Reminder that in addition to the obvious respiratory issues, which are also very serious, teargas is an abortifacient and there is minimal research on the subject and the effects these chemical weapons have on our bodies.

Teargas periods can look like many different things for different people. I know people who weren’t supposed to be getting periods due to hormones/birth control etc who started getting them again. I’ve spoken to people who started getting them twice monthly and had it last like that years after regular exposure. I’ve also spoken with folks who stopped getting one altogether. For the majority of people I’ve spoken to (and it’s been a lot over the years about this topic specifically)… teargas periods usually start from 2 hours after exposure to 3 days after. It tends to be much darker than usual, and all PMS and period symptoms exasperated, with many people getting symptoms that they didn’t typically deal with prior to exposure. Something else that is really common too is ovarian cysts that tend to flare up for the duration of the period, as well as during PMS leading up to periods once the body begins to regulate at this new baseline for what often becomes normal.

I’ve spoken with people who said their periods went back to normal after a certain period of time with no more exposure. And I’ve spoken to people who, like me, 5 years later after repeated exposure still struggle with all the above.

I know of at least 3 people firsthand who can no longer have children after repeated exposure, people who don’t all share the same reproductive organs. People with chronic serious respiratory issues. People who started having heart issues.

There’s just so much we don’t know. And who knows what all of the long term effects are.

And not that using chemical weapons is ever excusable, but it’s important to remember that this impacts entire communities. A city bus drove through the teargas last night along with multiple civilian cars. They gassed the elementary school right by ICE yet again. That street is filled with residential apartments.

Protect yourselves, wear PPE, and share your symptoms. There is no shame and absolutely nothing embarrassing about it. No matter what it is. People need to know what the United States government is doing to our bodies. And unfortunately, directly sharing our experiences is currently one of our only options to learning more about what this is doing to us.

Hey do you want to dismantle MAGA with a single simple question? Stay with me. I'm going to give you the six key differences between a MAGA and a Republican. Then I'm going to tell you the one question you can ask in every circumstance that completely dismantles MAGA.

1. CONSTITUTIONALISM vs FASCISM
If you are Republican, you have Constitutional loyalty. If you are MAGA, you are pro-authoritarian and anti-Constitution. Don't say "unconstitutional". That means it's not covered under the Constitution. MAGA is actively trying to dismantle the Constitution itself. MAGA supports the use of armed military to quell constitutionally guaranteed first amendment speech against the President. Republicans do not. When your politics require turning a blind eye to the Constitution in order to get what you want, that's not politics. That's fascism.

2. SMALL GOVERNMENT vs AUTHORITARIANISM
Republicans favor small government. MAGA favors government overreach. MAGA supports Elon Musk's "DOGE", a private organization masquerading as a government department that does not officially exist, taking your personal data without a warrant, and doing anything they want with it. The overreach is the thing they want. When your politics require government overreach, that's not politics. That's authoritarianism.

3. POLICY vs TEMPER TANTRUM
Republicans want policy reform, typically in the areas of trade, defense, and tax reform. Whereas MAGA is cult-driven, focused on emotional grievances, reinforcing a perceived victimhood which demands an aggression response. MAGA has no stated policy goals. It is driven entirely by the notion of retribution. This is why MAGA escalated things in L.A until things got violent, even when already getting the thing they claim they want - peaceful legal protests. When your politics require constant aggressive, emotional escalation that's not politics. That's a temper tantrum.

4. ELECTIONS vs ELECTION DENIAL
Republicans have a long history of respecting the peaceful transfer of power, and of free and fair elections, even in a loss. This is in sharp contrast to the MAGA candidate for President and all of the new MAGA senators, representatives, and governors, who are election deniers. They will use brutal force to undermine the outcome of elections that they lose. When your politics require denial of the facts, that's not politics. That's a cult.

5. GLOBAL RELATIONS vs TREASON
Republicans have a long history of respecting the sovereignty and policies of foreign nations, including a strong relationship with NATO. Whereas MAGA has formed alliances with authoritarian dictators who are enemies to America. MAGA goes out of their way to disrespect historical American allies such as Mexico, Canada, Denmark, Ukraine, and others, denying their sovereignty, and actively working with enemies of America such as North Korea and Russia. When your politics require giving aid to the enemy, that's not politics. That's treason.

6. RULE OF LAW vs TERRORISM
Republicans have a history of disagreements with liberals and Democrats. But those disagreements were always tempered by a willingness to stay within the bounds of civility and lawfulness. MAGA is not constrained by any such needs. When MAGA has a disagreement with liberals or Democrats, things turn immediately violent. MAGA threats to harm or kill Democratic leaders are commonplace. When your politics require a weapon, that's not politics. That's terrorism.

So, as you can see there are major differences between Republicans and MAGA. So now, here comes the one simple question that completely dismantles any MAGA no matter what the topic is.

"Are you a Republican, or are you MAGA?"

There's a certain kind of judgement that comes in high-demand religious circles.

It's the "I *could* judge... that would be totally warranted in this situation. But I'm such a good person that I won't. In fact, I may even be better than the people who DO judge this person."

Context: My reflections on my own inner world when I was still LDS looking at women still unmarried by age 24. Then I became that (divorced) unmarried late-20s person. I stopped judging so much after that.

This happens with hardly a conscious word. Just automatic. And usually there's some reason to make the exception. "But I *like* them." Or, "But they're so smart/pretty/such a sweet spirit."

This comes from the juxtaposition of several manipulation techniques: Particularly Elitism, Demand for Purity, and Us v Them. Anyone following the commandments is extra special, righteous, beloved by God and the community. So we all want to be that. But it's incredibly difficult to be that – in fact, it's impossible, because Demand for Purity makes you perpetually inadequate. The best you can really hope for is to *seem* righteous. And you're highly motivated to do so, because the converse of being extra righteous is being wicked, sinful, depraved, worldly. No in-betweens, thanks to Polarized Thinking (aka Black and White Thinking).

The result is that you can only feel righteous in comparison with others. So even though God said not to judge, you can't help it. (This trap is called a Double Bind.)

So you find yourself judging, it feels much better than the alternative (judging yourself), but now you're breaking a commandment not to judge. So you stop judging and feel like the great person that you so totally are... way better than those judgy-two-shoes!

What a mess!

#exmo #exmormon #AbuseCulture #ReligiousTrauma #LDS #Mormon #MindControl