The Mormon Gulag

[_Dr. Shades]

Please tell me more about your upcoming projects regarding this.

Will you invite the media to the Scarecrow Festival protest?

When do you anticipate that your book will hit the bookshelves?

When do you anticipate that you will begin shooting your movie?

When to you anticipate that your movie will hit theaters?

[_truth dancer]

Goodk

I do not have time to look at this in detail right now but i did look briefly. I say Lowell Bennion's name connected with this. Is it really the same Boys Ranch that he started in the 60s? If yes this looks nothing like what I thought he started nor would it be in the spirit of what he put together. Plus his Boys Ranch was not in Utah but somewhere in Wyoming near the Tetons.

Jason, read Grosskreutz's first post on this page... I asked this question and Grosskreutz addressed it.

:-)

~td~

[_Gadianton]

Code: Select all

As long as their issues aren't too serious

But, how is it determined that they really have "issues" that need addressing? Winston Smith also had "issues". Are they psychologically evaluated by an independent party that doesn't stand to gain? This is terrifying. Basically, what I'm hearing is that a standard teenager displaying some of the typical rebelious traits can immediately be deemed "sick" and thrown into a labor camp for potentially years. Such would clearly be abuse. But, he would have no recourse as any complaints about mistreatment are assumed away as psychological warfare from the enemy.

Anyway, at 35,000$ a year, no ward is going to be sending anyone here, unless it's one of the very rich ones.

[_truth dancer]

Hi Gad,

TD,

I agree that the list you provided is pretty horrifying. I had no idea that there were real organizations out there that used manipulation techniques similar to Wade's phony websites. While some of those items listed are things that a bad kid might pull to "split parents", they are also the same things a good kid would do if his parents sold him into slavery. Imagine, a good kid held prisoner and abused and beaten would have no voice according to this "philosopy" of hick, backwoods Mormon militia men. The fact that a man who teaches philosophy on a college level could read that page and still take the place seriously is fascinating.

The thing is, most of these kids aren't going to be able to tell convincing lies. If these guys punch the kid in the face, and are subjected to some of the things I read, and the child reports this to the parent, then in many cases it would be a matter of taking the child to a doctor independent of the institution. There is absolutely nothing in place here to assure the parent that the child is being treated properly. They just have to assume the institution is perfect on their word.

Another problem here, what is the criteria for sending a child here? Can anyone with money just ship their kid off for trivial things?

I have such strong feelings about this (surprise)... I really don't know how a parent could send a child somewhere like this with these sorts of rules and suggestions and "philosophy".

Basically they are saying, no matter what your son says don't believe him. Let us do what we want. We will control how much and how often your son is able to contact you. Any complaints from your son are just manipulations so he doesn't have to remain here.

The very fact that the Boys Ranch uses such examples in their own literature (I will do anything if you just let me go home), demonstrates to me that there are extreme and horrific events taking place there.

I cannot understand why a parent would send their child to a place like this. I truly do not get it.

And, as Grosskreutz stated, this is not a place for boys who have committed serious crimes or are in trouble with the law. I mean they take boys right out of Kindergarten!

In my previous ward two brothers were sent there. They did not have much money and I am now wondering if the ward didn't pick up the tab.

Go Grosskreutz!!!!!!

~td~

[_Gadianton]

Listen to this,

By helping students understand the world about them, we give them knowledge of the Creator. The spiritual principle approach brings a child to logic and faith whether it is in algebra, language arts, sports, or study hall. Our curricula and methods of teaching and learning cultivate our youth unto full spiritual potentials

Does this sound like anything but a cult? Would any true professional therapist claim that a child needs a "knowledge of the Creator" in order to "come to logic" and learn algebra?

I'm sure a place like this "helps" a few kids here and there on a very hit and miss basis. Some kids, if they are far enough out of control, would "benefit" from extreme structuring while others would be crushed by it. But even those that "benefit" I'd have to wonder if the program leads them towards true high functionality or whether it shapes them into disciplined abusive people, or overly dependent people

A friend of mine had been a Scientologist and had escaped Utah for Scientology's Sea Org when he was early twenties. He ended up completely ditching the place but claimed it helped him to a degree. Well, given his description of what his life was like before, any place that forced him into a routine probably would have helped keep him "clean". I could open up a ranch in my garage and make up whatever I wanted for a philosophy and combine it with strict discipline and a loony system of punishment and reward, peer humiliation and encouragement, and accidently help a few kids get in control who are on the edge (while pushing others over and imprisoning the rest). Hell, E. Smarts captors essentially used the same kind of tactics to win her over.

[_Jersey Girl]

I have a question or two that may or may not be relevant here.

Would it be at all helpful or wise for GoodK to file child abuse charges against the facility?

Would a case such as that be successful and/or serve to bring attention to whatever violations are taking place in this program?

I almost hate to suggest this because I know that most of you are unfamiliar with the history of Geraldo Rivera and know only what you see of him today, however, years ago, Geraldo was instrumental in bringing national attention to substandard/neglectful/abusive conditions at a mental institution back East. I'll grab up a link about that so you can see...

[_Jersey Girl]

This is from Wiki on "Willowbrook". Geraldo Rivera was instrumental in exposing conditions at Willowbrook and ulimately getting the facility closed down. This is probably a Geraldo that most of you don't know about and who, in my estimation, is quite capable of doing the same thing today should someone request his intervention:

More Scandals and Abuses

Further problems dogged the institution: In early 1972, Geraldo Rivera, then an investigative reporter for television station WABC-TV in New York City, conducted a series of investigations at Willowbrook (on the heels of a previous series of articles in the Staten Island Advance and Staten Island Register newspapers), uncovering a host of deplorable conditions, including overcrowding, inadequate sanitary facilities, and physical and sexual abuse of residents by members of the school's staff. Rivera later appeared on the nationally televised Dick Cavett Show with film of patients at the school.

The school was originally intended to house 2000 students, but around the time the scandals at the institution gained attention there were almost 5000 residents. This resulted in a class-action lawsuit being filed against the State of New York in federal court on March 17, 1972. A settlement in the case was reached on May 5, 1975, mandating reforms at the site, but several years would elapse before all of the violations were corrected. The publicity generated by the case was a major contributing factor to the passage of a federal law, called the Civil Rights of Institutionalized Persons Act of 1980.

[_bcspace]

I dunno. Sounds like a "stand up" organization to me. So you got sent to boot camp. So what?

lol

[_harmony]

BC, you're an ass. Not that we didn't know that already, but you continue to demonstrate your ass-ness on this thread.

What I want to know is, how did GoodK rebuild his relationship with his mother and stepfather? What happened that made that possible? Because this boys ranch experience would seem like a deal breaker to me.

[Guest]

41 No power or influence can or ought to be maintained by virtue of the priesthood, only by persuasion, by long-suffering, by gentleness and meekness, and by love unfeigned;
42 By kindness, and pure knowledge, which shall greatly enlarge the soul without hypocrisy, and without guile—
43 Reproving betimes with sharpness, when moved upon by the Holy Ghost; and then showing forth afterwards an increase of love toward him whom thou hast reproved, lest he esteem thee to be his enemy;
44 That he may know that thy faithfulness is stronger than the cords of death.
45 Let thy bowels also be full of charity towards all men, and to the household of faith, and let virtue garnish thy thoughts unceasingly; then shall thy confidence wax strong in the presence of God; and the doctrine of the priesthood shall distil upon thy soul as the dews from heaven.

(Doctrine and Covenants | Section 121:34 - 46)

I committed this to memory many years ago even though I don't believe the man that wrote it emulated it in his private life - and this (the double standard) is one of the biggest problems with the church.

It appears the Ranch does not exemplify these verses either.

Good K,

Thanks for making us aware of this hell hole. I can't imagine anyone being properly reformed from such a place, but rather, perpetuating a twisted philosophy of forced compliance.

I hope that many of those that participated in the program will find themselves serving long years in legal prisons - regardless of their intentions.