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Messages - Nonconformistlaw

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Who was on staff in Dallas, group staff and executive staff? Anyone remember?

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Straight, Inc. and Derivatives / Re: Straight Survivors who live near DC
« on: October 31, 2010, 03:15:43 PM »
:notworthy:  :notworthy:  :notworthy:

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:notworthy:  :notworthy:  :notworthy:

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Surviving Straight Inc - My website was created in 2006 to document many Straight survivor stories in one place..... I wanted a website that tells the Straight story in survivor's own words. I think the best way to tell the complete story is through many people's experience in Straight, how it effected them, etc. If anyone would like to add their story, check out the Submit Story link. I will post it as soon as I receive it. Thanks!?

http://survivingstraightinc.com/home - HOME PAGE
 
http://survivingstraightinc.com/submit_ ... nformation - SUBMIT STORY LINK


If submitting a story....

    * Length - any will be posted.
    * Content - up to you - your feelings, perspectives, thoughts about and experiences in Straight, Inc. will be respected and posted as is.
    * No revisions will be made - ie: no spelling errors corrected etc. I will not alter your submission in any manner.
    * Branch/location & years - please include.
    * Anonymous contributions welcome - please specify if you want your name omitted

***please note**** My site will NOT publish "pro Straight" submissions. Those who were injured or destroyed by Straight, Inc. deserve a page of their own. Please feel free to email your experience in Straight, Inc to be posted here to http://www.straightincthemovie.com/
Or, you may prefer the written format for whatever reason.
Or you may wish to do both...of course you can do both!

The point is....there are options!

Email submissions to [email protected]


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Straight, Inc. and Derivatives / Re: Straight Staff - silent too long
« on: March 14, 2010, 12:40:33 PM »
Quote from: "Oz girl"
As you all know i am an outsider to all this. So i say this in the hope that it does not offend anyone hurt by this industry and the players within, but i am not sure whether or not people who worked at places like straight or even wwasp who had been promoted from within did so without coercion exactly. While it is not coercion in the sense that kids on low phases are coerced into lying about their drug habits, there also may not appear to be a lot of choices. I try to think what I would do if I had been convinced that 2 years of abuse had actually saved me from myself. Without the education to do anything different or even the social skills to rebuild  a life on "the outside" with normal well adjusted people and it becomes a whole lot less of a choice. Add to all this the fact that you are in most cases still a kid without any other experience of the world. Then on top of this after years of being told you are shit and nothing, you are a leader. You get paid a salary  even if it is shitty, parents and adults who used to see you as a menace suddenly are fawning all over you and thanking you for saving their kids. In addition you have internalized the idea that you might not be able to make it out in the world. From where i sit that looks and feels pretty coerced.

I have seen it be debated before whether staff truly made a voluntary choice to go on staff - to me it seems voluntary on the surface. Maybe it was that simple, maybe it wasnt. Someone once pointed out that if staff ever approached any phaser about the possibility of going on staff,  would that person really be able to say no? If they did say no, its entirely possible the person would have been questioned about "where they were at with themselves", whether they were applying their program, ie. the 7th step, blah, blah, blah. I can see fear of set back being a motivating factor in agreeing to do it. Obviously only former staff could answer that question - I would be very interested to see former staff comment on voluntary vs involuntary.

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Straight, Inc. and Derivatives / Re: Straight Staff - silent too long
« on: March 14, 2010, 12:26:50 PM »
Quote from: "Rusty Goat"

One thing I hate to hear now is when people who were SO gung ho back then to be staff whine about how fucked up they were while doing it, you know, like how WDTONY talks like he was SO horribly tortured when standing there in group watching the kids crying, bleeding, etc... *insert drama queen emoticon*

Now why is this a problem? Is it really so hard to believe that someone on staff could start "snapping out of it" just enough to start to see things wrong with what was going on in Straight? Is it possible someone started out being "gung ho" about being on staff, then later started questioning Straight? I think this is entirely possible. I have heard other former staff say similar things. Its possible that if a former staff member started to feel this way, it could have been the beginning of the end of their time on staff and could have been the first signs that the brainwashing was starting to wear off. If anything this makes perfect sense.

If someone still was gung ho TODAY and "talks like he was SO horribly tortured when standing there in group watching the kids crying, bleeding, etc" as you said, then yes I would have a huge problem with that.

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Straight, Inc. and Derivatives / Re: Straight Staff - silent too long
« on: March 12, 2010, 12:48:34 PM »
Quote from: "Woof-a-Doof"
In general, I have an admiration for any staff member that has the testicular fortitude to write on this or any message board. Yet the mistake they make, as I see it, is that they expect to be accepted without consequence. There is a failure to recognize that we, our community, are deeply scared. And for the most part, we have been scared by people with the word “staff” attached to their name.

One of the variables I see as hampering a former staff’s effort at being a member of our community is, arrogance.

Arrogance, regardless of it’s etiology is inappropriate. Arrogance will understandably be met with bristling antagonism. Over the years, many staff members have made their way into these rooms and were immediately attacked. They failed to realize that by coming to these message boards they were walking on thin ice right off the bat. They failed to see that we were no longer their minions and falsely expected us to behave as such. When we did not respond in accordance with their delusional expectations (mixed with arrogance), their feelings would get hurt. Some simply left, some raised a ruckus briefly, then left.

Me too. I would respect the hell out of any former staff who willingly posts, without making excuses, and is willing to deal with the anger from us. My experience with former staff has been relatively easy so far, but then again I haven't directly encountered those who personally caused me harm. That said, I think your observations are correct - I've seen some of that myself over the years on these boards.


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Another behavior exhibited by former staff members is an active dismissal of our experience. More so than arrogance, dismissal of our experience insults and infuriates. Unfortunately, arrogance and dismissal often accompany each other, thus adding insult to injury. Now, I am of the opinion that these behaviors are indeed protective mechanisms, bolstered in the minds of former staff members. The question in my mind then becomes…what are they protecting? I fail to believe they are protecting the truth. We know better than that, and see right thru that. It appears to me that they are protecting something between their own ears. Guilt? Remorse? Denial? Failure to accept the heinous exploitation and incarceration of children they themselves actively participated in? I don’t pretend to know, as such, I can only guess what these behaviors are attempting to hide.


Yep Ive seen the "get over it that was a long time ago" mentality.  What are they protecting? Maybe themselves, from the truth (again just a theory) - the second one acknowledges the truth about Straight, that it was brainwashing, it was abusive, etc, is the second that all the justifications fall apart. Thats the moment the idea that Straight was a "good place" becomes a real question is ones mind. That is the moment one begins to see the dark horrible truth that was Straight inc and that is a bitter pill, even for us, the people that have no trouble accepting that Straight was a horrible place. Me I had no trouble accepting that Straight used N Korean brainwashing but for some reason it took me awhile to accept that it was also a cult. Who the hell wants to acknowledge something like that?


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I share your interest in seeing “the ENTIRE Straight story” coming out. And I also agree that having former staff members input would be invaluable in revealing the “ENTIRE story”. This doesn’t discredit our experience. Most, if not all of us know very well, painfully well, one side of the coin. The other side of the coin is still very much a mystery. As such, the story is lopsided. I have written about this before, and received a lil heat. But I still maintain, how can I know everything about what happened to me, if I adamantly refuse to listen, hear, read the other side of the story? How can I pretend to know what was going thru a staff members mind set at the time, if I don’t know?

What’s the value of knowing former staff members insights into Straight Inc.? Understanding. Pure and simple. Not implying acceptance. Not changing my viewpoint. Not “switching sides”. Nothing of the sort. Just simply to have a better understanding of what I experienced. Why I experienced what I did. What the motivation was behind so many bizarre situations and ritualistic abuses. I just want to know. I just want to be able to be at peace, in regard to the Straight Inc experience.

If I only hear my side of the story, along with others stories that are very similar to my experience, the only understanding I have is one side of the coin. (and I know it well) Would former staffs input be of great significance? I dunno, it’s a difficult question to answer, if I don’t hear/read/listen to the other side of the story.

No it wouldn't discredit our side at all, if anything, it could do alot to explain why Straight was such a bad place. We will only learn more by listening. And I'm not changing my position either - it is just who I am - I need to understand why certain things happened to me at Straight and its for the same reason you said, because I am trying to make peace with this. The other reason I want staff's side to come out is because this shit is still going on in other places - usage of untrained program graduates is still out there damaging more children even as I write this post. For the sake of today's children, it has to be told so some people might learn how destructive certain practices were then and still are destructive now.

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Straight, Inc. and Derivatives / Re: Straight Staff - silent too long
« on: March 12, 2010, 12:14:25 PM »
Quote from: "Woof-a-Doof"
Is it possible…for former staff to begin posting, without being attacked?

I think, it is indeed possible. Yet there are variables that determine whether they are attacked, or welcomed with open arms (“open” is relative).  And I think it wise to consider there is a grey area involved as well. I think there was a time, in my life, when a person said they were on “staff”, there was most definitely a “knee jerk reaction” on my part. Even for established, well known members of our community that were on “staff” there is/was a level of distrust…a feeling of stand off’ish-ness on my part.  Then to the far distant extreme, I readily embraced folks, well…folk, because it has only been Rich Mullinax.

Yet, even with Rich, he caught a barrage of shit from me, repetitively. Even after his open LOA, there was a degree of distrust. If I recall, it was shortly after our “gathering” held in 3 states for those walking wounded who no longer walk with us, you, Nonconformistlaw, drew up the Request for Apology and then Rich, made his apology. At first, I did not openly accept his apology. The apology at the time seemed as if it were a form letter of sorts. As if, he placed his name on your Request for Apology and passed it on as a heart felt apology. His words almost directly mirrored your “Request”. It took some time, reading his words, watching his interactions with other members of our community to finally accept his LOA as genuine. And, having since watched him and taken the time to get to know him more, I have fully accepted his apology and consider him as friend.

You're right, whether or not former staff will be attacked depends on alot of things but - to avoid an immediate hostile situation  1) it would help if former staff that post do not make excuses and 2) it would help if former clients avoid, no matter how understandable it is, the knee jerk reaction "just because they were on staff" reactive attack. We'll never get answers we all need if these two things keep happening. I know I would have to withhold any knee jerk reactions as well, long enough to let a former staff do some explaining and that wont be easy.

As far as why Rich formatted his apology the way he did, although I cannot speak for him I remember that at the time he first wrote it, he explained to me his reasons, his sincerity was never a question in my mind, but I also was able to talk to him on the phone about it - but I can also understand your reaction. In fact, I think no matter how written, regardless of the format or word choice, any apology would be greeted with skepticism by some survivors. I also think that is understandable.



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Yet, even though he had no direct impact on me as a child, there was still a contemptuous, antagonistic emotion held against him, simply because the word “staff” was in the same sentence as his name. What is interesting to me here is that he, although he was not on staff at the time of my incarceration, I still had such a strong visceral reaction towards him. I questioned myself at length about this state I found myself in. Sadly, I haven’t any answers as of this date. And I am not convinced there is an answer, only time given for observation. Observation to see if his following actions matched with his/your words. And in Rich’s case, they have. His actions have matched his LOA.

Maybe its because victims in general need to hold someone accountable for what was done to them - in the case of Straight, for many of us there is no single person that can be held accountable, many of our "injuries" are the product of a very screwed up system, the result of the collective actions of many people including ourselves (forced to be perpetrators to progress). In other words, aside from the Semblers and the executive staff level at each Straight branch, who do we as survivors direct our anger towards? I think its a natural reaction to be angry with and hold people we had contact with accountable - group staff was much more a part of our daily life in Straight than the executive or highest levels. Just a theory.

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Straight, Inc. and Derivatives / Re: Straight Staff - silent too long
« on: March 12, 2010, 11:38:45 AM »
Quote from: "Anne Bonney"

 I know I got to him, I could see it in his face.  He did throw up the same reasons/excuses we've all heard but it was nowhere NEAR the sincere apology that Rich gave.  He did give me his email address and told me to contact him if I wanted to discuss it further.  I never did, not sure why.  It was about 5 or so years ago and I was still pretty intimidated...gut reaction.  

I didn't really get any concrete answers to the questions I had, but it did give me a huge confidence boost that I was able to speak to him in a clear, intelligent manner without devolving into a frightened little girl again.  (wow...almost teared up writing that sentence, not sure why).  I felt like I had faced one of my main demons and faced him down.

I never had the experience of running into someone like you did - I dont know how I would handle such an encounter - if I run into people involved in my kidnapping it will be unlikely I will be able to listen to their side, I doubt I would be "reasonable", I would probably fly off the handle and make that encounter a very unpleasant experience for them. - Thats the demon I have yet to face and dont know if I ever will. Its amazing how you maintained your composure under such emotional circumstances.

One thing I dont want to see is former staff coming along making excuses - that would piss me off real fast. Rich has never once made excuses - he'll tell it like it was, but never excuses it. I find it extremely ironic that "taking responsibility" was shoved down our throats every minute of the day, we suffered dire consequences if we didn't "take responsibility" for some real or imagined or invented wrong doing (brutal confrontation, set backs, start overs, etc.) AND were part of those damn steps - 4 & 5 I think. But yet the people that preached it dont have the first clue what "making a searching and fearless moral inventory of themselves"  AND what taking responsibility means or they just refuse to do it for whatever reason.

I hope former staff, group and or executive level, to start posting and explaining why things were the way they were, their experience, etc, without excuses. I want concrete answers beyond what we already know - North Korean brainwashing was used as "therapy" - we've established that much - but even that answer doesnt provide all the concrete answers that are needed for the entire story of Straight to be known. if anything, that answer just provokes more questions.

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Straight, Inc. and Derivatives / Straight Staff - silent too long
« on: March 11, 2010, 01:40:48 PM »
Why is it most former group staff will not post on these boards? Yeah I know, I've seen them attacked. I myself have probably done so on occasion over the years. I have noticed survivor's views toward staff generally fall into one of 2 categories - automatic anger and hatred just because they were on staff or the view that staff were brainwashed too, staff was like another phase of the program (although it was voluntary as opposed to coerced).

Unfortunately, I think many former group staff have remained silent since they see the anger and rage directed toward staff either via direct attacks or posts in general. Of course former staff should take the time to understand where that anger and rage is coming from for it is completely justified. On the other hand, shouldn't survivors do the same, take the time to try to understand where former staff is coming from? If former staff would start posting, we might learn something from them. If we refrain from attacking them, maybe they would be able to see where we are coming from.
(I do not include known abusive staff in this category for extremely abusive staff members fall into a completely different category - I have no desire to "understand" where these people are coming from.)

Granted I say this knowing full well if certain former staff members who were involved in my kidnapping ever surface - it will take every once of restraint I can muster to refrain from attacking them and I might fail miserably, my own emotions might take over - so I do know why survivors tend to lash out at them....again survivor anger is justified.

Seeing what Rich Mullinax has done, the way he came forward, and the interactions that have taken place since - we have been given the opportunity to learn something - from an executive staff member - personally I have become more interested in the ENTIRE Straight "story" coming out for the world to know - for that to happen, former staff members stories would have to be part of the big picture. Right now I see that their perspective is almost completely absent - there are a few exceptions like Don, but most wont post  like he does. I have talked to enough former staff off the boards to know that some are just as anti straight as the rest of us are. I would like to see them start posting without getting attacked - I wonder if this is even possible?

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Just to clarify something for everyone -I got a question emailed to me and wanted to share the answer.
I put up separate pages for each branch that the website already had stories for. If there is no page up
for a particular branch, it just means I dont have anything from there. If I get one for a branch without a page,
I will add a page for that branch.

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My webiste is back - the new url is  http://survivingstraightinc.com/home

Right before geocites shut down all geocities pages, I saved everything from that site. The petition and apology are there too.

Its all back up, a few things in different places, but damn close to exactly that way it was when geocities pulled the plug (DAMN THEM!!!)

If anyone wants to add their story please feel free - the more posted the better. Send stories to this email address - http://www.geocities.com/surviving_stra ... /index.htm

I created this site to document many str8 survivor stories (not just mine) in one place..... plus, it bothered me how scattered straight survivor stories are on the 'net for awhile now....

Mine is there along with links to other stories to get it started but I want more people to contribute. If you would like to add your story, check out the Submit Story link. If you submit yours, I will add a page for you and post it as soon as I recieve it.

Eventually there will be many straight survivor stories documented here...This is everyone's site to use...hope to see more stories added soon.[/quote]

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Straight, Inc. and Derivatives / Re: Wes Fager's Funeral
« on: February 14, 2009, 11:03:22 PM »
Does Mr Fager's family have a preference regarding the attendance of Straight survivors?

Would they prefer survivors attended the viewing or the funeral? Or are they open to either? Thanks

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Straight, Inc. and Derivatives / Re: Wes Fager
« on: February 12, 2009, 10:19:18 PM »
Quote from: "pelberglaw"
In recent years the truth about Straight, Miller Newton, the Semblers, Kids and their progeny have become public.  While all of the villains have not been punished and the victims still deal with the aftermath the con that was Straight has ben exposed and the single person most responsible for making the truth known was Wes Fager.  Those of us who wanted to know the truth always knew that Wes was the primary source and his courage and dedication were an inspiration. Sometimes irrepressible but always honest and always extraordinarily decent he looked evil in the eye over and over again and he called it what it was.
Wes died yesterday.  He was an inspiration to me.  He should have lived a longer life then each of the bastards he exposed.  He didn't but the years he lived were well lived and he managed to take the harm that was done to him and his family and make it into something positive that was of value to the rest of us.  The world has been diminished by his passing.  He was a good man. He was a hero.

What horrible news!

I am so grateful for all Wes did to expose the truth about Straight. I am so grateful for how much his research and website contributed toward my own personal healing. May he rest in peace....

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Straight, Inc. and Derivatives / Re: PFC featured on WCPO
« on: January 29, 2009, 11:10:55 PM »
http://www.wcpo.com/news/local/story/I- ... fd8rg.cspx

OR

http://www.wcpo.com/content/news/locals ... fault.aspx

TRANSCRIPT

"Kids Helping Kids presented itself as the treatment of last resort when the I-Team got an unprecedented look inside four years ago. No cameras had been allowed before. The treatment the I-Team saw called for complete isolation of newcomers, who don't go to their home or to school for months, sometimes longer. They aren't allowed to listen to music or TV. They can't talk to each other, and must get permission to speak at all.

The executive director of the facility in Milford, Ohio told us in 2005, there's a reason for this tough love. Penny Walker said, "We deal with difficult kids and sometimes difficult families, and we're not going to please everybody." Walker no longer works for Kids Helping Kids.

The I-Team investigated the program after former clients and some parents called it a brainwashing cult. They cited day-long rap sessions in which teens were forced to repeating gestures and words in order to advance in the program and win a chance to go to their homes at night.

But some parents of clients in treatment at the time strongly supported the tactics. Parent Martha Logan told the I-Team she believes the program saved her son's life. She said, "There was no place else to turn."

After our report, protesters picketed regularly outside the center in Milford. This continued even after the center became affiliated with a chain called Pathway Family Center.

Now the Ohio Department of Alcohol and Drug Addiction Services confirms that Pathway has turned in its state certificate allowing it to operate.

A property search shows Pathway still owns the building. It still lists its address on Branch Hill Guinea Road on its paperwork, and the local phone number still leads to voice mail. But a visit to the building found no one there in the middle of business hours. The facility looks deserted, but files and keys still sit on desks. Inside, the rooms once full of troubled teens sit empty and silent.

Mark West says he knows what happened to the roughly two dozen kids who were here when the place shut its doors to treatment. He says they were moved to other Pathway facilities, including Indianapolis, where his son is enrolled. He opposes the program, but his ex-wife, who has custody, supports it.

West says the Milford location closed because of, "Bad publicity, not just bad publicity but actually the truth started getting out. I think community pressure closed it down."

The I-Team tried to reach Pathway through calls and e-mails not only to its Milford location, but also its other treatment centers in Michigan and Indianapolis. The day of this report, a spokeswoman finally called back. She said it wasn't community pressure, but economic realities that shut the center in Ohio. As of Thursday, January 29, 2009, she says the Michigan facility in the Detroit suburb of Southfield also has shut its doors.

West and his ex-wife have differing opinions of Pathway's program. The I-Team has heard from other parents as well. We'll be following up with a report of both sets of opinions."

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