43 Comments
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Tara Christina's avatar

Dear Sage, you know how I feel about this. I appreciate your dedication to shutting down plagiarism.

I despise AI and ChatGPT, it bothers me that so many people rely on it.

I use my own words and if I use anyone else’s, it’s a quote with their name/work referenced.

Thank you so much for keeping this going.

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Sage Justice's avatar

Thank you. Your support is meaningful.🌸

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Tara Christina's avatar

You’re welcome!

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Michele Wood's avatar

Sage, I haven’t been able to listen to Mel since reading one of your articles about the Let Them origin. Fortunately there is so much variety in Substack I am needing less coaching and more art.

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Sage Justice's avatar

Just the art part… a poem

Usurped

She walked into the retirement home library

like a bull in a china shop

holding her green covered book,

“The Let Them Theory”

announcing loudly ”her legacy” that she had published.

The grandmother, while doing a puzzle, shushed her, and said,

“Put it on the book shelf next to the girl who was here first,”

pointing to a framed poem by Cassie Phillips,

next to the photos of “Let Them” tattoos and merchandise from three years before

this woman

entered this room,

with this book.

Returning to the puzzle while the woman read the poem,

the grandmother heard the woman

whisper to herself,

“All the pieces were already here, I did usurp them.”

© Sage Justice 2025

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Sage Justice's avatar

Yes, to more art! Thanks for sharing. 🎭🎨🖌️🖼️

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Diane Petrella's avatar

Thank you for this, Sage. As a psychotherapist and author myself—and just a human who cares about injustice—I appreciate all you're doing for Cassie Phillips and this overall cause.

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Sage Justice's avatar

Thanks, Diane. I appreciate you taking the time to leave a note of kindness.🌻

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Leigh's avatar

After spotting your first article about this, not long after an interview with Mel promoting “her” book had been released on the We Can Do Hard Things podcast, I reached out to WCDHT and sent them your article. And perhaps others did as well. I am relieved to see they removed her interview from their released episodes! It is no longer on Apple Podcasts nor on Spotify. I know that does not “fix” this issue, but I was happy to see this very highly ranked show took it seriously enough to take her interview down. One small victory. Thank you for informing us about this serious issue. 🙏🏼

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Sage Justice's avatar

Wow! That’s incredible. Thank you for taking the initiative to share my work in the name of justice for us all. Good on you and good on them for choosing integrity. I appreciate you. Thank you for sharing this story. Keep telling people of the difference you made. I believe in the power of one. You’re an inspiration. THIS is how we create the world we want to live in. ❤️‍🩹

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Sage Justice's avatar

Thank you for sharing.🌻

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Tara's avatar

“The footnote of grace…” Yes.

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Sage Justice's avatar

Thank you.😊

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Lucy Celebrates's avatar

Yes, I agree. "The footnote of grace" is a beautiful and powerful call to action.

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Mary Beth Kaplan🪶's avatar

Looking forward to getting Cassie’s book when it’s out! And also “yes”… “footnotes of grace…”🥰

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Sam Messersmith's avatar

Superbly written. Credit upon credit being given to those voices who added to the conversation. It is a wonderful thing to see.

Here is to the spread of the "footnote of grace"!

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Sage Justice's avatar

Thank you. Lots of voices to credit in this one.🌻

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Amiee Kane's avatar

I see this as a result of the downfall of basic manners

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Sage Justice's avatar

Good point

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Stela BM's avatar

Ever since your first article I deleted all her podcasts and unsubscribed from everything related to her. Wonderful to see wcdht podcast deleting her interview. I know they read everything, all comments. Thank you for your work. All the small steps matter.

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Sage Justice's avatar

Thank YOU for this comment. I don’t know much about it but I’m grateful for those who have the courage to tell the truth and protect the marginalized and do the right thing in actions not words.

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Sarina Zoe's avatar

I’m here to say YES YOU GO!!

It’s remarkable that in this world of incessant newness of content you’re holding the fort on this essential message, driving it home every time and gathering those whose hearts know WHY it’s essential 💜

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Sage Justice's avatar

Bless you. Thank you, dear one.🫶

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Paulette Bodeman's avatar

This is an important issue. Thank you for shedding light on this topic and for standing strong for creatives who are undervalued and underrecognized. Your work, Daisy Buchanan's, and Amanda Hinton's have caused me to pause. Coming from an oral tradition and writing on Tantric yogic teachings, I've contemplated how to be more vigilant in acknowledging my teachers.

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Sage Justice's avatar

Thank you, Paulette. Your comment is the silver lining to this issue. If everything really does happens for a reason, maybe this is the reason this happened— to remind us all to give credit and the natural consequences of not doing so. I appreciate you. ☕️🌷

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Paulette Bodeman's avatar

There does seem to be a gift arising, for all of us, from this messy situation.

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Holly Starley's avatar

Wow. Sage, thank you for shedding light on this issue and championing lesser know writers in this way. I appreciate it as one myself and as a human who craves justice. It absolutely floors me to imagine someone not giving credit to the work that inspires them. It’s such a beautiful thing to do, such an integral part of writing and creating to build on and speak to and pay homage to ideas of others.

To footnotes of grace! To our words being honored and valued and credited when they inspire others!

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Sage Justice's avatar

Thank you for adding your wisdom to the conversation. 🌸

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Beverly Sorrells's avatar

Thank you, Cassie, for shedding light on this issue. I was not aware of it before today, and now I am glad I hadn't gotten around to buying her book yet. While I do believe in the same thoughts theory and that there is nothing new under the sun, how people can take a concept and run with it -- your research has shown that this was not the case in this instance. To acknowledge someone else's words, then run with it and claim it "came to you" during a party, and then have the balls to try and trademark it, using someone else's materials as proof? Omg. Just, omg.

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Sage Justice's avatar

Thanks Beverly. While the story was about what happened to Cassie, my name is Sage Justice, the author of the piece. 🌻

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Katherine Baldwin's avatar

Thank you for raising awareness of this issue in such a powerful and vocal way. I celebrate your courage and determination to be heard and to speak up on behalf of Cassie Phillips.

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Sage Justice's avatar

Thank you for these kind and supportive words. I so appreciate hearing my words make a difference. Thank you for sharing and subscribing.

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Cozy Coffee Talk's avatar

I wasn’t aware and now that I am, I deleted her book from my Kindle. It just feels “icky”. I am looking forward to Cassie’s book when it comes out. Thank you for all you have shared.

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