On 2003-10-13 16:32:00, Carey wrote:
"Carey, that's how it usually happens. Not only is TC an accepted treatment throughout officialdome, there's actually been proposed legislation (don't know if it passed) to make TC the only federally funded type of treatment for teen drug use.
Who is "TC"?
Therapeutic Community. It's the basic method deveopled by Synanon Church sometime before they took to sending their biker thug crews out to beat critics and place poisonous snakes in the mailboxes of lawyers who represented them. It's the same basic method used in WWASP programs, which derive from CEDU which was founded by a Synanon person. Same as Seed, Straight, Kids, AARC and that whole line, which derive from Daytop, we think. Accross the board, wherever the Synanon method is used, we hear from graduates and splitees about all kinds of bad outcomes. But there are no serious, peer reviewed studies to show one way or another. It's an article of faith among industry insiders and regulators that these methods "work".
Well, they do "work". They generate zealot supporters, glowing testimonials and lots and lots of cash.
It's not that there's any lack of laws governing these places. They do things every day that are illegal. It's just like lynching in the Old South; there's a lack of will to investigate and prosecute. After all, these are all dangerous, hostile, caniving and manipulative teenagers, right? The officials, for the most part, take the position that they get what they deserve and/or they're lying about it.
I say, then hold the officials accountable, too.
Oh, I heartily agree! I know, for example, that a couple of people have successfully shut down WWASP, Straight and Kids programs by threatening or actually suing the state regulators. As you note, though, this still doesn't eliminate demand. But it helps.
I would like to know the number of parents who placed their kids in one of the "programs" sought professional guidance. I mean professional, not the Sue Scheff kind of professional, I mean a psychologist, psychiatrist or judge, a real professional not some self appointed guru. I would like to know how many of these who sought a professional in which the professional recommended a WWASP program.
You mean like the ones at Brightway Adolescent Hospital in St. George, Utah? Or check out the Nightline video that I keep archived in the videos section of my site.
http://fornits.com/anonanon/video/ Believe me, Carey, appeal to authority is one of their best tricks. You go into the office of SAFE and you'll probably still find various endorsements on the wall from the governor (Jeb Bush, who, with his wife and state drug czar, Jim McDonough, retain seats on the board of advisors of Drug Free America Foundation).
Want to know how bad it gets? Two years ago, a bunch of program survivors decided to go and picket SAFE on the night of one of their gala fundraising events. First, it was a very sad event that profoundly effected the adult survivors in attendence. You couldn't help but feel sorry for the guy who donated his classic car for raffle to keep his kid in the program and keep the doors open after the former director absconded with a bunch of money. But what happened next was too much for most of us.
When the kids were filing out of the back of the building to go to their host homes at night, one of them decided to make a break for it and try for the picket line. Just as we all remember the scene, the other kids chased him down, tackled him and stuffed him, kicking and screaming into the back of a car. My friends stood in the road to block their way while calling 911 and describing the scene. Some time later, the police arrived
on a tresspass complaint made by the program people. They refused (just plain out refused) to even take a report on the beating and kidnapping. So a couple of these folks went back the next day and just refused to go away till a sherrif's officer took a signed statement. As far as we can tell, no real investigation ever ensued. They told us the kid was probably court ordered, but refused to go and give him the option of returning to jail. They told us they couldn't do anything because we didn't know the identity of the kid, to which we responded "Well, then how do you know he's court ordered"?
Nothing has changed, really.
On a prior visit, we saw a car with the Covenant House logo on the door, either delivering or picking a kid up there. You know, Covenant House? The 9 line for runaways that promises "If you're on the street and alone and afraid, Dial 1-800 then keep dialing 9", that Covenant House?
Forget about the 1987 or whatever epoch date for WWASP as a new corporate entity. These folks have got a LOT of "the authorities" convinced over the years.
No doubt, the "authorities" carry a large degree of culpability.
I don't know how you can tell that from an IP address, unless of course you know all of those who are particpants in the law suit and their specific IP address.
Because I can put together all the messages posted by a particular IP or by a net mask, which narrows it down to a provider, usually. It's not exact science. But it's sort of a dead givaway when someone posts both anonymous and by a username from the same IP or gives detail or opinion in one post that contradicts that given in other posts. You'd be surprised (or not) how often people post in response to their own posts, pretending to be someone else piling on in agreement or even attacking their own post. The only reason for doing this that makes sense to me is to draw attention away from more important issues.
And, while we're on the topic, I hope all readers understand that this is not only possible, but real easy to do. Before you get too awfully upset over anything posted to these forums, remind yourself that you don't even know for sure who's saying what or what their motive.
That's about all I can say on the topic. Sometimes people post anon because they've got something important to say and they don't trust me (the the total stranger w/ access to the server logs) enough to register. I don't want to violate that trust, so I can't really say who I think it is acting as provocateur here. Just bear in mind, please, that it does happen quite often.
I don't doubt that some are kids or that some are WWASP supporters, but I do believe the majority are the trekers. I can't prove it, but I don't need to. I am not trying to take them to court. I just know from past experience and private emails that their behavior is consistant. "
Trekers? I've seen the term, but not quite sure what it means.
When I started as a federal narcotics agent, the budget that we were working with, it was less than $5 million a year, and there was only 125 agents for the entire world to work the narcotic trade that we were fighting in those days. Times have changed. The gluttony has grown.
--Nick Navarro, former Broward, FL Sherrif
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Ginger Warbis ~ Antigen
American drug war P.O.W.
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