More than that, the Program faithful are a crucial part of the story. No one would ever believe that people like this exist in 21st century America if they didn't keep coming around here and demonstrating.
But this point is a little frustrating to me. I understand the desire among program vets to have a safe, healing place to deal with our issues. I just got an earful the other night from a close friend telling me that this site should be all about healing. I've got a couple of good friends who won't come around here anymore because it's been too painful. And even that has been because of cruelty or misunderstanding among survivors, never mind the overtly pro-program assholes like Who.
Unfortunately, such a thing as a safe, therapeutic forum can't exist in freedom. Even if it could, I'm nowhere near qualified nor inclined to bring it about. How would I go about deciding which stories and viewpoints are valid and true and who gets to speak and who doesn't? Hell, some of the craziest, most frightening and probably actually dangerous people who come around here are fellow program vets. I won't ban them either, no matter what transpires among friends and combatants. It's all part of the story.
I'm glad Who persists in illustrating the true nature and thought processes of the ToughLove hate group. I find it quite satisfying because he reminds me so much of my mommy. Even people who have known her casually or fairly well over the years, even those who well understand that she can be quite (eghheghm) eccentric about some things still have difficulty believing that she used to keep teenagers locked up in her apartment and take part in ritual abuse. They can't understand how a seemingly decent, pleasant person could take part in such a thing, especially when stories of outrageous abuse and cruelty about Straight and The Seed dominated the local headlines from time to time over the course of a decade while our family was involved.
Who gives us more insight into how that works than almost anyone who's come around here lately. I thank him for that.
Besides, this is yet another fulfillment of a happy daydream I used to have often in Program. I'd be either getting confronted by some lunatic staffer w/ Alice in Wonderland logic + retarded grammar and diction or watching some one else take it up the arse and think to myself "If only we could drag this argument out into the more commonly accepted reality....." See, program zealots can only win an argument if they're able to control the dialog and force coalescence. Instead, we all get our chance to tell the sadistic lunatic what for.
It happens again and again. He's like a dog chasing a frisbee. No matter how many times you throw it, he'll keep on chasing and fetching. It just never gets old for me. ::roflmao::
