October 1973. I was 14, interned in the Seed St Pete wearhouse and having my young mind twisted and prodded and trying to survive in a world gone mad.
the prestigious journal SCIENCE was also busy....preparing a report about the seed. Here are some excerpts for your pleasure.
Science, 10-73
"as it stands today, Seed headquarters is not unlike a fortress. A high fence surround the dowdy buildings. Outside, young male seedlings stand guard, checking the identifications and purposes of all those who wish to be admitted.."
"Members of the Dade county health planning council's drug abuse task force who wanted to see the Seed denied a license express deep-seated philosophical objections to Barker's program"
"Opposition was also expressed by Dr Ben Shepphard, the "grandfather" of florida's drug rehabilitation programs, and formerly a consulting physician at the Seed. He now believes the program is dangerous because it relies on "brainwashing" and should be closed. In his view, half of the applications accepted by the Seed would not be admitted by legitimate treatment centers."
"according to a state drug abuse office survey 17 percent of the seedlings have never used drugs of any kind and were admitted for resolution of "attitudinal" problems-relationship dificulties, school adaptiation problems and a lifestyle objectionable to parents"
"Shepphard and other professionals fear that confrontation therapy and "peer pressure group interaction" as practiced by the Seed may have long term ill effects on clients."
"some fear that those whom Barker calls "successes" may, in fact, have more serious problems than they did as drug experimenters."
"Helen Kloth, a guidance counselor....classes become divided into seedlings opposing non seedlings. Seedlings seem to have an informing system on each other....it seems an accused seedling has no chance to defend himself...he is presumed guilty."
"Dr Jeffrey Elenewski, a task force member and clinical psychologist who interviews and evaluates young drug abusers in the court system, claims that he hears every day of incidents in which children have been mistreated, threatened, and have suffered ill consequences pursuant to their involvement in the program. Elenewski estimates that he has seen about 200 former Seed clients in the last 3 years, adolescents for whom the Seed has been psychologically destructive. "I see Barkers failures", says Elenewski, "the children who have attempted suicide after running from the Seed, those who are overwhelmed by feelings of worthlessness, hoplessness, and despair".
When a man you like switches from what he said a year ago, or four years ago, he is a broad-minded person who has courage enough to change his mind with changing conditions. When a man you don't like does it, he is a liar who has broken his promise.
-- FRANKLIN P.ADAMS (1861-1960).
