When Advocacy Becomes a Target: Bullying Grieving Families into Silence
Real posts. Real hate. And the painful price of speaking out after loss.
When my son died from mitragynine toxicity, my world shattered.
But in my grief, I made a choice—to speak. To advocate. To warn.
And for that, I’ve been targeted.
It’s one thing to lose a child.
It’s another to be mocked, harassed, and bullied for daring to talk about it.
For saying out loud that kratom is dangerous.
For standing with lawmakers trying to prevent more deaths.
For refusing to let my son be just another statistic.
This is what silence looks like—enforced through cruelty.
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These Are Real Posts from Real People
These aren’t trolls hiding behind anonymous accounts.
They’re vocal kratom advocates—some even leading online groups that lobby against kratom bans in Louisiana, New York, and beyond.
1. Character Assassination of Lawmakers
Rep. Kathy Edmonston of Louisiana was smeared with a past DUI accusation, blasted in videos made to shame her for supporting a kratom ban.
Another legislator, Rep. Romero, was publicly accused of drinking before a vote. Not based on facts—just innuendo, mockery, and retaliation for doing their jobs.
This is not democracy in action. It’s harassment disguised as activism.
Attacks on Grieving Families
This one hit me personally.
After I shared that my son Joseph didn’t die from opioids, alcohol, or prescription drugs—only kratom—I was called:
• A liar
• A paid lobbyist
• A bad mother
• And worse.
One message said my son “would be ashamed of me.”
But then came something far more vile—a message that no parent should ever receive, shown below verbatim:
“Your son deserved to die… burn in hell 🔥”
“I hope your whole family dies slowly… and you kill yourself.”
And then:
“Did I make you cry, bitch? Boo hoo.”
This isn’t disagreement. This is emotional terrorism.
[Attached screenshot: hate message from Jessie Leann]
Another user falsely accused me of racism, bigotry, and even wanting public executions of kratom users—a fabricated smear campaign meant to discredit a mother advocating for safety.
But Here’s What They Don’t Understand
We don’t speak because it’s easy.
We don’t speak because we want attention.
We speak because our children can’t.
We are fighting for:
• Truth
• Prevention
• Accountability
• And change
And we will not be silenced by character assassination or cruelty.
In fact, every insult thrown at us just exposes how desperate the kratom industry and its defenders are to bury the truth.
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To Those Who Harass Grieving Families:
You may think you’re protecting a product.
You’re really protecting a lie.
The truth is catching up.
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Evidence and References:
• 🧪 CDC Study: Kratom was found in 152 overdose deaths across 27 states (2016–2017). In seven of those, kratom was the only substance detected.
CDC Source
• ⚖️ Georgia Lawsuit: The parents of Ethan Pope sued after their son died from kratom, citing the lack of warnings and regulation.
CBS News Report
• 🧬 California Data: A Kern County study found kratom (mitragynine) present in 1.9% of opioid-related overdose deaths.
National Library of Medicine
• 🚨 FDA Warnings: The FDA has repeatedly warned that kratom has opioid-like properties and has been linked to multiple deaths.
FDA & Lawsuit Resource
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Final Word
Why We Speak
We don’t speak because it’s easy.
We don’t speak because we want attention.
We speak because our children can’t.
And every cruel message, every baseless accusation, every effort to discredit grieving parents—only proves how threatened the kratom industry and its defenders feel by the truth.
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A Final Word to Those Who Harass Grieving Families
You may think you’re protecting a product.
You’re really protecting a lie.
We will not be silenced. We will not stop.
Because no parent should have to suffer like this again.
This is not just about kratom.
This is about the right to grieve, the right to speak, and the right to protect others from harm.
No family should have to endure what mine has.
But we will not back down. We will not be intimidated.
We are here—for our children, for yours, and for every life at risk.
– Wendy Chamberlain
Founder, Kratom Danger Awareness
https://www.kratomdangerawareness.org