Taking a Step Back – Reflections on Limits, Triggers, and Keeping Focus on the Truth

Hello everyone,I want to give you a transparent update about something that happened recently while working on this petition.A few days ago, I became deeply upset and completely lost my composure in an exchange with someone on LinkedIn who had expressed interest in getting involved. What started as a conversation turned ugly very quickly: I was insulted, called degrading names ("bitch," "now bitch now" – as if I were some servant), and ultimately received a death threat. For anyone who doesn’t know my background, I spent years in domestically violent and emotionally abusive relationship. Being spoken to that way triggered old trauma hard, and I reacted strongly – far more strongly than I wish I had. I lost my cool, and I regret the way I handled it in the moment.

I’m not a professional advocate, therapist, or trained counselor. I studied psychology over a decade ago, but book knowledge is worlds apart from real-life mastery – especially when you’re dealing with your own unresolved pain. Trying to manage this petition while juggling multiple personal challenges has been exhausting, and this incident pushed me past my limit.

Let me be very clear about why I started and continue this petition:

It is not about being "nice" or performing compassion for applause. It is not about me being some flawless, saintly figure.

This is solely about getting the truth out there...nothing more, nothing less.

I’m tired of being treated disrespectfully by some people and then watching them act shocked when I finally push back. I can usually tell the difference between someone in genuine distress and someone deliberately provoking or bullying – in this case, it felt like a mix of both. The responsible choice would have been to disengage entirely, and I know that now. But I’m doing this work voluntarily, in my limited free time, and I’m human. I make mistakes. One of those very human parts of me is my language. I swear – a lot. The f-word is woven into how I express myself, especially when I’m stressed. . For some, that reads as aggression. For me, at this stage of my life (with no other vices to lean on), it’s simply a coping mechanism that helps me process and communicate. If that bothers you, I’m genuinely sorry – but please don’t ask me to strip away the one verbal outlet I have left.

I’m sharing this publicly because transparency matters to me, and because I don’t want anyone to idealize or misunderstand the person behind this effort. I’m flawed, I’m tired, and I’m doing my best with what I have.Thank you to everyone who continues to support this petition for the right reasons – focusing on the facts and the truth we’re trying to highlight. Your signatures, shares, and calm encouragement mean more than you know.  I’ll keep going, but I’ll also be setting firmer boundaries to protect what energy I have left. With honesty (and probably a few f-b**bs behind the scenes),

Clelia Jane 
Petition Creator