Taboo Words: Food for thought?

I am talking about the deep, darkest of secrets no one dares to speak. Why is it those words are always hidden? Why do we feel the need to button up our lip on opinions we have?

We talk about freedom of speech but there is always that one person that is offended, hates what you have to say, feels sorry for you, etc. The word rape seems to be as bad as the N word. Why is that? People who have been raped would love nothing more than to finally get off their chest those feelings they have had so wound up tight for many years that when they finally speak it just bursts out of them like the strongest volcano.

We shouldn't have to stay silent about what our opinions are just to keep from making someone else feel uncomfortable. We as a society stay quiet because we don't want the backlash. We don't want to hear someone's opinion about why what we said was wrong. We want nothing more than to just be heard. If not heard, then finally seen for what we believe, feel, or communicate why we feel this way.

We are no longer in the 80s where you had to just "imply" what you have to say. That is not fair for those that need those strong, vibrant words that help a person exclaim what they are feeling deep down inside.

To this day, swear words are STILL frowned upon. Those words help a person emphasize the hurt, anger, sadness that they may feel. As someone that has been abused, raped, and manipulated, all I ask is the ability to tell my story without someone comforting, yelling, or shushing me. Even as I was writing this, I contemplated putting the word "raped" because of the shock factor, which just proves my point even more so. The rape is a story for another day.

We all should be able to speak our truth. Whether it be abuse, manipulation, love, strength, or just simple opinions we may have. When we don't have a safe space to express these things, positive or negative, it takes a toll on our mental and physical health. When we are free to speak our mind to trusted people or platforms whether that be social media, articles, or a place to write freely with no limits, it helps the healing process for our mental health. Even just having a sophisticated argument (meaning both parties can have a conversation without it turning into heated emotions) can cause a better outcome for everyone. Communicating in such a way can help everyone understand one another in a way that will help get problems resolved easier, can help people feel more empathetic towards one another, and can help a person finally feel that they have been heard. Without hearing someone's perspective or opinion, you may not understand why they react to something you said or did that may have triggered them. With having an environment that can encourage one another to speak their mind more often, it will help resolve a lot of deep routed issues that we may not even known are there until it is brought to someone's attention.

Someone that has gone through such trials and stipulations should feel the comfort and freedom to tell their story. But no. Most of the time, society shuts us up. Even if we live in a free country, it does not feel as free as they make it sound. I hope someone out there feels the same way I do. Together lets break the stigma around these taboo words and allow for peaceful arguments to be had. The ability to hear everyone's view helps us all feel more sympathetic towards one another or so we all would hope.