I cannot for the life of me get my hands on a copy of Duck in a Raincoat. However just think is we could find a credible author to sit down and talk with all of us. A BIG THICK BOOK, that a highly skilled person wrote might be able to somewhat scratch the surface. I myself have tried to fully explain Elan to about 3 people in the decade I have been out. Most of the time over drinks, since that is the only way to set emotion aside and recal the raw shit. I brought all three people to tears. I'm not saying I am amazing, they were just close people to me and any normal civilian who listens to stories of helpless 13-17 year old kids being abused the way we were would be moved in some way
The national foster care society has done tons of research on kids who go through similar things. Lke me Im sure ELAN wasn't the ONLY place you guys went too. I was in 14 different intstitutions. The fact that really suprised me is that children (especially tweens and teens) who bounce around from foster home to placement end up with irreversable damage to their minds. ANYONE who went through elan for more than 24 months would be diagnosed with post trumatic stress disorders, and disordered thinking in many other varients that have such a wide range I couldn't begin to start a list.
"The trauma a teenager endures who has lived a life away from any sort family or loved one, full of abuse, neglect,daily intimidation, and lack of identity or freedom is 75% more dangerous than that of a Vietnam Veteran"
HA! Lack of frredom and identity-If we had an identity it was unnaceptable.
GUILTY: IMAGING OUTLack of freedom, the most freedom you could have at Elan was pulling for hours upon hours on a post usually the size of a bathroom stall sitting in a metal chair, with nothing but meaningless (busywork) paper work to keep yourself occupied. If you asked your parents to please let you come home...
GUILTY:MANIPULATIONLiving life neglected without loved one's or family, how many times did Marc Mrty or Jeff tell students that "oour parents don't want us! They threw us away, we are at the bottom of society, NOBODY LOVED US! We were punks, the world had no use for us" If we tried to find love to fill that hole or close "normal friends" at elan
GUILTY:PLAYING GAMES/CONTRACTING OUTNeglect? Who was sleep deprived? Who was forced to hold their urine and feces inside their bodies for hours upon hours? Who was not able to smell fresh air? Who was not able to speak, smile, walk,cry, laugh, play, eat when hungry, sit down when our knees fingers or feet hurt, go to bed when critically ill, NONE OF US
AND NO ONE CARED. lack of compassion
GUILTY:BEING LOOSE, TOUGHEN UP, TIGHTEN UP, PROCRASTINATING, MANIPULATING, BEING SIDEWAYS THis list is endless. We were abused. The statuet of limitations has run out, but imagine a book being put together. We could all make it. It would be amazing. I still have nightmares if not every night at least 4 times a week.
I am in Elan, I can't get out.
I have develpoed insatiable claustrophobia from that sardine filled dining room.
I watch television shows such as the Apprentice, American Idol, So you think you can dance...Andall I see is Dealing crews.
OUR COUNTRY SAYS SIMON FROM AMERICAN IDOL IS JUST CRUEL! WHAT A MEAN HORRIBLE MAN! HOW CAN HE SAY SUCH THINGS TO THESE KIDS! THEY ARE GOING TO BE TRAUMATIZED!
And why?

Becuase he told a kids who can't sing well that "Their performance was awful, they have no future in being a performing artist"
OMG- BIG DEAL! HE'S RIGHT!
Our country is so fast to think that is so inhumane. Imagine what they would do if they read a book FULLLLL of the acounts that went on at Elan.
If this book somehow became a best seller...ELAN WOULD CLOSE. Forever.
Would that take away our tattered emotional wounds? No.
Would we fee some closure? Maybe
Would we save future children from being sen there. YES
I want to make this happen. I just don't know where to begin.
I know a guy named Pete Moore is an amazing journalist. I think he could help. Obviously Jordan wasn't grown up enough when he tried to make his movie...BUT DONT GIVE UP HOPE!
Just because one thing fails, doesn't mean it is our destiny to fail. Elan told us we were failures... They brainwashed us to believe it! You all take so much time writing this on Fornits, we have so much power behind us. We are adults now, we can make it happen. I wish somebody was willing to help me here. Sorry to sound so much like I HAVE A DREAM!!!!! hahahaha, but truley, wouldn't you like to see this happen?