The importance of words nowadays is downplayed…
“They’re just words”… or “Sticks & Stones”…
In reality, words can slice like a saw—humans could benefit from being more mindful of the impact their words have on others, even if unintentionally harmful.
It’s why I choose kindness as much as Jackie-ly possible.
Although I do enjoy a good woman-splaining opportunity 🤷♀️ Don’t mistake my kindness for weakness. Doesn’t mean I won’t try to understand your perspective.
When the societal narrative is sticks and stones, it’s hard to understand how much impact your words have until you’re facing the firing squad called accountability.
Not all accountability needs to be seen in a public forum.
We are human, we make mistakes— shoot, I’ve learned a lot of my wisdom, or delusions, through hard life lessons some would consider mistakes 🙃 I accept responsibility for my past actions, no regrets.
I’m also not an elected official overpromising and underdelivering on repeat… Oh hayyyyy Jimmy G & DC Weazy👀 I do my job, and I do it well, just saying.
There are times, like now, where accountability needs to be seen more publicly.
I love accountability and transparency.
I won’t hide at the election box and dance around who earned my vote and why.
With a caveat of course, it’s the Embrace GRAYce way…
On this Election Day, I challenge you to change the societal narrative we’ve been conditioned to accept as normal.
“Fight” hate with love.
Give your fellow citizens & non-citizens grace and support during this frustrating time for ALL in America, regardless of what side of politics you fall on.
I’m not “sold” on Kamala— I don’t know enough about her, but I’m ready for change.
Kamala is getting my vote.
Given Trump’s lack of accountability, I will not vote for him to be the leader of our free nation.
In 2005, Trump was unknowingly recorded chatting with Billy Bush during an Access Hollywood recording. An excerpt:
Trump: Yeah, that’s her. With the gold. I better use some Tic Tacs just in case I start kissing her. You know, I’m automatically attracted to beautiful — I just start kissing them. It’s like a magnet. Just kiss. I don’t even wait. And when you’re a star, they let you do it. You can do anything.
Bush: Whatever you want.
Trump: Grab ’em by the pussy. You can do anything.
Accountability doesnt look like the following, from just last week…
In North Carolina on Monday, he said mechanical arms that latch to a SpaceX rocket “grab that thing like you grab your beautiful baby.”
“See? Much better. Years ago I would’ve said something else but I’ve learned,” he said. “I would’ve been a little more risque.”
He could choose to do better, instead he mocks the “snowflakes” who were offended by his risqué humor.
He wasn’t being risqué in 2005 folks. Stop making excuses and/or being brainwashed—call it what it is.
Trump was “joking” about sexually assaulting women and being able to with no consequence because of who he is… and continues to “joke” about it. Don’t care how “minor”.
For the many times he has assaulted women and not been held accountable, what he “joked” about isn’t a joke… it’s the truth.
I’m not offended. I want different.
His lack of accountability and entitlement reminds me of the toxic fear culture I worked in for 8.5 years in Will Co.
If his “joke” is funny to you in the ha ha sense, I’d love to have a conversation.
From my humble perspective…
Tomorrow is the third and final day of trial where I’m prosecuting a stepdad child sex abuser facing a minimum of 63 years in prison, if convicted.
The second horrific Class X stepdad sex abuse case I’ve tried in less than two months.
The first jury trial in August resulted in a not guilty and it felt like my soul left my body watching a pedophile walk free empowered to strike again.
Most of the hundreds of pages of evidence I’ve had to scour through in 60 days will never be made public even with these Defendants taking their cases to trial… I can’t help but think about the mountains of physical evidence I didn’t see in Mady & Callie’s abusers’ criminal cases.
It makes me physically ill.
Jokes about sex assault normalize a gross culture that needs to stop—they aren’t funny to me; they shouldn’t be to you.
They are harmful.
That’s enough information to make my decision.
When my 6 & 8 year old Sopchicks are old enough to have the brain capacity to form an independent opinion on important topics, like a presidential election, I hope they want to have open dialogue with me.
I try to encourage it now with small decisions. Their opinion matters too. It’s healthy to have disagreements and just because I’m the parent, does NOT mean I’m always right.
I’ve learned and grown up a lot from parenting and loving my Sopchicks, just like my parents did in raising me—their little HSP exclamation point.
I like to show by experience or storytelling, obvi 🥰
So I thought about telling my two little girls that I voted for someone who jokes about taking advantage of women with no concern over consent.
Justify that for me.
It simply doesn’t align with my character and he won’t be earning my vote.
It’s my right.
With that, a suggestion.
America, it’s time to sharpen the saw.
Our “tool” in holding our government accountable is democracy. I can tell you after 10 years working in government that democracy tool is dull.
Saws are less effective when dull and need to be sharpened.
Be curious. Challenge your elected officials when you see something isn’t right. They are working for us, not the other way around.
Sitting back apathetic has gotten us to the current state of government. We need to sharpen the democracy tool with public, transparent accountability of our elected officials.
Time to do things differently and sharpen the saw.
While we’re at it, take some advice to recharge your own batteries from one of my Dad’s favorite books, The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People by Stephen Covey:
Happy Election Day America. If you voted, I’m proud of you and you should be proud of yourself, too.
Embrace GRAYce 
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