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He Sent a Photo of a Torture Device. I Knew What It Meant.

He Sent a Photo of a Torture Device. I Knew What It Meant.

How to Speak When a Dictatorship is Listening

Alisa Valdes-Rodriguez's avatar
Alisa Valdes-Rodriguez
Mar 23, 2025
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Alisa Writes
Alisa Writes
He Sent a Photo of a Torture Device. I Knew What It Meant.
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The Message

A friend of mine sent me a picture in reply to news about my move to Texas. No context, just an image: a brutal, medieval torture device called The Breast Ripper, built with spikes and hinges, on display in a museum. The caption: Greetings from Belgium. I googled the thing and found it was used to slowly rip the breasts off of women who dared…

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