My wife was horrified and enraged, and rather than follow the first instinct of fighting them, she got her camera and started photographing the insanity. The staff obviously knew they were wrong and being documented, and started howling "She's got a camera! She's got a camera!"
This is from another thread. But it shows my poiunt that these people know what they are doing is wrong. They pretend they don't to prevent being held accountable.
Just like theWho has admitted making fun of Programmers story was wrong. He would not have thought this, or admitted it if no one brought it up.
They see absolutely nothing wrong with what they are doing.
But they will pretend to, when people like us show up and call them on it, out of fear of being caught for the abusers they are.
Almost. I have the benefit or curse of having been involved w/ this cult from the time I was about 6 years old. I was sitting on the parents' side at open meetings and those never ending coffee klatches at Denny's into the wee hours afterward. I know more than anybody should ever have to about just exactly how program parents think because my mother was a prototype, my brother married a staffer and at least one of my nieces and nephews have been put through it. Not sure about the other. I asked my brother, he denied it. But then, he'd be perfectly justified in a little white lie of omission like that, of course, because if he told me the truth I might get all hostile and crazy and all. And why should he have to subject himself to that, right chillin?
The same loopy logic goes here. It's not that they know they're doing wrong. It's that they think they're endowed with superior insight into the dark depravity of the troubled teen monster. They think they're saving the world, they're martyrs. Why, they should be pinned with ribbons and medals, not held up to shame by the clueless public who just don't understand how much they sacrifice, how deeply they care and all the abuse they suffer in the name of trying to save just one kid from themselves!
Sacred Science. The group's doctrine or ideology is considered to be the ultimate Truth, beyond all questioning or dispute. Truth is not to be found outside the group. The leader, as the spokesperson for God or for all humanity, is likewise above criticism.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thought_Reform_(book)
That's how people like Sue Scheff get away with posing as sincere, caring, helpful people. That's why parents and, for awhile there, a good many program vets vested so much faith in her. They're convincing because she believes their own bullshit. They justify lying about some of the more disturbing aspects of it by telling themselves that outsiders just wouldn't understand.
Shit, somewhere there's an instruction sheet from SAFE, Inc.,for program parents on how to recruit other parents. It explicitly states that they should direct any questions beyond those they are authorized to answer to the staff office. By way of explanation, it asks something like "After all, if you knew what was really involved, would you have agreed to this?"
I think I'm gonna dig around and see if I can find that stuff now.
