DiscussMormonism.com

I'll be on a gay talk radio show in a few minutes. Not like I'm gay or anything, we're talking about Chris Buttars and my article.

http://www.blogtalkradio.com/GayTalk/20 ... Boys-Ranch

I'm listening right now, all the way in Oz.

I'm trying to listen, but the quality is so bad I can't even make out what anyone is trying to say!

Scottie wrote:I'm trying to listen, but the quality is so bad I can't even make out what anyone is trying to say!

Weird, I'm getting it loud and clear.

Scottie : I'm trying to listen, but the quality is so bad I can't even make out what anyone is trying to say!

Ray: Weird, I'm getting it loud and clear.

LOL !

Ray A wrote:I'm listening right now, all the way in Oz.

How did I do?

GoodK wrote:

Ray A wrote:I'm listening right now, all the way in Oz.

How did I do?

I got cut off probably about halfway, not sure why, but before that it was very clear from my end. You appeared to start a bit nervously, but once it got going you really opened up and I thought you got your points across well. If there were callers I missed that.

I'm right now in the process of contacting the ABC (Australian Broadcasting Corporation) to see if they will be interested in publicising your story. I'll let you know the outcome.

GoodK wrote:

Ray A wrote:I'm listening right now, all the way in Oz.

How did I do?

I'm talking to you as a friend and I'm going to tell you the truth on how I perceived it. On the whole I think you were a difficult interviewee. What you express, the content, is good but you sound very low key and dispassionate about it. You also tend to not be very talkative. Part of it though was that the interviewer was caught off guard and wasn't expecting you to phone in, so he wasn't prepared, plus you haven't done many interviews either. Since I have talked to you on the phone a few times I do know you were being yourself.

I didn't realise the Mormon connection to Evergreen until Eric mentioned it.

I've just gone through the comments to Eric's Orato article, which can be found Here.

Judging by the comments from HiJolly and Amanda, I'm wondering how much progress will be made. First of all they confuse KP with Eric, and though KP made it clear he was at UBR for seven months, HiJolly, an occasional visitor to the UBR, wonders if he knows more about the UBR than KP, until KP straightens him out, first of all that he's not Eric, and that he lived there! All already mentioned by KP.

There's a lot of muddling about whether there's any connection between the Church and the UBR, even though the UBR is run 100% by Mormons. It's sort of like arguing that Catholic Church had nothing "officially" to do with institutional child abuse in Australia. They have actually argued that. As noted, child abuse occurs over a wide spectrum of government and church organisations and is often under-reported, not reported at all, or denied. It can easily occur without the public, or even employees or sponsors of those organisations being aware of it. It happened right here in my own city, when a Catholic bishop was exposed after many years of knowingly allowing abuse to go on but turning a blind eye to it.

At the conclusion of this debate on Orato, Amanda writes:

I would like to point out that The Utah Boys Ranch is not owned nor operated by the LDS Church. I do not know the truth of the situation at the ranch, but see no problem with an independent group looking into it, and asking tough questions. If Child abuse is happening it should be shut down. Members of the LDS faith are not perfect, you will find the same kinds of problems inside the LDS church that you find outside. The LDS Church has consistently and loudly spoken out against the use of force in relation to children, and regularly counsels parents against any kind of abuse.

(My emphasis)

HiJolly's final post was:

You would like to know my point. You accused the LDS Church of financing the Utah Boy's Ranch. You were wrong to do so. I pointed out WHY you were wrong.

That's my point. You are falsly accusing the UBR as being "Mormon" when it is not. Whether you agree with my point or not, it's sad that you couldn't see what it was.

HiJolly

You've got a tough road ahead of you, Eric. They are more interested in defending the Church than finding out the truth.