An American Gulag

[velvet2000]

Has anyone else here read Alexia Parks's An Amerian Gulag? Or have you been to teenliberty.org? If you have then you know the story, if not Alexia wrote the book and created the site after a young relative of hers was "escorted" to a few schools including Bear Mountain Academy (Yeah, the one where three boys beat a newcomer to death and left his body outside so that they could get police into the school in hopes of getting free'er), Loving Hearts and Safe Harbour.

Her sister (the mother of he "escorted" teen) has been posting negative reviews at Amazon.com saying that Alexia's story is a fantasy. She also argues that children are not "innocent" as stated in Gulag, and that Columbine should prove that! That's right, two kids murder so all of them are evil! What does that make us adults?

Having read the book it sounds 100% truthful to me, and I've read up on those schools elsewhere. If you would like to help out go to Amazon.com and post a review or something about alexia's cause. You can also "rate" whether or not other people's reviews were helpful, which can push their posts up or down on the readers list.

                     Velvet.

[FaceKhan]

My internet got cut off and I have been using the connection at my moms house when I can. I hate being seperated from the collective :smile:

I read the book, it was interesting and very sad. It is a bit light on info on the gulag system as a whole and it concentrates on Alexia's particular experience trying to find her neice.

I wonder if there is a book out there or being written that truly documents the dangerous scourge of speciality program cults?

In regards to Alexia's Sister, the news reports about Bear Mountain alone would lead any reasonable person to believe Alexia's story over her sister's brainwashed replies. If you are going to waste your time responding to her reviews then I suggest post the links to the bear mountain stories that are available online.

[Kathy]

Yes, Jason, I'm working on that book right now. I plan to submit a query to a publisher within 1 week, I'll keep you posted. Kathy

[Anonymous]

I'm working on the book, he's working on the book, she's working on the book.  
Wouldn't ya like to work on the book, too?  
The race for the book deal is on.  All kidding aside, there are numerous books in the works and proposals are being shopped to publishing companies daily.

[Anonymous]

Including mine called "STRAIGHT?".
str8jack-it

[ladyjerrico]

I'm yet to see a full movie about Straight that would be out in the theatre.. I would love to see it!
Everything has a movie now.. hell I think they are running out of ideas because of E.T. coming back to the theatre.
Let's get out there and make some movies or something.. and nothing like "Not My Kid".. we need more violence.. lol

[ This Message was edited by: ladyjerrico on 2002-03-27 11:48 ]

[velvet2000]

I was just gonna ask who else here saw "Not my Kid". What a joke. I saw it on TV in Canada where there was a discussion before and afterwards. They said that particular treatment center "went a little too far, but there is a better one in Calgary now." I agree, a realistic movie is needed.

[bettypills]

Yeah I watched 'Not My Kid' in "group" on  a saturday night... remember the relief when they wheeled out the T.v.?

[ladyjerrico]

lol.. that was always a good time.. it meant you didn't have to motivate, talk or do any physical activity.
It was always a sigh of relief and I always saw "watching a movie" as some sort of reward.. even though they never said anything to us about having a "reward".. but for us it was heaven not have to do any of the normal things in group

[infanalyst]

I've never read the book "An American Gulag", but I saw the movie "Not My Kid" about 6 months to a year prior to being dragged to 5515 Backlick without ever even smoking a joint!
I remember being in the lobby waiting for the "warden" to come and take me back to the intake roon. Right before I was walked back into the room, I saw the fresh picture on the wall regarding the arrival of Nancy Reagan and Princess Di only several weeks earlier. I remembered the incident in the news, along with the movie "Not My Kid", and suddenly started laughing at my parents for bringing me to a place for drug addicts, when I did not have a drug problem and was a regular Church going individual. Sure I had my rebellious attitudes, but I think this was more directly related toward my parents relationship with each other, and their consistent disagreement on how to raise me. Needless to say, I was "inducted" after a lengthy intake and forced confessional, totally fabricated mind you.
Within a year of my departure from Straight, right after I turned 18, my parents were divorced and I learned several things about their feelings towards me, which I never had known before. Needless to say I had been "converted" or knew I had to create this lie to move through the system, or start to think of a way to escape. I escaped four different times. I was dragged back three, and returned home after a lengthy departure on the fourth on an agreement I was not going back.
I've been out close to 15 years and only recently have begun to realize the impact of what happened to me, and how it affected the rest of my life. I certainly never saw myself as having been in a cult, but I know now the truth of what happened during this time. I find myself occasionaly thinking about another movie, "Mr. Destiny", and what would have happened if I could have changed that one incident in my life. Only now, 15 years later, after the rather recent postings I have seen regarding Straight Inc., have I begun to comprehend how deep and damaging this place has been. I know I have since moved on with my life and I am not one to linger on the past, but I have recently found myself very interested in this "chapter" in my life.

Brent Lewis
American P.O.W.
5/17/86-12/2/87
Straight - DC

[GregFL]

Thank you for your post. Your feelings are shared by a great many people like myself, whom was forced into the Seed in 1973. It changed my live forever and devasted my family.

[Diane B]

I really did just miss you in Va. hell,  I was there when Nancy and Princess Di were there.  It was such a fake thing they had that building sparkling they brought in all this nice stuff, like silver and carpeting just to impress them. We spent a long time making these huge banners that were hung outside with a flag and one announcing the kids of Straight welcome....  It was a totally staged bunch of crap!!! they were worried about some people "acting out" so they went into the intake rooms.  I was reading your other posts we have alot in common forever on first phase and we only made it to fourth,  I copped out of of fourth phase as well.  It is interesting to hear how people turned out.  In one post you mentioned both brendan Mcnamar and Chris Scoggins as Sr. Staff,  I remember when brendan was a trainee and chris was still on his phases I think he just made staff when  I split.  Was Don pearson still there?  I hated that guy!!! and the feeling was mutual.  I am pretty new to these sites myself It is like a huge weight was let off my shoulders, (that I did not realize was there) being able to get out alot of these things to people who really undrestand.  I repressed alot of things and it is amazing how many things begin to come back.  I am trying to remember people that you and I might Know.  Staff Barbara,  Kathy, Jo jo ramano, I remember more girls than guys.  How about Laura klish, Dave and Laura tipton, alana mcdougal...she copped out off of first phase once I do not know how but my hats off to her. Anne reardon, Regina and andy brown. Lisa slaby??? any of those names sound familiar?



Diane

[ This Message was edited by: Diane B on 2002-05-20 14:13 ]

[infanalyst]

Hi Diane,

I just saw some of your other posts and was thinking the exact same thing, we must of just missed each other. I definitely remember alot of the names which you have mentioned. Most all of those were the staff members in place when I arrived. I liked Alana McDougal, and I remember the Tiptons. I remember Don Pearson, didn't care for him. I remember Laura Klisch, and I suddenly remembered one staff member I really liked, but I think it was because he always played guitar in group and he reminded me of a "druggie" version of Ron Howard, his name was Richard Mullinax, I believe that was his name.
I don't know if you've considered attending this conference coming up 6/8-6/9 in St. Pete or not. I'm still undecided at the moment, but the more and more I think about it, the more I want to go.
Love to chat more anytime.

[GregFL]

Dude, go to the conference, what do you have to lose? Right now you are living in the birthplace of the Seed, which spanned the Straight. I look forward to meeting you.
Greg
seed 73-74

[infanalyst]

Thanks Greg. I think that's the kind of support I need! Can anyone relate? :smile:

And how ironic it is that I live as you so mildly put in the birthplace of The Seed. I had never heard of this place before, and I moved down here in 1994 thinking I was far from any of those criminals!
I just asked one of my good friends, who I've known since I moved down here 8 years ago, if he knew of The Seed. He immediately was like "Yeah! I can even show you where it is on State Rd. 84." He however, doesn't know anyone personally any longer who went through there, and I think any information he had about the place was second hand. I then told him, that the place I went to in DC was based on The Seed, and I had just found this info out for the first time thanks to Wes Fager's site http://www.thestraights.com
I must say trying to explain the program to someone who never has been exposed to anything like it before, is very difficult. I have since left him with the website address for Mr Fager's "A Clockwork Straight", and I hope he will read it since I think he, and many other lucky outsiders, will begin to comprehend the atrocities which have been and are still being committed to this day.
They cry it's tough love, I think it's tough abuse. I must agree with someone else's posting where they said whenever they hear someone say "Love You", you want to know why or what they really mean.