Abuse is Wrong

 

Abuse is wrong. 

There. I said it. It’s a normal phrase and one that shouldn’t be challenged. Yet, whether you believe it or not, abuse, in different forms has become an acceptable practice enforced into our lives.

For a long time now, I’ve wanted to write a sequel to my horror novel RAGE HOUSE. Without giving away too much of the plot, it features domestic abuse as a sub-plot. I found it hard to write about it because it is a disturbing topic.

The sequel was meant to bring the theme of domestic abuse to the forefront. But I couldn’t do it.

I must have worked on five drafts till date, but stopped midway. I didn’t understand why then but I think I do now. It’s not because the domestic abuse theme makes me uncomfortable, it is because systematic abuse has become an acceptable form to live your life.

It is no longer considered to be a disrespectful subject or even wrong.

If some parents are belittling their children, it’s a form of discipline. If a partner neglects or slaps you, it’s okay. It is a one-time incident anyway. After all, don’t forget you have the security of a roof over your head, food on your table, and water to drink and to bathe. So a little bit of abuse is acceptable, right?

Or in the workplace, if your employer is being abusive and manipulative, and downright making you feel harassed, it’s okay right? At least you’re getting a cheque every month that allows them to do that and extract a promise from you that you will keep your silence and not tell anyone outside work that the company heads are mistreating you. 

Our basic needs, often leads us to desperately doing whatever it takes to keep things going for us. 

Somewhere along the line, we stop standing up for ourselves. The people around us offer support by advising us to keep our head down, and remind you what they think is important for you:At least you are getting that cheque that helps you afford shelter, food, water and clothes. 

As long as you are getting that, do you want to shake things up for yourself just because you want to stand up for yourself? Doing so will yield nothing. Bury your head and let the people be abusive towards you, offers some security, a basic need.

It is not often that you hear stories of people standing up for themselves and gaining anything. What you see is them being harassed, being called weak because they didn’t have what it takes to handle tough situations. Showing strength apparently means staying quiet while you are subjected to ridicule and abuse.

So, no, I could never write a sequel to a story about abuse and how it is wrong and how one needs to stand against it. I don’t think I believe in it anymore, and as a writer you can seldom write what you don’t wholeheartedly believe in.

 There will always be stories of continued abuse, and it will never end unless one day, miraculously, it is decided that human decency must take precedence over abuse.