Shane's post really made me think. You know, there were actually people who came to Straight because they wanted help. These were mostly older adolescents/young adults. I suppose I was one of them. Of course, when I tried to sign out, I was lied to about being court-ordered, but still, I had screwed things up pretty badly for myself and had hurt my family deeply. I don't think I deserved to spend 14 months in Straight, but I'm not sure my parents felt they had any other options. I can't fault them for that, no matter how upset it makes me that they still have their old friends from Straight and think Straight saved my life. I know better than that. I was too old to misbehave, although I tried it once. After 5 months on 1st phase, I guess I conformed because I, too, wanted out. Conformity is a complex concept because it implies acting in accordance with the standards of a particular group. Depending on which group you identified with, the "group-at-large", or the misbehavers, pretty much everybody conformed in one way or another. We all conform still--otherwise, we wouldn't work, wouldn't vote, wouldn't follow rules, etc. For those of you who despise ex-staff and anyone who worked the program, all I can say is, good luck with the anti-Straight movement. I think you may lose some valuabe support for the cause. The majority of the former staff who've posted on this site have taken responsibility for their actions, yet come away relentlessly criticized and judged.
I think this "rivalry" between those who split &/or misbehaved and those who didn't is juvenile and a real waste of time and energy. Yeah, it's amusing sometimes to rehash the stories of the past, but I think it's infinitely more interesting and stimulating to hear how people are working through the problems which still interfere with life today. That's progress. Everyone deserves to progress with their lives. Every one of us was victimized in some way; we all shoulder the burden of Straight's legacy. None of us has the right to attempt to quantify another's pain.
Another thing that is troublesome has been the allusions to the Nazi party and concentration camps. It is offensive, inappropriate and irresponsible to compare what happened in Straight with the mass genocide which occurred in Eastern Europe. Those of us who actually lost family or have personal friends who survived the camps know this is true. You cannot understand this by merely visiting a camp.
I do think that most people who stumble onto this website are looking for answers or are trying to make sense out of the past. Does it bother anyone else that the personal attacks which occur here may push someone over the edge? There's a lot of talk about the Straight suicides of the past...how is this scenario any different? Yeah, it's easy to say, "Well, just quit visiting this site." My question is, was Pandora able to close her box?