United Nations Formal Complaint Filed by Survivors

[Maltese Falcon]

This is from the Florida Bar:

 Center For Professionalism
 Creed Of Professionalism

I revere the law, the judicial system, and the legal profession and will at all times in my professional and private lives uphold the dignity and esteem of each.

I will further my profession s devotion to public service and to the public good.

I will strictly adhere to the spirit as well as the letter of my profession s code of ethics, to the extent that the law permits and will at all times be guided by a fundamental sense of honor, integrity, and fair play.

I will not knowingly misstate, distort, or improperly exaggerate any fact or opinion and will not improperly permit my silence or inaction to mislead anyone.

I will conduct myself to assure the just, speedy and inexpensive determination of every action and resolution of every controversy.

I will abstain from all rude, disruptive, disrespectful, and abusive behavior and will at all times act with dignity, decency, and courtesy.

I will respect the time and commitments of others.

I will be diligent and punctual in communicating with others and in fulfilling commitments.

I will exercise independent judgment and will not be governed by a client s ill will or deceit.


My word is my bond.


[ This Message was edited by: Maltese Falcon on 2003-01-15 19:31 ]

[FueLaw]

....and ?

[Maltese Falcon]

"I will further my professions devotion to public service and to the public good."

Isn't it in the public good to come forth with the truth regarding the Semblers and associates?

"I will abstain from all rude, disruptive, disrespectful, and abusive behavior and will at all times act with dignity, decency, and courtesy."

You represent yourself as an attorney but regularly insult people and communicate in a fashion that is disrespectful and rude.

"I will respect the time and commitments of others."

Don't you think we are serious and have dedicated much time, money, and resources seeking the truth.  Truth seekers should be held in high esteem don't you think?

And you still didn't answer the question, "are you an attorney?" What's you liscense number or office address?  I want to meet you personally tomorrow!

[email protected]

send via email if you wish

Just because you do not take an interest in politics, doesn't mean politics won't take an interest in you.
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0684863952/circlofmiamithem' target='_new'> PERICLES (430 BC)

[ClayL]

I must say, I really liked the Cold Feet Syndrone , being winter and cold it took no great leap of intellect to figure my toes are frosty. In a non-literal since, I would say you are well off the mark. I am more than willing to assist my fellow inmates come to terms with the issues arising from Str. After several months with no one speaking to me, only 2-3 hours of sleep and so little food my mother could see my bones sticking out across the open meeting room, I would have done anything to make it stop.

Am I selfish? You bet I am selfish! I will never again debase myself to get some one off my back. I will always do what I think is in my best interest. I will do what I think is right for myself, my family, my career and my friends. I will give money to bums on the street because I have been there. I know they will most likely go get booze or crack, but that's their problem, not mine. I give back to others because it makes me a whole, complete, well rounded person. I am never satisfied with where I am at in life and devour new opportunities and knowledge so I can grow because I want to. In the movie the "Dead Poets Society," they spoke of being dedicated to sucking the marrow from the bones of life; I am that and much more.

You know what? My life is great now, it is fantastic! I am broke, in debt up to my eyeballs, and barely making ends meet. My credit is for shit and I'll be willing to bet I have at least one lean against my house. All this is life! I have one wonderful child, who is truly awesome and another on the way! I have a wife that loves me for who I am, for better and worse. She puts up with all my shit and little pecadillos. A good woman can save your very soul... All this is life! It is hard! It is supposed to be.

How did I get here? Hard work! Looking at things that I would have just as soon burried. When I finally disassociated myself from str. I had, as you can imagine quite a few issues. I had an inability to speak with people not associated with str and was afraid of them. I could not sleep in a room with the lights off. I tried going to college and failed miserably. I was a psych major and during the abnormal psych couse I realized I was nutty as a fruitcake. Again I was struck by the terror of being away from str. I became quite suicidal and even went so far as planning the thing out before I came to my senses. I had not been through all this to simply die.

I started seeing a therapist and doing things differently. I started purposfully placing myself in situations that str would not approve. I started becomming human again. Stopped seeing the therapist shortly and continued doing things as un-str as possible. I joined a fraternity and this got me though college and helped me meet my wife. Yep, I'm a preppie boy. I was also the oldest active member in the enitre fraternity although a couple of guys came within months of beating me. Mostly ex-military. I live on a farm, drive tractors and plant crops. I am also a computer nerd. A good one.

As for my being a staff member, so what. Go ahead and look. I am certain there is not a soul on this board who has nothing embarrassing they'd like to remain in the closet. Did I yell at kids, probably not, I get this tone in my voice that is stern in a mean way. I don't have to raise my voice. Did I ever restrain anyone while on staff, no. Did I ever get in some one's face and spit on them, no. Did I believe that I was helping, yes. Did I leave staff on bad terms, you bet. I put a note in everyones mailbox calling str a bunch of neo-nazis. I went over well so I heard.

Look away! I have nothing to hide and will not be cowed with idle threats.

As far as "trepidation of repraisals"? Give me a break and fuck off.

I suppose I should have been referring to you as Mr. Dirty throughout.

CL

[ This Message was edited by: ClayL on 2003-01-16 09:01 ]

[Tampa survivor]

Go Clay go....you are a friend, and I look forward to meeting you again.  
Well said.
Bill

[Anonymous]

On 2003-01-15 20:15:00, Maltese Falcon wrote: Isn't it in the public good to come forth with the truth regarding the Semblers and associates?

What the hell are you people talking about> If you read through some of Clay's posts, you'll see that he's been extremely forthcoming with the truth about the Program. Most recently, he's gotten a letter published in a local Orlando weekly stating just exactly the sentiments that you're brow-beating him for not stating. Believe me when I tell you that a fairly mainstream publication like Orlando Weekly has a whole lot more impact that the fringe publication, Indymedia!

BTW, Barb, let's see if we can get the Baltimore area affiliate to pick up the story. I'll send you the contact info by private mail. If you could get the word out to some of your friends with ties to Baltimore people, maybe we can get them interested in the story. For that matter, why not find out if the publisher has affiliates in Detroid, Cincinatti, Lake Worth, Tally, Alberta and wherever else the plague persists?

[Anonymous]

If you are not completely ready to go all the way and do it all alone then you are not , in any respectable sense "comitted" to the fight anyway.
  If you spend so much time trying to minipulate everyone who is idle , instead of doing something your damn-self it really makes me wonder if you really care or you  just need other people envolved to legitimze YOUR style of dealing with what happened to you.  
  If everyone needs to be on board for this fight , then it is surely already doomed to failure.

[DIRTY HARRY]

:eek: Look away! I have nothing to hide and will not be cowed with idle threats.

As far as "trepidation of repraisals"? Give me a break and fuck off.

I suppose I should have been referring to you as Mr. Dirty throughout.

CL

You sound like you are not happy with me. Unfortunately, shit happens. So what? You know, way back when you were there in STRAIGHT, INC. you know, when a 5th phase trainee was chosen? That person would take part in treating kids and young adults drug use, while also being in a highly illegal and morally defunct organization. Those lives were permanently altered.
The just say no thing didnt happen in your case Clay. You went onto a temporary career in drug treatment of kids and young adults. Not that you were SO bad, because maybe you weren't. You have the benefit of the doubt here, I second that motion. HOWEVER, There were a lot of "red flags" so to speak in Springfield that I saw in staff members, no matter how "nice" or cool they were. Perhaps this many years later, I still perceive staff members as the "they knew what the fuck they were doing when the Jr Staffer took them aside and asked them if they wanted to be a staff member and they said SURE!" crowd. I am willing to bet that you did not stand up back then, in front of your supervisor at STRAIGHT, INC., and say "These abuses must stop!" If you had done that, then you never would have made it to the next staff level and may have even been started over. Hmmm, do you think that happened? Lord knows, you never started any one over? Hmm, well, I'll leave you alone, from now on, here on out, until the very last human on the planet takes their final breath, I know. Congrats on the publishing accomplishment.   Harry

[Tampa survivor]

Under Harry's premise, the only people who are legit are those who did not endorse or espouse the programs way of treatment.  
Take a thought...ANY 7 stepper would be void.  In order to finish, one had to accept and endorse the programs ways and hence, SPREAD THE WORD.  ReAD THE 7th STEP.
Okay...I guess that makes me and marti and ginger legit but Clay and Mike S and any other person who "bought into" the stuff enough to graduate a program dork unfit for todays "movement". Remember how standing up for yourself was a ticket back to front row?  HMMMM...
Clay remembers what I was like the last 7 months I was in  Atlanta. He and I have spoken of it.  I think the fact that he saw what straight did to me is more important than his choice to choose a different path out than I.
The "movement" is DOOMED in its current configuration and methods.  
Find a purposeful way to effect change now, like letters,posting to news groups or editors,
or, as said by another, give us a break and bend off.
Bill H.
Non-compliant/rebel/sponge/taker/peanut butter eatin/drain/splittin fool WHO HAS GOTTEN OVER STRINGING UP MOST FORMER STAFERS AND 7 STEPPERS
ps HI MARNIE< HI TRISH

[ClayL]

You Said: "I am willing to bet that you did not stand up back then, in front of your supervisor at STRAIGHT, INC., and say "These abuses must stop!" If you had done that, then you never would have made it to the next staff level and may have even been started over."

Perhaps this is the reason I never made Sr. Do you even read my posts? If so, you would have noticed the line in the previous msg. where I said that in my letter of resignation I told the exec's str employeed neo-nazi tactics in their treatment. Let me go further. In this same letter I named specific exec's and called them incompetent and listed their trangressions. At the time I was just pissed, but I was right. Needless to say, I was not welcome there anymore and yep, if I had gone back it probably would have meant a refresher. Something I was just not going to do ever again.

Lord knows, you never started any one over?"

Of course I started people over. In most cases during OMR. You have the wrong impression of the actual power staff had. You remember that list the staff was always looking at? Well, during books, whick took place during afternoon rap, the Sr. and exec. staff got togather and went over I don't know what. People "earned" talk, T&R and phase changes. They also decided setbacks and startovers. This list was given to the staff leading OMR. When you were called on your fate was already decided. Nothing you did or said would change it. Had nothing to do with who was leading the OMR. During normal raps, the exec in the back of group decided things. Seven stepper's, aka graduates, were decided during Wed. Utilization Review. Again by the Sr. and Exec Staff. The Jr.'s used to be in on this, but a Jr when I was on trainee screwed this up by letting Robin B. know before Open Meeting. (She was whining about having to go to a different host home, and the Jr. told it was only for one night because she was graduating the next day.)

Now when I was in the program, I don't think it was this way. I think the Sr.'s had the power to dole out Start Over's and such, but I am not sure and I never asked one. I didn't really like them. While I was on staff, even the Sr.'s had to confer with an exec before meeting out consequences.

I'll tell you this though. I really did care about my kids and worried about them often. I, like everybody else at str was taught "tough love" and "brutal honesty". In my continuing experiences with life, I have found neither of these to be functional behaviors. The tough love and brutal honesty caused me serious problems in every realtionship I have had. I still have issues with this today.

CL

[ This Message was edited by: ClayL on 2003-01-17 06:52 ]

[DIRTY HARRY]

Staff and 7th stepping do not necessarily fit all into one category here Bill H. I have here a list of nearly 75 rules that 5th phase trainees were required to adhere to. I said 5th phase trainees Bill, not 5th phasers. Don't tell people out there that staff did not know what they were doing, or did not know what they were getting themselves into. Sure, some of them were worse once they made it and used that power, but it takes a bit more energy to adhere to extra 75 written rules on 5th phase trainee status don't you think? Let's not talk about the number of unwritten rules now, OK? My gooshness, that had to be over 100 rules for those trainees to adhere to. Hmmm, that's insane. oops opinion there. Working a STRAIGHT INC program as a regular phaser such as I had been, had nothing to do with doing a staff member's program. Night and day, Bill H. totally different. I have gone over so many documents about training, etc. that I find it practically IMPOSSIBLE for someone to not to know that this type of treatment was abusive and beyond reproach...AHEAD OF TIME... Do you think that "I'll try it for a while and see how it goes and it isnt so I left on bad terms" is the cure all now? It is a start, and a very good one at that. I do believe that we were all victims, some moreso than others. Now that we have learned so much about what went on inside, behind the scenes, I surmise that former staff members who are still alive would have a truckload of extra baggage to carry around. That is unfortunate, for sure. I am not blaming them per se for the whole mess. This all started before they were involved. I am merely stating facts. I know many people who have rescinded their status as a 7th stepper. Cop outs are heroes, and suicide victims paid the ultimate price. I 7th stepped and get an empty kind of feeling because of it. STRAIGHT, INC. was an elaborate and illegitimate experiment done by Mel Sembler, his wife Betty, and Miller Newton, along with some others of course. Adolescent peer type staff members, while being victims on one hand, also victimized often. Maybe these staffers had the certificate for Drug Treatment Counselor, I dont know. From what I hear, that was voluntary and most staffers did not elect to get one. Joining the movement to stop this crap from continuing would be great. To downplay it and criticize it is counterproductive at the very least. Do you have a game plan for the movement? I doubt it. This situation reminds me of this simple FACT: Motivating was bogus, did you ever motivate?  :rofl:

 Harry.

[Tampa survivor]

Heres a few places my own posts prove you wrong AGAIN harry:
"The "movement" is DOOMED in its current configuration and methods.
Find a purposeful way to effect change now, like letters,posting to news groups or editors,
or, as said by another, give us a break and bend off.
Bill H.
Non-compliant/rebel/sponge/taker/peanut butter eatin/drain/splittin fool WHO HAS GOTTEN OVER STRINGING UP MOST FORMER STAFERS AND 7 STEPPERS
ps HI MARNIE< HI TRISH AND KRIS"
Heres another:
"The Semblers and thier ilk do not GET IT. I can not change them. I was abused as hell by STRAIGHT, but as Joey said, I sleep just fine, and I eventually worked out most of my program based bugaboos.
Knowing Miller is a discredited charlatan is grand. Pinning him to a tree would do no more for me. Everyone in the bussiness of rehab KNOWS straight was a failure...EXCEPT for those who still advocate coerced TX.
Present day coercive treatment is what we should fight, as veterans of the same treatment modality we have a unique perspective on it, and therefore, credibility."

HARRY< HAVE ANOTHER...you obviously don't read much here EXCEPT your own posts:

"I think it is more of a mission for me to help todays victims, and guide any who were with us back then and help them through thier awakening when they find this site."

Well Harry, that was just from this thread.
My game plan is well known.  OPEN YOUR EYES.
ASK Mike Sherman. Read more than todays posts.
I do wonder why my email to the survivors group has not been answered.  Hmm.  
I am sorry that some of you folks latched on to a dream.  If you remember my posts 6 months ago, I was just as angry.  
Anger should be transitional, then give way to PRACTICAL action.  
Like a letter to the editor which gets published.
Like informing a parent about other options with their mess of a teen today.
Like showing up to rescue kids at Growing Together or SAFE.
Thats the kind of "GAME PLAN" I have.  
The methods used by ISAC(conform with us or be trashed) are killing your own dream.  They certainly won't save a family today.
Bill Hadley
12/80-12/82

[Anonymous]

Why are you quoting Mike Sherman?  Who the hell is he?  And why do you think he has the same opinions as you?  You don't need to hide behind someone else's name to voice your own opinion. And why the heck do you think he wants you posting his name on the fornits site?