A Message From The Condemned

We are tried from Birth

For all the sins we have not committed

And praised

For all the things we have not earned

We are tried for our appearance, our height, our weight, our success or lack there of

Found Guilty on Each and Every Account

We are tried for our heritage, our culture, our gender, our family

The Jury’s verdict remains the same

We build our character, our integrity, our intelligence, our impact

For which we are also found guilty for

Not because we lack those qualities that are touted

But because we embody them

We embody the values that are preached but not believed

We embody the bodies they don’t wish to see

We are judged, mocked, bullied, and ridiculed

Then worst yet, are forgotten and ignored

Left with the scars of the past

And loneliness of the present

The apathy more corrosive than the hatred

We Are The Eternally Condemned

This is a message from the disenfranchised

A message from the marginalized

A message from the condemned for the world to open their eyes

and see us for who we really are

In my early and late teens, I was bullied extensively for being anorexic and quite ugly. Later on in college, after I started working out and dressing well, I noticed a massive difference in both how I was perceived and treated. I was respected more, treated better and given more opportunities simply because of my appearance. All the while, I was still the same person internally. This experience revealed to me how shallow society is. Despite its consistent portrayal of valuing things like personality, integrity, and character, I found that materialistic values like looks, money, and status are what truly seem to motivate peoples’ decisions and behavior. Though this is obviously a simplified rendering of my experience, I hope that this resonates with you. I hope even more so that it doesn’t.