Both Can Be True: Politics, Accountability, and the Cost of Silence
“When we’re told not to ‘make it political,’ what they often mean is: don’t make it accountable. But healing requires truth—and truth is always a little disruptive.” - Mary Coughlin
Both Can Be True: Politics, Accountability, and the Cost of Silence
It happens every time.
A moment of national upheaval—a storm, a shooting, an abuse of power, a building collapse, a policy that harms the most vulnerable. People cry out for change. Others respond with:
“This isn’t the time to get political.”
But here’s the thing:
The conditions that led to the crisis were already political.
And not getting political—not demanding accountability, not naming root causes—is how we keep ending up here.
The Trauma-Informed Truth
In trauma-informed practice, we understand that trauma doesn't happen in a vacuum.
It happens in context—in systems, environments, and relationships.
When something goes wrong—a baby harmed in a NICU, a community flooded without warning, a fire that spreads through an understaffed facility—we don’t just ask what happened.
We ask:
What conditions allowed this harm to occur? Who was responsible for those conditions? And what must change to prevent it from happening again?
That’s not politicizing tragedy.
That’s human-centered accountability.
The Impeachment Paradox
Take the impeachment of President Trump during his first term. People asked:
Was it legitimate? Or just partisan theater?
The honest answer?
Both can be true.
The charges—abuse of power and obstruction of Congress—were backed by evidence and constitutional precedent.
At the same time, they were pursued by a House majority with political motivations, just as the Senate’s acquittal reflected its own partisan interests.
But here’s the trauma-informed lens: Systems, like people, are messy.
Accountability doesn’t have to be pure to be real.
A process can be imperfect and necessary.
Just like healing.
When We Don't Speak Up
We see the same pattern after every tragedy.
A hurricane floods entire communities, and we’re told now’s not the time to criticize outdated infrastructure or climate denialism.
A fire breaks out in an under-resourced assisted living facility, and we’re told not to “politicize a tragedy.”
A detention center in Florida, built on fragile wetlands during hurricane season, floods within 24 hours of opening—and when advocates point out the obvious design and ethical failures, they’re told to stop making it political.
But the tragedy isn’t just the fire or the flood or the failure.
It’s that the conditions were preventable.
And when we avoid naming the cause, the cycle continues.
By the time it’s deemed “appropriate” to raise the issue, the moment has passed.
The news cycle moves on.
And nothing changes.
Both/And Thinking: The Path Forward
Trauma-informed care teaches us that healing begins with truth-telling—even when it’s uncomfortable.
Even when people accuse us of being “too political.”
We must be willing to hold complexity:
That a caregiver can love their patient and still cause harm.
That a policy may have noble intentions and devastating effects.
That a leader can be charismatic and deeply dangerous.
And yes, that a political process like impeachment can be both legitimate and strategic.
This isn’t about blame. It’s about honoring pain with action.
This Is the Time
If we truly want to prevent harm—whether in a NICU, a neighborhood, or a nation—we can’t wait for the “right time” to name the systems that failed.
The right time is when the wound is still open.
When people are still paying attention.
When compassion meets courage and says:
“Let’s understand what happened. Let’s hold people accountable. Let’s do better next time.”
Because otherwise, there will be a next time.
A Call to the Brave
If you’ve ever been told to quiet down “for now,”
If you’ve been shamed for making things “political” when you were just telling the truth,
If you believe accountability is a form of care—
You’re not alone.
And you’re not wrong.
Keep speaking. Keep naming. Keep weaving truth into the fabric of care.
It’s the only way we heal.
With fierce love and unwavering truth,
Mary
P.S.: If you're ready to move from silence to action, from care to courage—become a Trauma-Informed Professional.
TIP 2.0 is more than a certification. It's a call to rise, to reckon, and to reimagine what's possible in healthcare and beyond.
Let’s heal what’s been ignored. Let’s lead with care that disrupts.
