Wayeast:
Let's just keep things in perspective here.
"Richard appears to have found a (sort of) SYMPATHETIC REPORTER at the SP Times." ?WAYEAST
Let's encourage and applaud the one brave reporter who is willing to rehash anything that involves what happened at Straight and print anything Richard said. Let's applaud Richard for succeeding at least in that light, regardless of the measures taken.
(1) definition
SYMPATHETIC: existing or operating through an affinity, interdependence, or mutual association.
Sympathetic: Mutual association & interdependence btw. the wealthy and privileged who make campaign contributions, and perpetuate the re-election and appointment of politicians. Politicians who are the fabric that uphold the laws and limitations which protect perpetrators of crimes against minors from being held accountable., and insuring that victims and survivors are silenced. Politicians who instead of searching for the truth and holding criminals accountable, appoint them ambassadors, pump up their books, and promote programs and individuals who were a part of the organized intimidation, depravation, harassment, and abuse of children, adolescents, teens and adults.
Politicians, privilege, wealth, campaign contributions, and connections = clemency.
"But being right doesn't justify UNNECESSARY CRUELTY." ?WAYEAST
Excuse me? Are you implying that Richard's actions are "Cruel"?
(2):definition
CRUELTY: 1) the quality or state of being cruel 2a) a cruel action b) inhuman treatment
3) to endanger life or health or to cause mental suffering or fear
"Unnecessary Cruelty": Straight, Kids of BC, Kids of NJ and programs like them.
Absence of professional supervision by psychologists, psychiatrists, social workers, or other mental health professionals. Ignoring the required staff to patient ratio. Denying the "bill of patient rights". Refusal to provide necessary medical attention or medication. Malpractice, misdiagnosis, insurance fraud, false documentation. Inadequate treatment of chemical and psychological disorders. Depravation, including an education or adequate sources of nourishment, hydration, sleep, sunlight. Refusal of bathroom use, resulting in these individuals defecating on themselves and forcing them to wear soiled clothing. Shaming incest survivors and rape victims. Calling them "gay". Calling it "sex" with an adult, blaming them for the heinous crimes committed against them. Forcing and subjecting children as young as 10-14 to hear sexually explicit "confessions", sexual language, and detailed stories of rape, sex, masturbation, etc. Sexual abuse and molestation. Subjecting minors to witness and engage in violence and assaults. Organized, systematic efforts to convert homosexuals. Coercing and insisting a pregnant teen get an abortion. Violations of privacy. Control of bodily functions, eye, hand, leg, mouth, head, and extremity movements 24 hours a day. Restraint and assaults as a result of un-allowed eye, finger, hand, movements, speaking, not sitting up straight, or crossing one's legs. Force feeding. Using the withholding of food, hydration and sleep as a motivational tool. Controlling the rate and frequency that a child may defecate, urinate, and the speed that they must wipe themselves. The prevention of air flow to the mouth and nose simultaneously (sometimes referred to as "suffocation" in some schools of thought) as a means of controlling a restrained individual who is crying, or speaking, or "talking out." Wrongful imprisonment, kidnapping, assault, violent physical attacks, emotional battery, harassment, coercion, intimidation. Instilling extreme fear and suffering. Organized inhumane treatment of minors. Endangering children's safety, and their mental, emotional and physical health. Bite marks, bald spots, broken bones, bruises...torture. (Please correct me if I have forgotten something or in error, added anything which you know to be incorrect.)
What happened in Straight, Kids, and other programs WAS and IS ILLEGAL.
The question should be: Why have they and continue to get away with this!