Treatment Abuse, Behavior Modification, Thought Reform > The Troubled Teen Industry

New York Times Executives Resign

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anon:
[ This Message was edited by: KarenZ on 2003-10-16 19:23 ]

Antigen:
Dear anon program parent,

While reading your post, I had an epiphany! What with all the bad news in the world these days, sometimes it's hard to keep a bright outlook. But, now that I see how you do it, I think anyone can do it too. For those readers who mised the trick, here it is broken down.

Every newspaper, magazine and broadcaster makes mistakes. I know that's harder to believe than last year's campaign promises, but it's true! Check and see. Every paper I've checked so far has a corrections and retractions section somewhere. Just like every good pencil has an eraser.

Since they all carry inacurate information sometimes, we don't really have to believe anything they say, do we? For example, I've been in a funk since around St. Paddy's Day last year over the war in Iraq. But I've never actually seen any firsthand evidence of war in Iraq. I've only heard it on tv and radio and read about it in the newspapers. For all I know, they're all just making it all up because sensationalism sells. Same goes for the DC sniper, domestic terrorism, unemployment, SARS, AIDS and a whole littany of other worries. Thanks to the wisdom and brilliance of my new friend here, I can simply disregard all of it out of hand because the papers are full it!

I know my life is going to be so much better now that I've found the secret to living in a perfect world! Thank you so much for making my life so better.

BTW, here are some other articles about WWASP and/or Dundee. Gosh! That sure is an awful lot of mean, spiteful, inacurate reporting, huh? There seems to be a whole RASH of it and it's been going on for years now! Good thing we don't have to believe any of it, huh?

http://fornits.com/anonanon/peaars.cgi? ... 0&months=0
Speak gently! 't is a little thing Dropp'd in the heart's deep well; The good, the joy, that it may bring Eternity shall tell.
-- G. W. Langford: Speak gently.

--- End quote ---

spots:
I spoke with Tim Weiner several times as he gathered information for his initial article.  I provided him with source material (about 6" worth!).  He used this as a starting point in a few directions, but NEVER quoted my stuff...only went directly to the source for an interview.  Mr. Weiner, based in Mexico City and covering Mexico and Central America as a Times staffer, also produced an excellent piece in the same May 9 edition about Bahia de Kino, a very tough but supportive and successful school.  How come you're not complaining about THAT, Ms. Anonomous?  Mr. Weiner has two Pulitzer Prizes, one about internal workings in the CIA, and he said he had never worked with such a difficult and hard-to-break-into subject.  He has also never been sued as a reporter, and went to great lengths to only print what he could support with testimony...even stating specifically which interviews were by phone.  

On the strugglingteens.com website, there is a Letter to the Editor by Donna Hamel about her "success" with Casa by the Sea.  She has revised it recently, (along with a couple of "Gee, the Program is great for my kid" support letters written by compliant parents only days after the Dundee mess hit the fan) and complains Mr. Weiner spoke to her and her now-released daughter at length, yet quoted only the most sensational snippet.  Well...her daughter (quoted) told how she was Level 4 and instantly demoted to Level 1 for hugging a crying companion, lonely at Thanksgiving.  WWASP punishes compassion, and rewards obedience.  I think this is pretty darn sensational too...and I remember that incident more than endless vague exortations from Mrs. Hamel about building self-esteem and taking responsibility for actions, etc.  Show me platitudes and show me anectdotes...I'll believe the anectdotes, especially if I KNOW they're researched and true.  Mrs. Hamel also blathers on about The Director (Dace Goulding) never being contacted by Mr. Weiner, even though he set up a phone interview appointment.  Mrs. Hamel believes the director's statements to her about setting up this arrangement, saying he is a wonderful fellow and her daughter just loves him and he has very nice parents himself.  Mr. Weiner talked with me by phone just after he sent his article to the NYT for editorial review before printing.  He stated he could not get an interview with the director.  Now, who do you believe...NY Times reporter, 2 Pulitzers, tons on the line here...or a WWASP staffer who also says he never met the High Impact torture victim or his parents, the incident which closed down this facility?  This director lies like a rug, and you want me to disregard the newspaper reporter with an entire career of integrity behind him?  

BTW, after walking a tightrope about forwarding negative information to my daughter who has incarcerated our grandaughter in Casa for 7 months now, I emailed the Times piece without comment.  That unleashed a violent tirade of email attacks on me for not supporting the Program and undermining the brilliant future this child faces once she is allowed to speak to peers, finally receive a monthly phone call from home, put in more expensive time learning how to berate peers in "group", and "building her self-esteem".  We are permanently cut off from her, at least until she is 18.  Drinking the Kool-Aid, this parent has lost reason on forging her daughter's future.  

Believe what the newspapers say if the only other option is to blindly follow what WWASP wants you to know.  The antidote to secrecy is exposure.  Hopefully, the bright light will save new children from years of anguish.

Anonymous:
One might also note that WWASP is *not* suing the New York Times.  To my knowledge, they never sued the Rocky Mountain News or any other major news organization that has written negative stories about them.  They have, however, gone after small websites which don't have the resources to fight back.  This suggests that they recognize that the law is not on their side if it's a fair fight between orgs with equally deep pockets.

Anonymous:
Spots.  I'm sorry you feel your grand daughter is being abused in some way.  I haven't spent a lot of time reading through this entire forum, nor researching all the articles out there. I'm not familiar with the strugglingteens site, but will check it out. I acknowledge you for all the research you've put into needing to rescue your grand daughter.  Does your granddaughter WANT to be rescued? Your view is very real to you, mine is very real to me.  That's what it's all about, right?  Freedom of speech. I didn't read enough of the posts to see the parents Tim Weiner actually spoke with are on this forum.  I mistook Mr. Weiner's status as a freelancer due to his unprofessionalism in not researching another side of the story before writing it.  

Bottom line is that I support the facts and the abuse that was happening at Dundee Ranch was the abuse of power from a local government official  The abuse was not from staff, but from the 30 students who trashed the place.  These are the same kids that abused their parents (and themselves) which resulted in their admission to Dundee Ranch Academy.  The abuse came from a former director who was asked to leave or be fired for her incompetence. The abuse is from these 30 (out of 200) students who continued to abuse their parents by writing to them about how they were being abused.  There were parents there who were visiting their kids and because there were "always" parents there visiting there kids, wouldn't you think they would see abuse??  They did witness some of the students attempting to verbally abuse the staff!  Go figure!

When a student writes to a parent claiming abuse, an intelligent parent will not close their eyes to this possibility, but take action to see if their kid is yet again making up stories to get what they want, or if it is true.  My personal knowledge is that the kids who write  to their parents that they are being abused do so because it feeds on the parent's fears.  If they make it sound real, then the parents that believe it will come and bring them home from the big bad program.  The kids know the rules and they know the consequences, and the consequences are not abusive. Did they follow the rules at home?  Did they agree to consequences when they were home? In a troubled teen they may feel ALL consequences are abusive..at home, at school, at any place that has rules...they've abused their rights...go figure, again!

Very FEW parents choose a specialty boarding school first.  Like me, they may have tried counseling, parenting classes, scare tactics (visiting a juvenile center), attempted to talk with them, given them our love, sent them to relatives for a change of environment....plus much more, and nothing worked or got worse. I no longer chose to continue to accept the choices and the behavior that created the chaos at home. I needed help just as much as my kid did.   There are MANY other programs besides WWASP out there.  The reason I chose a WWASP program was because it's based on results, not time, with a positive peer culture.  It involves the whole family in the process through workshops (both parent and parent/child) local support groups, family therapy, home visits...and it has a phenominal after-care program to aid in the continued success once the residential part of the stay is over.  My family is successful, and it's been a couple of years since my kid has been home.
 
I know this is long and it sounds like I'm defending WWASP.  It goes deeper than that, I'm choosing to share another side of what this site is intended for.  My purpose is to support the facts in the real world.  If abuse is proven, then yes, it needs to be shut down and be held accountable. I am not a supporter of abuse in any way.

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