How in the hell did you guys take it?

[Anonymous]

One thing I dont understand, you read about riots at some of the current schools, all the students fighting back, why was there nothing like this at straight?

The misbehaviors did! I remember we would take one eyed glances at eachother, Do a thumbs up and motioned with your thumb, then the misbehavor would put up 3 fingers, I would get the attention of the girls mibehaviors and do the same. we would all watch the fingers and when the 3rd finger came up we all fucking jumped and ran. The entire group stood up well not the people that had been there only a day or so lol. All of us got restrained. Screaming and yelling went on for hours. This is when staff would decide its time to get rid of some of us. some people that wasnt misbehaving would try and run too. I was so drained from fighting. I gave it my all. I had no energy left in my 13 yr old body. I was very athletic before I got there. I was a very srtong 13 yr old. When your all battered and bruised and it hurts to move any limbs, and you still have people holding your hands on your knees and a person has there hand on the back of your chair with the knuckles sticking out so you dont lean back on the chair, you go ahead and lean on those knuckles cause your body is so drained and you dont have enven the energy to keep your back off them. I have passed out while having knuckles in my back and being so exhuasted from fighting. I fought till the end!!! Every ounce of energy I could find in me fought. I had long blonde hair, they cut it. They drained me, all of me. If a person was working the program, they could only look at the person that was talking. They would get stood up in group and confronted if they got cought looking at another person and it sometimes would lead to getting lowered a phase. Is it worth joining in the misbehaviors jump and run riot? Knowing that you are deciding to misbehave and now you will be stuck misbehaving and the old misbehaviors are the ones that come up missing for the next few days. Thinking they sent those misbehaviors to a worse place than Straight? Remember you are a kid and think well at least I know how Straight is, there could be worse places. When you work the program at least you have hope of someday going home.

[starry-eyed pirate]

On 2005-06-29 09:20:00, 001010 wrote:

" kids with no rights.
"

There's the whole problem, right there.

[OverLordd]

. we would all watch the fingers and when the 3rd finger came up we all fucking jumped and ran.

that Ladies and gentlemen is what im talking about!!! Well good try...

You were very young, maybe im looking at this from the wrong spot, maybe I should be looking at it from the side of a young teen instead of the almost adult that I am.

[Anonymous]

On 2005-06-29 12:10:00, OverLordd wrote:

"
You were very young, maybe im looking at this from the wrong spot, maybe I should be looking at it from the side of a young teen instead of the almost adult that I am."

Keep in mind you are also benefiting with already having knowledge of these type of faciltiies. Most, if not all kids who go through these types of programs have no idea what they are in for. You are lied to, constantly, about everything. You are not sure enough to take violent action, shit man, it takes years afterwards to figure out what the fuck just happened. Afterwards it feels like a dream... you wonder, how could that have just happened? Hindsight is 20/20, as they say. If I knew about programs before I ended up in one, I would have done more to stay out. Once I figured out what was going on it was too late.

[Anonymous]

Just like the grad said "divide & conquer". Even the people that misbehaved reported people. You could think you and someone very close and the next day come to group and the person reported you for supposed "wrongs" or "doubts".

Unless you were a newcomer w/ nothing to lose then yes it may have been possible to talk to the other newcomer at the host home when the oldcomer was in bed to plot running away or whatever. Usually, this didn't happen as people were always terrified and losing what little "privledge" they had.

[Antigen]

Funny story. The last time I split, the other three girls I went to school w/ split the same day. Two of them were together, the other two of us alone. None of us either confided in nor suspected the others. Shit, I'm surprised the two went together. I would never even have considered risking my split plans by confiding in anybody about it.

On the dogmas of religion, as distinguished from moral principles, all mankind, from the beginning of the world to this day, have been quarreling, fighting, burning and torturing one another for abstractions unintelligible to themselves and to all others, and absolutely beyond the comprehension of the human mind.
--Thomas Jefferson, U.S. President, author, scientist, architect, educator, and diplomat

[Anonymous]

"How in the hell did you guys take it?"

I'm going to be as succinct with you as I possibly can.

I'm really offended by your naivety which seems to be monumental.

An individual is sent to 'Straight' or any other intervention program that you wish to name.

You are one, and they are many. You may not wish to co-operate or allow them access to your mind, but they are prepared for that. Whatever you will think of doing by way of not co-operating, passive resistance or aggressive behaviour? They are prepared for, and have a response.

When you arrive at one of these places only two things are important. Your desire to not be changed, and their desire to change you.

This is not a one on one thing, where you may outlast the abilities of one person, you would have to outlast the abilities of an unknown amount of people. You are one, they are legion. Get it?

They want to break you, and change you. It's why they are their, and the more you fight, the more they'll step up their actions to break you. You think you can fight and outwit them because you truly can't imagine what they can do or their power.

Not that I'm suggesting anyone should just give in, or not try, but you have to understand what it means to be alone surrounded by people who's very motivating force in life is to force you to do as they wish, not as you wish.

Do yourself a favour Overlord. Stop commenting on your 'I'd do this crap' because that's all it is. Everyone here has told you some of the horrors that go on and yet you still continue with your glib comments. You're not adding anything, and in many ways detracting from what others have gone through and survived.

Anonymous.

[OverLordd]

Ok anon, I'm going to assume your new around here because its the first time I have seen your writeing style, but time to share somthing here.

I am ignorant, I dont know what they went through, hell I'm 17 I was just born in 1987 and guess what, I want to learn and understand. I'm sorry if I offened you, but I ask this question so I could understand and get into their heads to see what was going on and what was happening. Why are you offended? No one else seems offended in anyway at a child trying to learn something, I believe I am showing respect by trying to understand what they went through.

You are one, they are legion. Get it?

Its here where you start bothering me anon, you seem to think that one person can do nothing, you seem to believe that independance and fighting for what you want and what you believe are unimportant. You seemed very fatalistic in all your comments, and I cannot stand that, there is always hope, there is always a light, so what if their trainned, so what if their preped, you can still do somthing about it.

Do yourself a favour Overlord. Stop commenting on your 'I'd do this crap' because that's all it is. Everyone here has told you some of the horrors that go on and yet you still continue with your glib comments. You're not adding anything, and in many ways detracting from what others have gone through and survived.

This is the most condisending, disrespectful comment I have had shot at me in a long time. Guess what, I fight for what I believe in, if I say I'm going to do something, I am going to do it. I am trying to understand why what happened happened from their point of view and thats very hard when you cant even remember the 80's. I dont believe I have detracted a single thing from this conversation because I started the convsation, half of the things said here, I have seen no where else on the board, and I am proud that I have helped them come to light.

You anon, need to stop being disrespectful to some one trying to learn something.

[001010]

:roll:

------------------------------------------------------

Nicely put, Anonymous.

The great object is that every man be armed. Everyone who is able may have a gun.
-- Patrick Henry

_________________
EST (Lifespring) '83
Salesmanship Club '84-'86
Straight, Inc. '86-'88

All that is necessary for the triumph of evil is that good men do nothing. ~ Edmund Burke

[OverLordd]

Great, thanks for the support...

Hehe  :razz:

[Anonymous]

Overlordd, you are golden. I love that you want to understand, that you hold to your idealism -- which makes it hard for you to understand the extreme nature of the institution of Straight, but that's okay. Ideals die hard, and they should. I love that you are here because you really give a damn, the injustice of these institutions hits you hard, and you were never even in a program.

It is frustrating that you want to tell us there was hope if we only fought back. Some of us were very quickly crushed when we went in. Holding onto ideals like "fighting back" gets in the way of understanding individual reactions to the very extreme environment. There are a very few who fought and maintained the fight the entire time they were there. Sure that is admirable, but those are stories of individuals, and you will never understand these places if you look at that as the ideal. There is a reason that the combined and powerful tactics at Straight work. I would suggest that some of the answers might be found in researching brainwashing techniques. If I find the link I am thinking of I will post it later. Carry on. You hit nerves with people and I know that you do not mean to. I am guessing you don't want to give up some idealistic belief you have. You keep saying "but you could have...", and we keep explaining how it broke even the most idealistic among us.

Sincerely

[OverLordd]

Overlordd, you are golden. I love that you want to understand, that you hold to your idealism -- which makes it hard for you to understand the extreme nature of the institution of Straight, but that's okay. Ideals die hard, and they should. I love that you are here because you really give a damn, the injustice of these institutions hits you hard, and you were never even in a program.

It is frustrating that you want to tell us there was hope if we only fought back. Some of us were very quickly crushed when we went in. Holding onto ideals like "fighting back" gets in the way of understanding individual reactions to the very extreme environment. There are a very few who fought and maintained the fight the entire time they were there. Sure that is admirable, but those are stories of individuals, and you will never understand these places if you look at that as the ideal. There is a reason that the combined and powerful tactics at Straight work. I would suggest that some of the answers might be found in researching brainwashing techniques. If I find the link I am thinking of I will post it later. Carry on. You hit nerves with people and I know that you do not mean to. I am guessing you don't want to give up some idealistic belief you have. You keep saying "but you could have...", and we keep explaining how it broke even the most idealistic among us.

Sincerely

I understand now, I'm so sorry if I came off on the wrong side of things on this guys, I did not mean to. I was looking at it the wrong way I see now. My idealism was blinding me, I supose, to the reality of the situation, and while not hopless, was highly difficult to resist for the time one was enrolled there. Again, im sorry, I understand now.

[Anonymous]

Its here where you start bothering me anon, you seem to think that one person can do nothing, you seem to believe that independance and fighting for what you want and what you believe are unimportant. You seemed very fatalistic in all your comments, and I cannot stand that, there is always hope, there is always a light, so what if their trainned, so what if their preped, you can still do somthing about it.

Why do you ask a question, and then go about telling people what they should have done. This makes no sense. I would continue to bash you, but I noticed you are only 17. Things are making more sense now.  :roll:

[The Graduate]

On 2005-06-30 06:10:00, OverLordd wrote:

"Great, thanks for the support...



Hehe  :razz: "

Overlordd people can be defensive about this subject b/c each one of us has been over the "what ifs" in our heads a million times. Straight and the humiliation is an open sore for some people here. Everyone of us wishes we would have done something differently there.

Oh, one person really didn't make much difference at Straight. Even the misbehavers were a temporary nuisance to the "Straight" machine. Their disturbances quickly slammed to the floor. If they continued they were taken to small 10x10 rooms. Or that is my opinion.

[OverLordd]

Why do you ask a question, and then go about telling people what they should have done. This makes no sense. I would continue to bash you, but I noticed you are only 17. Things are making more sense now.  

I dont believe I told people what should of been done, im sorry if I came off this way, I ment to ask, why dident this happen, or why did this happen. Again, im sorry that I came off wrong, I also said things I would do in a given situation, but I see that was wrong now, because I don't know the full extent of the situation.