Um I don't really even know what to say, for the past hour I have been reading many news reports as well as this forum page on the Whitmore Acadmey. I have a good friend currently there and I am honestly terrified for him. He was my first love, yes thats kind of odd but I helped him through so much and he helped me through just a much. Before he left he told me he was going to a hospital in our state for 6 months and he was begging me to help him because he was scared. I was so tired of listening to it by then because we hadnt been on good terms. I know the true him, I'm most likely the one and only person that knows the real him. The pictures of him on the website are not him, there is something in his eyes, the way his eyes used to be when he was in pain. I know he cant be happy there the one and only web-post he ever put on the website was depressing. I miss him and if he is in a place where he is being hurt, we may not be together ever again, but i consider him a close friend and i will fight for him. Once he comes home this summer, if he ever can I will speak with him, finding out the truth. He has found a new girl there but in his eyes, he hates it. Any other girls out there, you know what I am talking about, you can look into your mans eyes and see something, you can see every emotion. If you are close enough with that person, thats when you know youve found a match, someone you can connect with so closely. This place seems terrible, I understand why some of you may be sticking up for these people. But after just visiting the website and reading this boys "mission statement" its all bs!!! I know him, the crap that is written on there is NOT him, its what he wants to do with his life, written and edited by someone else, with jesus crap added in. He is the most UNRELIGIOUS person you will ever meet! And same with his entire family. As far as I am concerned, I am sorry but this acadmey is a load of shit! Im worried not only about him but the other people that are being brain washed by these people. Once they get into the real world they will be confronted with the same exact desires they once gave into. This "School" does not prepare these children for life, instead it just takes the crap out and replaces it with bull shit and abuse. These students are going to go back home, there old friend will say "wana smoke up" or some other problem they used to face and at first they will say no thanks not anymore, but eventually they will have no friends left because once you get into a life of negativity you surround yourself with only friends that do the same negative things you do, it becomes a group. So these kids will have no friends and just give into these old problems because they want a life, they strive for a life. Yes these kids im sure needed help, but there is no reason to send you kid across the country to some place where you cant suddenly come in and check up on them at any given time to make sure your child is in a safe environment. If your a parent, yes you want the best for your kid, but you also should be smart enough and have enough brain cells and enough maturity by that age to realize, if im sending my kid to some place i should be able to have full PHYSICAL contact with them at any give time! They are your children after all. I went through a long battle of severe depression, my mother as well threatened to send me to a hospital in my town, never had she EVER nor would she ever think of sending me away. If your a parent, you should love your kids, yes you may think this is how you should your love, but if you do love them, you will stay by them, as close to them as possible im the hardest struggle they will ever have to go through in their lives, because if you stay with them at a time like this, they can come to you and trust you with anything. Since my mother helped me through my problems instead of just shipping me off I have the best relationship with her and will for the rest of my life... I understand you may think this school is great, or at least some of you, but from what I have seen its all negative and prepares these "boarding school students" for nothing except a life of low self esteem and denial... these kids will be faced with the same things they were previous to this school, they need to learn to deal with those problems not just forget about them all together. I hope this brings everyone together and helps them to understand each others side better, i tried to leave out any bias, but as with any subject there will always be some sort of bias, i hope it helps!!
