Jackie's art alt

To be clear: it hurts. It hurts like a bitch. It fucking sucks and it's awful and we all wish we weren't going through it and if you need to log off and throw a little baby tantrum about it, feel free. I've already done that a couple times.

But I think the pain is more like resetting a badly healed bone or cleaning an infected wound. It hurts, but the process is ultimately healing.

What we're going to be left with at the end of this process is a stronger community with one less abuser in it, maybe even more if more people feel empowered to come forward. Shelby wasn't the only person Wilbur hurt. Even if she had been, that would have been enough to justify getting rid of him, but she wasn't. There are so many people now who will be more comfortable and happier and safer in the community, which will be stronger and more open and more able to trust.

Is it going to hurt to get there? Yes. Does it hurt a lot right now? Yes. Would it have been a thousand times worse to let it fester for fear of that pain? Yes.