The importance of leaders, and the tone they set and the policies they push for, can't be overstated.
But I also know this - culture is set first and foremost by the individual actions we take, *and what we excuse, minimize, or refuse to see.*
Thread. Trigger Warning for SA.
But I also know this - culture is set first and foremost by the individual actions we take, *and what we excuse, minimize, or refuse to see.*
Thread. Trigger Warning for SA.
In the past few months, 3 professional comedians have added "Nassar" jokes into their comedy routines, including shows hosted on Netflix and broadcast on mainline TV. The jokes related mostly to how good it must have felt to have that "special treatment". The audience laughed.
I did a quick Google image search of my name to try to locate a photo for a journalist, and inadvertently discovered that the search term most often coupled with my name is "body".
As in, most people who search for my name are searching for photos of "Rachael Denhollander's body". That's what a significant number of people have done with the details I had to disclose.
And last week a Larry Nassar costume from a Halloween party made its rounds on social media, with the party-goer posing with his left hand "doing treatment". 
No matter who wins the election, we will have the choice to see, recognize, acknowledge and stand against dehumanizing behavior. Or the choice to minimize, refuse to see what others go through, or act as though these behaviors are exaggerated or made-up for hype.
There will be chances to speak up over the next 4yrs when your party or your candidate engages in dehumanizing language or behavior. Or the choice to ignore it, minimize it, or even support it. No matter who wins, there will be opportunities to speak even when it costs.
And the greatest impact any of us will have, will be in our own communities, with how we engage with other people and ideas. With what we excuse or minimize. With what we are willing to see, or speak against.
Who wins the election doesn't change any of that. Society is the sum total of its individual members. And we need to be better individual members.
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