Treatment Abuse, Behavior Modification, Thought Reform > The Seed Discussion Forum
Jason Dirk Walton
wesfager:
In 1982 knowing what we knew then when Jason Walton allegedly ordered the execution-style
murder of three adults, most of us would have agreed with you "Anonymous" that he was just a
fucking drug addict and murderer who deserved to die.
But we have learned an awful lot about the Straights since 1982. For instance, Straight-Springfield took a girl who had no drug problem and broke her finger while spitting on her and yelling to her that she was fat and ugly and not pretty like her sister. The purpose--try to get her to admit to being a druggie so they could continue to treat her and continue to be paid. Ultimately Straight released her admitting that drug dependency was not her primary problem. Later this woman took all her clothes off and plunged to her death mysteriously from her apartment window. A tatoo above her wrist read DISCIPLINE. Had the Straights killed her? Straight-Boston treated a 12 year old girl for sniffing a magic marker. Fred Collins was an honors engineering student at Virginia Tech who paid his brother a vist at Straight-St Pete and was falsely imprisoned by Straight-St Pete until he escaped.
We now know that a kid got out of Straigth-Dallas and beat his mother to death with a baseball bat. That a kid got out of Straight-Atlanta and shot a man dead during a drug deal. That a man got out of Straight-Springfield and went on a killing spree. He is now on death row in Pennsylvania. That a man got out of Straight-St Pete and, wielding a pipe, charged a police officer who shot him dead. That a man (who graduated and then became a counselor for Straight-Cincinnati) apparently beat his girl friend's daughter to death.
In 1982 most of us would have agreed with what we were being told that "these kids are fucking drug addicts, the scum of the earth." That Straight was doing the best it could to deal with the shit, meaning people it had been given to treat. But it was implicitly implied that in spite of Straight's gallant efforts some would continue to be rotten even after Straight and continue to rape, kill and sell dope.
We know that the Straights treat kids who have genuine drug problems; but we now also know that they treat kids who do not. A primary concern has been color (white) and money. And we know that Straight was abusive. It teaches kids violence and terror. And Straight robs people of their self esteem. Many former Straight clients have mental problems. Many have committed suicide or murder. So many in fact we are asking ourselves is Straight drivng peope to homicide, suicides and mental illness or is it just the clientelle it deals with to begin with.
One problem is where does The Seed end and Straight begin? There are more similarities between the two than differences, though one major difference was the ownership and management team. Yesterday I had never even heard Jason Walton, but it seems I have learned that Jason's mother placed him into The Seed because a neighbor who was in The Seed said Jason was using drugs. I've heard that story so many times before.
Many of us think it is possible for the Straights to take a pretty average white boy with little or no history of drug or alcohol use (meaning pot and/or beer) with no history of violence and turn him into a fucking drug addict--and possibly get him to kill himself or another.
The Seed was brought to Pinellas County by states attorney James T. Russell and and Russell failed to prosecute Straight. The judges sentenced kids to The Seed and to Straight, and now these same judges are trying to send one of them to his death.
None of us condone murder. But if society is going to legally execute somebody, then let us tell the courts ALL of the circumstances of this man's life. That's all we want to do.
Wes Fager
[ This Message was edited by: wesfager on 2003-07-06 10:17 ]
GregFL:
anon, I am not "intent on helping a murderer". Rather, I am intent on learning all I can about this story.
I, Like jason Walton, spent my post seed years in despair. What drove him to such madness, and does he really deserve to be killed by the state?
I don't know yet, but the court seems to feel that the seed emotionally scarred him.
I am sick unto death of obscure English towns that exist seemingly for the sole accommodation of these so-called limerick writers -- and even sicker of their residents, all of whom suffer from physical deformities and spend their time dismembering relatives at fancy dress balls.
--Editor of the Limerick Times
(Limerick, Ireland)
--- End quote ---
Anonymous:
Am I the only one who was in the Seed who for the past 30 years has not agonized, berated, belittled, dispaired or beat myself up because of a short 9 month window in my life? If you met me today, you would never know that I didn't arrive where I am by the natural process of growth. I am who I have become because of the sum total of my life experiences, mistakes and successes during this process called life. To blame the Seed and that short window in time for everything that may or may not have gone wrong in my life would be ridiculous. We all make cognizant decisions in our lives, right, wrong or indifferent because we can - check out Adam and Eve. To blame time spent in the Seed as the reason for Jason Walton committing a mass murder is unthinkable to me. He chose his life path, he chose to commit a murder. During my time at the Seed, no one ever raised a hand in violence toward me, nor did I ever see any form of violence toward anyone else. No one was ever a proponent of violence during my time in the Seed. No back rooms, no spitting, no beatings, nothing, never an ounce of physical violence toward anyone. In my simple mind, to compare the Seed to Straight is like running along two parallel lines, that will never intersect. I've read the posts from both, and particularly in the Straight posts, each one is more outlandish than the one before. It's like group hysteria. I just don't buy it. The bottom line for me is, there is never an excuse for murder, never, regardless of someones circumstances or a short window of time spent at the Seed. (Read - A Boy Called It - for a take on changing ones life in the face of extreme agony.) I've spent too many years working for criminal and civil lawyers now to buy into the blame game routine. And as a proponent of the Death Penalty, it will be a good day in Florida when another murderer is gone and the state doesn't have to support him. Jason Walton made his choice, now he dies by the consequences.
MommaDebi:
wow, I have not visited here in quite awhile.
::argue::
Nor do I feel the need to argue with anybody that feels that the Seed did not adversley affect their life.
I am a big believer in the "actions & consequences" concept of life. Ask my 19yr old, he will tell you!
That being said, I must let you know that I feel a great deal of empathy for this person, Walton and for the people that he helped to kill.
I do know that my life was changed drastically by my admittance to the Seed. No I do not use drugs nor drink. It marked my high school years with fear, insecurity, an inability to trust and intentional crueltry from my peers.
These things marked my progression as an adult. No, I am not an unlawful citizen. I have raised a wonderful son, who is now in New College of Florida and is a "straight" child. I still am shy, unable to trust others and keep very much to myself.
I believe you should look at yourself a bit more honestly. IE Take a moral Inventory and see exactly what might have become of you should you not have had the experiences that you did.
debi
Antigen:
--- Quote ---On 2003-07-06 04:50:00, Anonymous wrote:
"Why are you so intent on helping a murderer who was allegedly in the Seed?"
--- End quote ---
You should read the briefs. They're all online. The guy was sentanced to death as the mastermind of this crime with no mitigating circumstances. The co-defendants, including the actual shooter, all either got off or got lighter sentences. The appeal is not about letting him out or reversing the conviction. Just about properly adjusting the penalty to fit the actual crime.
Why do you seem so hell bent on letting this guy fry? There, but for the grace of God, goes you.
I told all four that there are going to be some times where we don't
agree with each other, but that's OK. If this were a dictatorship, it
would be a heck of a lot easier, just so long as I'm the dictator.
--GW Büsh, CNN.com, December 18, 2000
--- End quote ---
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