Facebook Publication Date: 43549.960416667

An open letter to Mary Jo.

Mary Jo Shull, if and when you are ready to join this community with full intention, we will meet you.

Meanwhile, for the time you are here and actively harming, I am making the strong request, to the point of a directive, that you neither like or heart or comment on posts.

You are still here and reading, and that’s good.

But know this: we are not going to spend another second on your acts outside of the object lesson/case study it provides us with.

A casual observer would think you are some sort of plant, wreaking havoc in order to serve the larger goal of shedding a light on relational ethics, in this case as an example of what exactly not to do.

When I say when you are ready to return in full communion with the community, this is exactly what I mean.

First and foremost, whatever blocks you have placed on me, the admins or anyone else in this space–that includes Claire and Marlise, remove them. We do not block; that is violence, and that is one of the things you agreed to. Live it out.

Secondly, when you are ready, you can message us and affirm your readiness to work with one of the admins to walk through your choices in this space. Yes, that will include an apology, an authentic one which hits all the elements of an apology that matters. You will have assistance in drafting this. Then you will post it in a separate post.

Lastly you will consider your review. You will have help in discerning if that action was coming from a place of integrity or one of retaliation.

Mary Jo Shull, you have made this space less safe by your actions and by your continued presence here. Less safe for the community as a whole, yes, but also to the women of color observing and testing out if they will find real succor and communion and abiding in this space. You have certainly made it less safe for me, in a space I created out of service. You have done real, and intentional, damage and violence.

It matters not what outside counsel you sought. This is the community you deeply harmed with your violence, and this is the community you must face.

When you are ready to live out the ethos and the values of this space, again, we will meet you. When you are ready to truly internalize Full Respect Living, when you are ready to lean into becoming a different woman than we have so far seen.

Not a second before.

I am breaking this out into an open letter, because the harm you visited was not only to me, but to the community members, all of whom have been affected by your unfortunate choices. They deserve better than you gave them.

Time for acknowledgement, deep reflection, repair, and amends.

No comments, hearts or likes.

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