Dear Mr. Cavey,

You're primary complaint seems to be that WE are trying to control every aspect of YOUR life. How ironic. Total control and blind allegiance is what the Straight method you so entheusiastically defend is all about.

Mr Cavey, my father was a good Republican for many years. And he was also my biggest hero. This is not about politics. If the Semblers, Newton and Bobby DuPont had been radical environmentalists instead of radical abstainance freaks, they might be brainwashing children to prevent them from eating beef right now. And you and I would likely not be having this discussion because that would appeal to an entirely different target market.

As I get older, I understand better why my father did many of the things he did; even forcing me to stay in the Program for two years.

You may have heard of him; John McNulty? He had his 15 minutes when he walked from Pompano Beach, Florida to Washington DC in `81 to protest corruption and wrongful firing from the US Post Office. He was also a Program parent. He'd spent nearly 10 years shoveling money, biding his tongue, soliciting donations of food and money from friends, neighbors and strangers and, eventually, driving 4 hours each way every week to show solidarity and catch a brief glimpse of me at open meeting. He did these things because he believed, as you seem to, that the only alternative was certain death for us kids. But when it came time for him to ask for support for his walk, not only did he get none, he was confronted for trying to kill everyone's children by depriving this $100,000,000 non profit outfit of desperately needed money for his foolish, egotistical and ill fated plan.

Well, he made it without them about the same time I made my break. I don't know if I was even aware at the time that my own dad was making national headlines. He did stop and see me in Atlanta, where he lied to the cops to try and have me arrested after my mother's unsuccessful kidnapping attempt. Even brilliant, scrupulous and heroic men can be brainwashed.

A couple of years later, we were able to talk about things and we both came to the conclusion that we'd been had. I'm sorry that neither of us thought to do what Mr. Fager has done and try and give you (and him) a heads up. But, better late than never, you and your son and your family have been had. I don't know if your son has realized it yet or not or if he really ever bought into it in the first place. But you, at least, have allowed yourselve to become convinced that the your son wasn't good enough, you were not a good enough father. You are promoting and protecting a brutally abusive organization in the name of the Steppford son they told you was better than your own.

I should point out that the statute of limitations in Florida is only 2 years. There is absolutely no way that I'm ever going to see any money out of this effort. I'm not in favor of abortion, and I also witnessed a little 16 or 17 year old girl coerced into aborting the baby of the boy she'd been dating for a year, albeit against her parents' wishes. Your heros have been lying to you, Mr. Cavey.

I am not a medical professional. I'm a mother. Frankly, I don't have as much faith in the medical profession, especially he psyche specialties, as some others do. I'm bashing the program because I was just a little kid when they terrorized me and destroyed my family. But I'm all grown up now and raising kids of my own. I wonder if Melvin Sembler can pick on someone his own size? He's sure as HELL not getting his hands on our kids without the fight of his life!

That is my motivation. No more, no less. What's yours?

BTW, you know what muck raking is, right? It's the craft of turning bullshit into healthy, productive soil by regularly introducing fresh air and light.

"Enlighten the people generally, and tyranny and oppression of both mind and body will vanish like evil spirits at the dawn of day." -- Thomas Jefferson

"Every day, make someone think" -- Crazy Mac

- WebMistress@Fornits.com (Ginger Warbis) If there's a worse idea going than locking people up for drug use. It's probably locking them up in close proximity to some altruistic tyrant bent on helping them even if it kills them. http://trebach.org/conference.html