Rampant Speaking Out In Group - WWASPS Christmas

[spots]

As Ginger suggests, "become the media".  Another anecdote, to give you a view into Real Life at WWASPS:

We three went to the mall yesterday in Sacramento...Grandpa, me, and The Kid.  She chose as her treat at Trader Joe's a small 8oz. container of mixed fruit globs covered in chocolate.  Driving in the car on the way home...

"...I got a really big container of these for Christmas at Casa, about 3 times this size.  It had some other stuff too, seasoned cashews, gummy somethings, other candy.  [from her mother, who would not be able to speak once to her during her 10-month stay at Casa By The Sea because staff insisted no communication with your own child if she was not a Level III].  I ate as much as I could on Christmas Day, because at the end of the day, they [staff] took all the Christmas food goods from everybody and threw them away."

Same sort of scarey fatalistic story, knowing it was terribly wrong but powerless except for the re-telling to someone.  That re-telling is a good treatment for her PTSD.  

Is the cruelty of destroying a child's privacy, personal property, her only present from home, her link with the outside world a necessary act of "family healing" that WWASPS harps on?  Or is it just another example of poor people run amok, people whose small pitiful joy on Christmas Day is to sadistically destroy whatever is in reach?  Can WWASPS point to such officially-condoned behavior and explain it as accountability, integrity, knowing the real self, "results oriented" Program action?  Did it help?  It set up another brick in the strong wall of hate that this child is attempting to dismantle every free day.

WWASPS parents, Merry Christmas to you.  Your gift is poison and meaness, and your children are learning by example how to treat the world around them when they finally return to it.

[Anonymous]

actually been told the same thing and that the planters were filled with vomit because the kids gourged themselves- seems sort of sadistic to have it taken away at the end of Christmas day..I was told that upper levels would go through with big bags and take it away too because they had "earned" the privledge to consume goodies past Christmas...sorry she had to experience that but glad she has an understanding set of grandparents- it makes a big difference.

the only way I can rationalize the policies is to remember the warranty on children- it seems that children are considered a commodity and that thinking can lead to a who cares what they want or feel attitude....not much is surprising given that thinking......what is really surprising to me is that through training caring parents go along.

[Anonymous]

My son shared after he came home from the Program,that he did not recieve his Christmas package.It had been sent a few weeks prior.It  was full of "acceptable" gifts of food, candy and gifts of warm clothes,gloves ,socks.He had been told it had not yet been received at the facility. My son spent his first Christmas away from home believing his parents who had sent him to such a place did not love him enough to send a Christmas gift. He spent Christmas sad and angry. He was told this by his "loving" family rep in Montana who promised me she would care for my son while he was entrusted in her care.

Needless to say I was never informed of this until after he came home. He really believd I did not send a Christmas present.

To say I despise these sick people is an under statement.I dont have the words to express the rage I feel at them and at myself for trusting the untrustworthy liars..

[Anonymous]

Parents who send their kids to reform-style schools and programs in rurals parts of the U.S. or even  overseas, should not do so without seriously factoring in the potential for maltreatment.  I mean, it is no accident many of these places operate in areas where regulatory oversight is as minimal as the real estate is cheap.  Being cost-conscience is understandable, but parents would be wise to look for solutions closer to home rather than "bet the farm" (so to speak) on a program-of-choice that is inherently risky.

[Anonymous]

About the foreign placed program;
In my ignorance, I thought it was a plus.
I thought of it as a valuable educational and cultural experience; something akin to Outward Bound's summer treks in Costa Rica; or even a sort of  Jr. Peace Core type of situation.
I thought how much I would have loved to be able to travel to a beautiful country with such an abundance of wild life, and a population of warm friendly, well educated people.
The distance concerned me; but I felt it was an unreasonable fear based on my own tendency for anxiety. I didn't want to let my problem with anxiety deprive my kid of a wonderful experience as part of his sobering up and rehab.
And while I admit I was way wrong about exactly what I was sending my kid into; you all here know; it would've been more or less the same if he'd been in New York or South Carolina. In some respects I was right. He did get to see some beautiful sights and he is glad to have been there to see them. So, I guess my point is; the foreign location was Not the problem.
I do understand why you say what you say about it; but there are programs just as dangerous and brutal in your own back yard, so to speak, and while several foreign programs have been closed down, most in the states remain.
So, what does that tell us?
I'm not disagreeing with the warning you give; just trying to point out how complicated the issue is, and how being a domestic program is no garentee of safty or quality.

About the presents; My kid never got his birth day box. It was loaded with food. Cost me 80 bucks just to mail it. I had this ignorant notion they could have a sort of B-day party. I guess somebody had a party of sorts; but it wasn't my kid and his friends.

[Anonymous]

On 2004-02-23 08:11:00, Anonymous wrote:

"



About the foreign placed program;

In my ignorance, I thought it was a plus.

I thought of it as a valuable educational and cultural experience; something akin to Outward Bound's summer treks in Costa Rica; or even a sort of  Jr. Peace Core type of situation.

I thought how much I would have loved to be able to travel to a beautiful country with such an abundance of wild life, and a population of warm friendly, well educated people.

The distance concerned me; but I felt it was an unreasonable fear based on my own tendency for anxiety. I didn't want to let my problem with anxiety deprive my kid of a wonderful experience as part of his sobering up and rehab.

And while I admit I was way wrong about exactly what I was sending my kid into; you all here know; it would've been more or less the same if he'd been in New York or South Carolina. In some respects I was right. He did get to see some beautiful sights and he is glad to have been there to see them. So, I guess my point is; the foreign location was Not the problem.

I do understand why you say what you say about it; but there are programs just as dangerous and brutal in your own back yard, so to speak, and while several foreign programs have been closed down, most in the states remain.

So, what does that tell us?

I'm not disagreeing with the warning you give; just trying to point out how complicated the issue is, and how being a domestic program is no garentee of safty or quality.



About the presents; My kid never got his birth day box. It was loaded with food. Cost me 80 bucks just to mail it. I had this ignorant notion they could have a sort of B-day party. I guess somebody had a party of sorts; but it wasn't my kid and his friends.

"

Well, considering you probably think it's okay to send kids to a faith-based program in Mexico, I guess your out-of-country defense makes sense.

 :rofl:

[Anonymous]

That's Peace CORP (not core, as in apple).

 :roll:

[Anonymous]

Indeed, it is corp;
and indeed, I think there are good programs in MX; as well as at least one really bad one.
So Boss, does this mean my thoughts and opinions are not as valid and worthwhile as anyone elses?

[Kiwi]

I don't know if Christmas at Dundee Ranch was anything like Casa but, if so, you would never guess from their student newspaper:

http://http://www.academydundee.org/updates/december02.doc

I note the Upper Level of the Month was our friend Christopher Riner who is commended on his 100% positive attitude.

[Anonymous]

On 2004-02-23 09:45:00, Anonymous wrote:

"Indeed, it is corp;

and indeed, I think there are good programs in MX; as well as at least one really bad one.

So Boss, does this mean my thoughts and opinions are not as valid and worthwhile as anyone elses?"

Good programs in Mexico? Please, would you mind naming those programs so I can be the judge of that, not you, who may have (big yawn) an agenda at play, here?  

Pronto, por favor!

[Anonymous]

If you send your child candy, it's usually not recommended.  It is not considered part of a healthy diet.  Some parents insist on sending this stuff anyway, so the program(s) give your child what you send because you parents have insisted on breaking the rules.  You are given a list of what they can have and keep: books, socks, underware, etc., and those are not taken away.  

Some parents send it for acceptance.  Will they ever learn? Most parents won't send the artifical happiness covered in chocolate.

[Carey]

That's funny....I sent Geoff and Garred candy while they were at Dundee.  They sent me letters back thanking me for it.  I have asked them, since they got home, if they really did get the candy I sent.  They said they did.

Of course as far as breaking the rules goes, I did not know the rules, they were sent to Dundee with out my consenting to any rules.    

[ This Message was edited by: Carey on 2004-02-23 12:11 ]

[Anonymous]

i sent my son summer sausage.  he said he ate it until he could eat no more of it and his stomache hurt, they were only allowed to have it that day.

[Anonymous]

You know the answer and you have your opinion; and you are so board by the subject you have to stress the fact; so why are you wasting time and space?
What are you Really trying to accomplish?

As for what was said about foreign verses domestic programs; Has no one any thoughts on that subject?
I find it interesting that while Yes, of coarse the foreign programs have proven risky; they are no more so than the domestic variety; and the domestic variety have pretty much continued to continue; unabated and unaffected by the laws of the states they reside in.
Now why is That?
Seems to me worth some rampant talking about.

But you'd rather pick me to pieces for daring to express any thought at all.

Why is that?

[Anonymous]

On 2004-02-23 12:23:00, Anonymous wrote:

"You know the answer and you have your opinion; and you are so board by the subject you have to stress the fact; so why are you wasting time and space?

What are you Really trying to accomplish?



As for what was said about foreign verses domestic programs; Has no one any thoughts on that subject?

I find it interesting that while Yes, of coarse the foreign programs have proven risky; they are no more so than the domestic variety; and the domestic variety have pretty much continued to continue; unabated and unaffected by the laws of the states they reside in.

Now why is That?

Seems to me worth some rampant talking about.



But you'd rather pick me to pieces for daring to express any thought at all.



Why is that?

"

Anon, it's okay if you think there are some good programs in Mexico (wink,wink,nod,nod) but why the anonymity?  Just stand up for your opinions, we all know whozzzz you are and why youzzzz are here (even if you haven't figured that out, yet).

 ::bandit::