Treatment Abuse, Behavior Modification, Thought Reform > The Troubled Teen Industry
AA Abundant Life Academy
Deborah:
Craig,
What my 20/20 vision noticed is this:
You avoided the questions posed.
Engaged in self-aggrandizing.(Don't Christians consider that a sin?)
Judged, made assumptions, and critised me while proselitizing against such.
It's your perogative to answer or avoid. It's neither here nor there to me.
Based on what has been shared in this thread, I stand by my assumptions about you. You have offered nothing to convince me otherwise.
You're not making money? You mean, profit? Who pays your living expenses- housing, food, medical, transportation? Independently wealthy? Ward of Christian Charity?
You perceive what you're doing as a "solution"- perhaps the only one, I don't- it's an option currently available to troubled parents. Therefore, I'd have to decline the invitation to work for your ministry. My 'calling' is in a different direction.
Kids in the US "are in trouble"?
Anonymous:
Craig - I appreciate what you are saying. I agree that Deborah and many others are quick to judge. All of us make mistakes and I see you taking steps in the right direction to correct and learn from yours. What I don't get is your association with Karen Burnett. Was it a package deal if you employed her son? Have you not read the horrible, sick and twisted statements she's made on this board, and several others. She is not a person I would want my troubled child to have any experience of AT ALL. I have my reasons for my opinions, and they are mine and may not be shared with others.
Deborah:
quick to judge?
Craig said:
His business has never employed professional staff, never had a student, NOR ANY FORMAL AGREEMENT OR CONTRACT with Abundant Life Academy of Utah.
And:
May it be known that Abundant Life Academy of Utah paid ?ACADEMIA VIDA ABUNDANTE DEL LAGO CHAPALA? $52,000.00 US Dollars over from May through September 2003. The payments were made in good faith with the expectation that ?ACADEMIA VIDA ABUNDANTE DEL LAGO CHAPALA? would deliever on their promises to provide room and board, along with food services to the students of Abundant Life Academy. ?ACADEMIA VIDA ABUNDANTE DEL LAGO CHAPALA? failed miserably to perform their verbal agreement to deliver stated promises.
I asked:
If Aparicio was shuffling the funds intended for the teen's care to Bettencort, what exactly were the conditions under which the teens were living? Did they have inadequate food, housing? Were they hungry and sleeping on the street or in lean-tos?
Karen responded:
I?m not up on details; but I do know the kids didn't go without food or housing - because while all that was going on, my son was there. The boys weren't affected in any noticeable way. The food was plentiful; and good, I?m told, tho sometimes a bit spicy.
I asked:
That sounds to me like Aparicio upheld his end of the VERBAL agreement, which was as Craig stated, "to provide room, board, and food services for the students of ALA."
Which one of you is confused about what was or was not provided to ALA students?
Craig's unrelated response:
Josue and Patricia were not hired to provide anything but the housing and food services. Meaning, they were the landlords and managers of the property. They were also supposed to provide for the food services (meals).
And I'm quick to judge? The questions remain unanswered, directly anyway. Ya'll are posting on a public forum. You should expect questions and honest opinions.
Anonymous:
Karen, as I understand your statement published on the PURE website, at some point after enrolling your son at Dundee Ranch (sight unseen?) you changed your mind and removed your son from the program. Not sure if your son came home or went straight to ALA but am curious as to how you heard about ALA and whether you took your son there or had him transported? Probing questions I know, but like you said in your own statement, where there is smoke, there is fire.
http://helpyourteens.com/news/january_2 ... etter.html
Anonymous:
--- Quote ---On 2004-03-25 19:52:00, Anonymous wrote:
"Karen, as I understand your statement published on the PURE website, at some point after enrolling your son at Dundee Ranch (sight unseen?) you changed your mind and removed your son from the program. Not sure if your son came home or went straight to ALA but am curious as to how you heard about ALA and whether you took your son there or had him transported? Probing questions I know, but like you said in your own statement, where there is smoke, there is fire.
http://helpyourteens.com/news/january_2 ... etter.html"
--- End quote ---
P.S.
Karen, to be fair, I think you have reached out to teens and parents with no other motive in mind but to acknowledge their pain and let them know someone cares. That's a good thing! However the fact remains that you are now part of a controversial industry, and as Deborah says, you should expect to be challenged with tough, probing questions, even if you don't welcome them or consider the negative attention to be unjustified (or undignified?). Bottom line is FULL DISCLOSURE is not just a good idea, it is the best and only way to ensure that parents do not make a decision they and their child could live to regret. Get those cards on the table and play square and fair. After all, we are talking about the safety and well-being of kids, not repairing toasters.
Navigation
[0] Message Index
[#] Next page
[*] Previous page
Go to full version