mind the mess

give cover to people who haven't been caught yet by allowing them to use their humanity as "proof" of their innocence

silence any criticism of societal structures and institutions that facilitate those horrible things by putting the focus on individuals who are assumed to be so uniquely monstrous that the ways it was made easy for them are irrelevant

provide a shortcut to dehumanize anyone you feel like killing: simply accuse them of doing a horrible thing

3.a. if you've already established that only an inhuman monster could kill a child, then all you have to do to get people to burn down the jewish quarter is say that jews kidnap christian children to bathe in their blood

3.b. if you've already established that only an inhuman monster could commit rape, then all you have to do to get people to string up a black man you don't like is find a white woman who's willing to point at him while she cries and babbles

3.c. if you've already established that only an inhuman monster could molest a child, then all you have to do to get people to drag gay people behind their trucks is say that since gay people can't have babies, the only way they can make more gay people is by following a nefarious Agenda to "convert" children by molesting them

3.c.a. meanwhile if you try to address the rampant sexual assault of catholic altar boys, you're met with "don't be ridiculous, he's a priest!" (see #1) and with assertions that even if it does happen sometimes, those priests are just infiltrators who don't represent the church and there's no reason to make sure priests and altar boys are never alone together (see #2)

Pedojacketing / Disgust Mongering is always a cudgel used to justify violence against the most marginalized

Black, Jewish, Queer, Trans.....

head maid teaching the new recruit how to properly worship her Mistress' property.

cuck wife at the lesbian bar scouting for girls that her wife would like.

hypnotist who brainwashes people with same programming she was once brainwashed with.

I'm imagining someone who's a trusted friend and ally, powerful, skilled, and yet, in some way, underperforming. Perhaps they're not brave enough. Perhaps they don't see how to best apply their skills. Perhaps they can't unflinchingly hurt someone, even when they really should.

And all of it could be fixed if their own self gave way to my control. Maybe they're reluctant but see the wisdom of it. Maybe it was their own idea. Or maybe they don't want it, say so in no uncertain terms, but there's too much at stake to honor that decision.

And then they're mine, and I put them to good use. And no matter what, now they'll know they're more efficient, more useful, when it's me at the controls. A heavy thing to have to live with.

I felt awful, but I thought the problem must be with me, that I didn't pass well enough, that my voice was too masculine, that my makeup was bad, etc etc. Then, at the end of the event, the sapphic group organiser made an announcement, saying, "there's a whole group of women out there who I know are nervous about coming to our group, who are afraid we won't accept them, who are worried we'll exclude them, who have had bad experiences with sapphic groups in the past," I felt my spirits lift, I guessed the whole thing had been a mistake, I had misjudged her.