That kind of shit is why programs exist. Parents outsourcing their responsibilities. HOWEVER.......that does not, in any way, shape or form excuse or exonerate programs from the atrocities they heap upon these kids.
I agree somewhat. Responsibility, yes. Moral guilt, no. Parental intentions are often good. Some parents feel they're just not good enough, and that others can do better. Programs prey on that. Whether that's out of malice and greed, misguided inherited cultic philosophy (Synanon, LifeSpring, est), gradual power corruption, or some combination of the above is up to debate but when you come down to it, parents are victims. Can you imagine the pain it causes parents who realize the truth and realize they put their kids through that? It's what I think keeps most of em from even examining the possibility. The possibility of guilt is too much. It's why a long time ago, when I realized that fact, i forgave them, and I told them I didn't hold them responsible because they were fooled. It was only they that they really started to open up. They always knew somewhere there was something wrong but couldn't admit it to themselves. The possibility of that guilt had to go before they admitted the truth to themselves and nothing cures guilt like forgiveness.
See. My philosophy is that a person cannot be found morally (not necessarily legally) guilty of a wrong if they do not believe it to be wrong. The vast majority of parents, if not the totality, have no clue what goes on in programs at the beginning and get sucked into the weirdness bit by bit under the guise that it's necessary to save their child's lives. Parents hang out with other parents and others who support the cultic mindset. They're encouraged to avoid critics of think of them as crazies, rebels, or druggies in denial. Would you as a parent deny a doctor permission to operate on your unconscious kid if he was in immediate
perceived danger of dying. You don't know everything the doctor knows but surely he has the best knowledge and intentions. Most of the time it's true and parents certainly don't have all the time in the world to read enough medical books while the child lies dying. Granted there is a lot of information out there about programs but a lot of it, and yes I'm pointing to you Heal, sounds like hippie bullshit and conspiracy theories. Would you listen to some disheveled homeless guy screaming "the doctor is a quack!" in the next room?
Well what if he was? Back when I trusted in those in power i never would have believed that places like programs could exist. The first shock for me after landing in the program was "this can't be real". Turns out it was. If I hadn't actually been there and somebody from a program came up to me and told me their experiences, I probably wouldn't believe it. I might not say it (i actually probably would), but I probably wouldn't believe it... and whenever I talk to a parent about the program to this day I keep it in mind, i keep website links on hand, and I make damn sure I hold interest long enough to plant a seed of doubt. It might not be enough, and it's a lot to overcome, but it can be done, it has to be done, and it has to be done by those who were there. So the next time you talk to a parent, erase everything you know, absorb the mindset of common knowledge, and honestly ask yourself that if your child was in serious danger of dying, who would you go to for help and who would you listen to.
In other news. ISAC really needs to get back online. Does anybody have asp experience?
