I had a particularly bad shift involving yet another transphobic assault, and in my down time the rest of the Ebrahimi story emerged, as linked to in the story comments. Tired, fed up, hormones doing the things they do, I wrote a brutal story in one sitting. Trouble is, all I did was hold a mirror up to the reality of 'welfare' at the moment.
I wept as I typed. Enough said. I cling to my professed faith in family and friends, but then I look at poor Mr Ebrahimi and, well, shit.
Comments
It was a good story
Yes, it showed us a great deal of hate on the part of everyone around Mandy. I really hope that I never have to live the life she was subjected to. If I think about it too much, it's easy for me to join you in crying. You accomplished what every writer aims for and that is to draw emotions out of your audience.
You Exposed
The flaws in our society; the innate prejudice in the people amongst whom we have to live and the casual callousness of those who administer welfare to the needy.
The police in your story are a perfect mirror to the two officers convicted of negligence in the real-life case. They had basically made their minds up and couldn't give a shit.
Perhaps if Mandy had lived in somewhere like Brighton, which would maybe have been more sympathetic to those like her, she might have lived, but who knows?
Steph, as brutal as it was, this needed to be written.