When Truth Can no Longer be Hidden

I Too, Remember Damage*

In a recent phone call, I learned about skeletons hidden in closets of two well respected organizations. Both institutions have a mission to help those who have been violated, coerced and abused. The first-hand observer/truth-teller on the other end of the line, spoke slowly, allowing me time to fill in the gaps between the words she could not utter.

This conversation affirms something I sensed but did not want to admit. Her words lift the veil of denial that had kept me comfortably blind. Although my personal experience with both organizations is minimal, the brunt of truth hit me like a blow to my gut. I had assumed inclusivity to be a founding principle where instead, a gatekeeper controls who receives the benefits of their programs — glaringly so in the past, but it continues today. In summary, she said, “Many people have not received the help they hoped for. They were harmed instead.”

When helpers cause harm, I wonder, does the injury inflicted create a greater burden on those who need care?

Helpers, I realize, come in large and small packages — from entire governments to mission based non-profits to individuals who aim to help those in need. But I have to wonder what happens within the halls of such organizations. Do they reckon with their past so as to better…