A Toxic Entanglement
I talk a lot about “the system” when I write, and I’m not sure all of my readers fully understand the scope and complexity of what I mean when I use that phrase. When I talk about the system, I’m not only referring to the legal and criminal justice system, but to the many institutions that govern our daily lives — social services, healthcare, government, housing and rental markets, and the job market. I want to open with this clarification because when I say “the system,” I mean all of it. When I started this blog over five years ago, my goal was to give a voice to some of society’s most neglected and misunderstood issues and demographics. One issue I avoided for years was domestic violence, particularly violence against women. I had a valid reason: I was in an abusive relationship and was afraid of how my partner would react if he read my blog. I was in that relationship from September 2016 until May 2021. Even now, nearly a year after leaving, it has taken me this long to...