the stereotypical “freak show” that educators try to make addicts out to be. People in these positions tend to forget that these addicts, these people, are just as human as they are. We, the human race, we need to find a better way to help people much like Elizabeth find another way to cope with the tragedies they have faced in life.
this is a deep story, but everyone has a different story to tell. Not everyone gets into drugs and alcoholism. Some people do positive things like going to school and work etc.
Addiction is the key component that been stem from PTSD or a form of this disorder. This story is very interesting and common for most woman who supper that harsh reality of drug abuse and child molestation, though this will forever be a continuing cycle of distress and heartbreak that’ll always be infected by the masses that be. Lets think critical for a minute and understand the nature of this common core of this disease and where it came from. These type of situations mainly happen in lower class settings, what is the reason for people who live in poor conditions just apply hate and envy that led to addiction or any sign of emotion that’ll draw you to that line. Overall a great heart felt story and many can relate.
Very insightful piece of how and why people can turn to the option of the use of drugs.
This piece is powerful!! It has filled me with so many emotions. I can related to Elizabeth on many levels and I admire how she had the courage to share her story. Topics such as abuse and addiction are not easy to discuss. Reading this piece makes me wish I could have been in the audience watching her share her story.
It is sad to hear what your sister went through . However her sharing her story may change the lives of others . The students deserved to know the truth of such a dangerous drug and how it doesn’t just happen over night . The school administrators should be ashamed for trying to have to formulate a differently story other than her own . Education is the best gift to give the younger generations . It’s our job to inform them and hope that they don’t follow in our same mistakes .
This is what needs to be exposed to people of all ages and not only high-schoolers. This kind of raw reality cuts through the thick layer of saturation that has been created by the blind eye’s negligence and the control of those who are “in position.” I am grateful that Elizabeth was straight up and respect it. That is what we need, the truth.
This is exactly what’s wrong with society. Instead of beating around the bushes, we need to educate our future about what really goes down about drugs and alcoholism instead of letting them have their own horrible experience.
What Elizabeth did was probably one of the best things she could’ve possibly done. Instead of hiding behind a script she opened the eyes of the students by informing them of the truth. She told them her story and let them know that everything isn’t going to be sugar coated for them. That the things that people do have a trigger. And it’s not always the victim’s fault.
It is good that it was revealed how many people do not voluntarily go to drugs but intake one pain to get away from another
It was very brave what Elizabeth did on that day. The school trying to make her give the students a story that would have little to no impact on them. She is right, dealing with drugs definitely do have their triggers whether it’s mental or physical abuse.
Very interesting method Elizabeth approached. The younger generation should know the real truth and not just what the teachers or parents want them to hear but have an understanding and reality of what can actually happen to one When doing drugs .
What a powerful story, unfortuantly for her many victims of rape at a very young age tend to turn to drugs with out any support from family members also leaving them hopeless without any meaning to thier life’s. Its takes a very strong individual to over come what happened to elizabeth.
The easiest way for people to “explain away” substance abuse is to say that people who do abuse substances do it to themselves, of their own accord. They ignore the person’s traumatic past and struggles, because they don’t care enough to learn about it. This piece showcases this horrific fave perfectly. I’m glad she stood up and told toast children the truth, rather than what society and the school would have them believe about “people like her”.
I can say that I like the way that Elizabeth, said her story. You know in certain places when speaking in front of a public, people expect you to sugarcoat things and make it seem a little different than what it is. But she just came out there and told her story exactly how it happened without sugar coating it. Even though it was a little raw , it’s still a good thing that she did it this way because many people can learn from her story. The real deal is what many people expect to hear, which will eventually cause people to share real reactions. Which is what I find to be great because , real experiences causes people to react in a real way.
It is really important when talking about addiction to discuss the root of the problem and to make sure that the youth is informed instead of being vague and scary. You never know how many people you can impact when you are willing to tell the whole truth about a situation instead of just a sugar-coated synopsis.
It takes a lot of guts to open up to strangers. It was wrong for the school committee to want to use her as a way to ‘scare’ the students. Telling the truth, telling her story, was enough.
It’s terrible to see that other people can Jude others based on what they did. No one knows what they go through or understand the struggles they have came across. Even though drugs are bad we still shouldn’t bash others because of it
The easiest way for people to “explain away” substance abuse is to say that people who do abuse substances do it to themselves, of their own accord. They ignore the person’s traumatic past and struggles, because they don’t care enough to learn about it. This piece showcases this horrific fave perfectly. I’m glad she stood up and told those children the truth, rather than what society and the school would have them believe about “people like her
we often criticize others for abusing any type of drug and ignore the reason behind the abuse. sadly Elizabeth had many terrifying life experiences and was brave enough to share her story to students who are probably going down that path. I salute her for avoiding a script that the school set up for her and told the truth.
This is the most powerful story. The best way to teach kid is not blame them, and is telling them the truth with true personal experience.
what really stood out to me was this one line ” Our parents have a knack for rewriting history when the truth does not suit them” and it compares to how the school officials did not want Elizabeth to tell her truth her reality because it did not suit THEM. A real powerful piece professor shaw #BlessUP ✊
This really highlights the flaws of traditional anti-drug campaigns. Rather than telling the root causes of drug addiction, they choose to only show the affter effects of it.
Very hard situation, but unfortunately many times the mistakes of parents come affect their children’s lives especially when an addiction is involve.
Sorry for her pain and what she went through, it is very sad to hear what others do to their relatives. The school needed to have an interest of knowing how and why she became that product. Not to just ” use” her as a point of reference without considering her own thoughts and feelings. And even the school should have an intention of giving her a helping her to assure her that she matters to them.
you don’t know or will never truly understand a individuals life or actions until you’re in those shoes, but hearing there story helps us understand why some things may occur and why a individual may be the way they are. In most cases we are never told the truth like mentioned tell the children the truth! We often complain about our lives but forget about those that have struggled and been through the cruel situations
This story just shows how people of power try to limit what an audience is informed on. The school administration wanted her to touch on the subject but not the truth of her life. I was glad to read the story as she went into the depth of her addiction and what has made her be the stronger person to be able to share the truth to the youth.
This piece proves to show the reality of how us, the younger generation, is being brought up. We learn to shun people who are homeless or drug addicts and told that if we don’t do a certain thing, like do drugs, we can easily not end up like that. Yet, what we are not exposed to are the points that lead up to them, which is what this piece perfectly showed. They don’t want people to know the psychological reason of the “wrong doings” that these people are doing.
This article impressed me a lot because it makes us realize the different realities and circumstances that push people to struggle with drugs, prostitution, alcoholism and several other issues that affect our youth. Its totally related to the topic we were discussing in class because it awake the fact that first, we don’t know the stories of the people that surrounds us in class ignoring we all have a battle to face and second that we are not alone in the realities we face and the importance of speaking about it to receive help to overcome it.
This was a powerful piece, and sadly enough your sister’s situation is going on right now in many families but is being pushed under the rug by parents and family members who rather see their kids hurt than to dear expose their family’s dirty little secrets. As a mom myself one vow I have made with my kids was to protect them from every and anything. These Kids are losing their future before they even have a chance, why aren’t adults more protective of our kids, and what do these sick men and women get from messing around these kids I will never understand.
I think that the sister of the author, did reflect her story to allow me to learn about the abuse of a drug addict. There could have been somewhat of a situation where the sister can share with attention getters. If I could have been involved with a drug addict, then I would start my life over.
I’m glad she had her own agenda & told them the truth. The school system will shove down students throat not do drugs and not to do this. But they never inform you how these things happen. They make it seem like it comes out of no where. That one day you just wake up and BAM. I want some drugs when it doesn’t work that way.
This was a powerful article that shows how even though they tried to use her for their own game she flipped it on them and told them the truth as to why people may begin to use drugs.
The freak show is a typical board of education system trying to say that they are informing kids about the real dangers of the world and giving efforts to stop what is going on, when in reality they are not helping our students anywhere understand the root cause to these kinds of problems. I applaud your sister Elizabeth for her courage and boldness to be a person to represent the true voice of the oppressed women in society, knowing true horrors a family can mask from the rest of the world is a story I can relate to, I believe this kind of message needs to happen more often in High school listens because it is vital for people to know this stuff especially in their 20’s.
Wow, she told them. This further proves how much “truth” is being told to adolescents by administrators. They wanted the woman to “strike fear”, and in an ironic turn of events she did so to the ones that asked for it. Her story was extremely sad, and I hope that those that listened, witnessed and experienced that event learn from it. It’s closely related to the topic discussed in class, in which addiction isn’t the problem. The problem is the traumatizing issues, the pain that one has to endure through their life. The addiction is due to the constant determination of finding an escape to the pain, and this woman summarized that lesson.
This article impress me a lot because I could imagine the horror your sister was living everyday of her life trying to scream her way out of that horrifying moments that she was living in. it disgust me to see that the staff of the school just want your sister to look like a fool in front of the student instead of making the children to see that using drugs and not talking about your problems cant led you anywhere.
That was a sad story and your sister is a strong person because letting other people know your pass abuse story is hard to share. Am glad your sister decided to tell the student thrust with out painting a pretty picture for them. Something a person has to say things the way it happens so that poeple could know and understand what made them abuse drugs. And most people that abuse drugs is hiding their pain,feeling,and memories because they can not go on through a day with out thinking about the horrible things that happened to them.
I’m sorry for her pain and struggles in life. And I feel this was a great way to draw the students to engage themselves. Now a days you never hear the true reality of how successful people accomplish their goals and maintain a well being in life. I feel many public speakers never tell the true story. Being truthful can help many people because maybe a student in the audience has experienced the struggles and this can help the recovery of heir lives rather than holding back and not fighting to fix their lives.
Powerful testimony! Not only did the children needed to know the truth but the adult as well. There are other people that may be going through the same situation as we saw in class and they need to know they are not alone, that even though it is tough you cannot let it overcome you. We need one another, someone that went through the same situation you are going through and learn how they dealt with it and is still dealing with. Pushing everything back is why many children and adult do not know the truth. We need more people like your sister, who is not afraid and wants people to be aware the different circumstances that leads to many addictions.
It’s always easier for people to blame victims of abuse and say they are responsible for being raped, some of these victim blamers even ask them if they were wearing something inappropriate just to find a reason for the sick bastard who does these things.
When explaining to children the reasons why someone becomes an addict people like to sugar coat it and just tell them ” look at this person she did drugs and became and addict and now her life is messed up” but what they don’t them is how did this person became like this, there isn’t a backstory to make children understand the things this person went thru before this. Your was very brave to be there and tell them the truth.
This story was very sad but very real. All I can say is that we all have passed through some adversities that has make us stronger each day of our life. I really feel sorry for all of the things she passed through. One mistakes parents do is that most of the time they don’t really tell us their story. They try to give us a brief story that doesn’t contain that much of what really happened because they don’t want us to see them or others relatives in that “bad position”.
I feel sorry for what she went through when she was a child, it’s very sad to read what her grandfather did to her. This article impressed me a lot because it made me realize that the school representatives did not want her to touch on the subject of drug addiction and their consequences but the school did not want her to tell the truth of her life. At the end of all, I’m really sorry for her pain and struggles in life.
This article is very powerful. I actually like that she went to speak to the children in the school. That speech let’s them know they are not alone if anything like this is happening to them. It changes the way they look at things. Knowing to reach out for help.
its a touching situation to read about because of hurt and pain that went on about what was said.She was very straight forward with the kids so they can understand what happens in the real world instead of sugar coding any stories.people have to understand of what goes on to other people lives because tomorrow isn’t promise and some people can go through the same exact situation and not handle like someone else have that’s why its important to hear others out so you can help them out be right back on track because everyone needs someone at some point in life.
i believe the school system, government use fear for control and that also why a lot of people suffer from different mental issues because this method of learning. its obvious causing more issues with youth than actually working with them.
It’s a shame no one inquires every takes time out to find out why a person is hurting or what have they been through to cause them to hurt before they stereotype them or pre-judge them. She showed that all you have to do is get the victim a chance to speak and them give you the root and sauce of their problem. “You should never judge a book by the cover” is a very true saying/cliché because you never know what a person life is like or was like the drove them to the addiction or even worse suicide without knowing their pain and or struggle of the life the lead.
Very sad what happened with your sister! But it’s absolutely truth the way that people does stereotype bout addiction! People doesn’t understand the pain that addiction causes to them, I know she wanted to teach those kids the horrible fact of being and addict but not only that but also why she became one. Every history. Has a story. And I know it took a lot of courage for her to stand in front of 800 students that don’t know anything more than school, exbox, ps4, forever 21ans explain them what a traumatizing life looks like. I feel that is as humans should learn and teach our kids about cause and reaction of topics like these.
First of all, the struggles the woman went through did not surprised me at all because I am so accustomed to listening to similar stories – and I should not be used to these stories. This piece showed me that the truth is always hidden from us. Those in power just want us to have these “dreams” which, for most of us, are not achievable. They want to limit the knowledge we can obtain, because (I think) the crowds of people who can go against them are not only a few, rather huge amounts.
I believe that this was powerful based on one simple element the truth. Most adults have this fear of exposing too much truth to the youth, but I believe it’s necessary because they already see more then you may believe. Powerful story I could relate to the raw truth of life and being blanketed by my parents but that didn’t last very long. Overall the message should be to tell what’s really going on even if it makes the political figures in the positions of power uncomfortable.
This is sooo powerful!! It has filled me with so many emotions. I can related to Elizabeth on many levels and I admire how she had the courage to share her story. Topics such as abuse and addiction are not easy to discuss because it’s not easy to tell your story. But I felt we all can relate in so many levels.
i feel so sorry for your sister because she couldn’t make it , i feel sorry for you for all the pain you had to deal with but the good thing is that you overcome all those challenges and keep going i admire your brave to share your story to all of us . because that tells me that regardless bad things in life we still have a lot to do…
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quoting my favorite tv show house M.D “truth begins in lies.” people are afraid of the truth, they try to make up their own version of the truth in order to make the world less harsh. however people start believing their dies and try to hide the real truth from children thinking that it will protect them. but the earlier they realize how F-up the world is the more prepared they can be.
Very impactful article. It’s incredible how society, many of us judge others on their drug abuse or alcoholism, anger, without knowing what caused them to go to that as the answer. When we find out of the reasons why someone takes drugs or drinks all we do is stay quiet and do not know what to even say after that. We do not know how we would react in a circumstance close to what your sister had to go through. Many always look at the drugs as the problem, but one does not choose to try drugs for no reason. That’s what society has to start looking at. It is like when a girl gets raped and they start looking at the girls wardrobe, what time was she out, where was the victim?
[…] Many of the women in my family survived horrific episodes of rape, incest and sexual terrorism which I have written on elsewhere. From my earliest memories, I felt the pain and trauma of my mother, my sisters, aunts, grandmother […]
This article is very powerful. Is important to let them know about this situation. There are a lot of young people who have drug addiction. Is very sad to see this situation going on in our society. It was a good idea that she broke every taboo. Nowadays, is important to have these types of conversation, and interactions with young people. This will help them to be aware and conscious of what is around them. Is not good to keep them like a in box like nothing is going to happen to them. The children of today are good observing, and is important to talk to them about these types of situations. Additions cause a lot of pain.
i agree with this article because I have family members that been sexually abused and they deal with the pain by popping pills, drinking and using other drugs. It’s not easy to deal with a situation like sexual abuse when the person that suppose to protect you from the evil world is not there or is the one who’s sexually abusing you. Some people move on and some people don’t either way is not good.
This story is really sad but at the same time very motivating on how people shouldn’t be afraid to tell the truth about their personal story . It takes a lot of courage to stand up to crowd and speak the way she did even though they wanted her sugar coat it . It shows how these powerful people use victims of drug abuse to scare children instead of telling the bad side of drugs .
No hay mejor advertencia para los jóvenes que la misma verdad acerca de la vida de una persona que es adicta a las drogas. El viejo discurso de “no consumas drogas o te vas a morir” ya está algo gastado para ello y Elizabeth hizo lo correcto al abrirse con ellos de esa manera.
The first step to knowing you’ve had a problem is admitting to it . Sharing your story amongst hundreds of students and being so raw and truthful about her past can leave a mark . Drugs are something many use to get away from their personal life , it takes away the “ pain” they indured for so long . I like the fact that she was so open about her story and didn’t sugar coat a thing , something that probably affected many in the audience cause they probably , in silence , are going through the same thing
This story is really eye-opening. It takes a lot for someone to open up about their path, I see this as a motivation for anyone that is currently struggling at the moment. I hope that this person keeps fighting the good fight.
I respect Elizabeth for not doing what any other student would have probably done. She didn’t lie, the school wanted to hear her story, so she told HER story.. i feel very bad for Elizabeth because your family is supposed to have your back. It doesn’t matter any circumstances. Family is supposed to work through things, through thick and thin!
I 100% agree with the article. A lot people blames the victims for way they go through struggle when in reality some people have no way out . And instead of helping we dehuminize them and try to make an example of them.
The truth hurts but its most impactful then anything else. More power to her for taken the courage to do it.
The fact that even the personal story of someone the system wants to change is disgusting. I believe that the system shape who we are if we are not fully aware of our capabilities. I admire your sister bravery to stand up for what she wanted to say, the real truth, and wanting to get to the students her way.
Hearing the stories of other can Change someone’s life around and be an eye opening to others on how things could be for them. Elizabeth told the students very bluntly on behalf of her story and what made her do the drugs she were addicted to on how things were rough for her, how her family did these traumatizing things to her. Reality struck once she spoke “the blinded truth”
It is pitiful how many people are pushed to drugs in certain case like this one and many more. After reading many articles and going deeper to drug addicts issues, I have learned to see different those people who has gotten lost in that world. Just because in most of the cases, those people probably had a childhood which was the beginning of that turmoil they are facing today.
We were not born as drug users, prostitutes, thieves etc.. The life experiences that we go through turn us to this escapes/or freedom. I love to see people who can stand and tell their story for other to understand the roots of their past decisions. It takes courage and boldness but that is exactly what is needed to teach our young generations and mature ones too. The problem is that we are to busy pointing the fingers at others and instead on finding the solution to the problem. Let’s stop putting bandages on our wounds and let’s actually start to heal.
The problem is the we like to judge other instead of looking forward to see how we can help them. We should start helping the people who has pass already in the moment so other people can see why is not the best solution and they can do something better to fixes they problem.
I have to say it’s very admirable the way Elizabeth shared her story. Instead of sugarcoating the truth which was what the school wanted she told it as it is. She encouraged teens to acknowledge that when they have issues it’s okay to deal with them instead of hiding them. Our struggles are what molds us in life, but one shouldn’t let a bad moment determine what the rest of their life is going to be. And as she said “there are no excuses. You can be whatever you want to be.”
It is easier to judge other people when you haven’t gone through the same struggle those people have been through. Everything has a source. Unfortunately, many people don’t have the support needed to come out of the darknesss.
This is why you should never judge people. You could be making their Pain worst. Everyone has a story, if you would listen.
So glad your sister Elizabeth went and spoke her own truth!! Was the ceremony not only to address the issues of drug abuse and how ones life can be affected by such path but she also was able to release anything from inside out! Allowing her strength to come from within facing her own trials and tribulations. Yet teaching and being able to inform the room of 800+ students. For certain demons and things we deal with in life is not because we solely choose too but because as children or young adults we are placed or left in environments were any form of survival is key and sometimes some have to go through the darkness to reach the light. Sending lots of positive love and vibes to dear Elizabeth, fight the fight!