The evil mother

Is flying out to visit on Saturday.

I had a long talk with my wife about my Mom and why our relationship is so fucked up. Ironically, not for the reasons many would think. Casa by the Sea was a symptom of the greater problem, the one we have had since I was about 6.

When my Mom learned that my little sister had a learning disability, I got set on the back burner. I stopped receiving any attention. I stopped receiving encouragement, motivation, praise, and love. I motivated myself through school in order to learn what I know now. I remember my Dad, one time, telling me that he was proud of me in 7th grade. My Mom, I cannot remember a single time where she praised me.

I grew up, never hearing that I was smart. I grew up with a distorted self-image, thinking that I was ugly. Now all of a sudden I grew muscles and have a wife who praises me. I have 30-year veteran computer programmers stunned at the scripts that I write.

I will not allow my mother to come into my house with the negativity from my childhood home. If she wants to continue such games, there are plenty of hotels in the area and a Hertz down the street. We shall see how this week goes.

There is a man out there. I will not name him, however I have known this guy for many years. By complete coincidence, I was at Fort Huachuca sitting in the internet cafe. This person walks in, and looks so familiar to me. He was in uniform, same as I. After looking at his name tag, I realize this man was at Casa by the Sea with me. I chat with him for a bit, turns out he was the second graduate from my time frame to enlist.

Fast forward to Iraq. A classmate from Fort Huachuca came to Balad for a few days and I saw her for a little bit. She told me that one of my old Mexico friends was in her unit, the same man I saw years before. I asked her if he ever talked about Mexico, and she told me "He has not said a single word about it. He is too afraid to talk about it. From what you have told me, I don't blame him." This from a grown man, in a warzone, in 2006.

When I resigned from CAFETY, I knew this would be the worst consequence of my actions. So many people I knew cannot talk about it. They hide it with "the program saved my life," for fear of rejection from their parents. I've had graduates, not knowing that I was at Casa by the Sea, lie straight to my face about what happened there.

Worst of all, I have never met another military person who can talk about it. Our culture says to hide these emotions, keep them inside because it is our job. It eats us up the worst. I was their voice, I was the voice of so many who were abused and tortured.

Why?

What made me so different than the others at Casa by the Sea? I have been struggling with this question for years. My good friend brought it up, he was talking about wanting to meet my mom.

He said "something set you apart from the rest of the people in Mexico, something let you come out of there and be successful. You are going to become an officer and retire as a Colonel and never have a worry in the world. I want to see where that kind of determination came from."

When I started "working" the program, I knew that it would be a lie. I made the conscious choice to become someone I was not for as long as it took. When I came home, I had to keep up that facade, then I turned 18 and I was able to flush that persona away. Now, that facade is a thing of the past. I am not subject to their mind control any more.

From a young age, I was basically catered to joining the military. Outdoors activities, shooting, Boy Scouts, it all led up to one thing. This was not a conscious choice by my parents, but a subconscious one. My Dad told me once "The only regret I have in my life is not going Active Duty and doing my 20 years in the Army." He did not want me to repeat his mistakes. Was this idea, planted in the back of my head, what allowed me to survive Mexico?

All I know is that survivors are plagued by Casa by the Sea, even with the place closed down. Why am I one of the few that can speak out?

You can only save those who are willing

So despite my efforts and the risk I put myself and my wife in, she allowed the abusive husband back into her house. She allowed him to manipulate her. The worst part, is that she knows she is being manipulated. She is scared.

I heard her tone of voice and all I heard was myself back in Casa by the Sea. I heard the truth covered up by fear. I could feel him watching her, listening to her every word and preparing a manipulative lie to cover up what really happened.

The same lies I had to vocalize while I was at Casa by the Sea. "Everything is going good here, the food could be better" when I wanted to say "PLEASE SAVE ME!!!" I know that I cannot save everyone, I am but one man. I know that my karma is clear, for in many ways I have sacrificed my well-being to make sure this spouse is taken care of. I am being sent to the DMZ in Korea because I saw something wrong and reported it.

It really sucks being the good guy.

I am being retaliated against by the Army.

I received an e-mail yesterday from my platoon sergeant. This e-mail said that I have come down on orders.... to Korea. My report date is June of 2010. However there are a few problems with this.

The Army has what is called an "AEA" code. This code determines if you are eligible for reassignment. About one month ago it was "W", meaning that I am not eligible for orders. I checked it on Friday and it was changed to "L", eligible for PCS.

My current duty assignment is a 36 month tour. I have only been here for 18 months. Also, the end of my enlistment comes so soon after the report date on these orders that I could not go to Korea.

Now comes the grand finale. Out of the 20+ people I arrived here with, I am the only one with orders. Each person on orders has one thing in common. There is me, my best friend (we are called the Wonder Twins), and the wife beater whom I blew the whistle on. I smell something fishy, like someone is doing this on purpose. What do we all have in common? I am the whistleblower, my friend is the accomplice, and the wife beater is the problem child. Someone wants to get rid of us, silence us.

Madness continues

So where to begin.....

A high-ranking enlisted soldier tried to intimidate a domestic violence victim over the phone. This same high-ranking enlisted soldier then called me the next day and was looking for information to save his or her own ass. I said so much, yet I took a page from my wife's political science books and said ABSOLUTELY NOTHING! Unfortunately for this high-ranking enlisted soldier, I recorded the entire conversation. This is the conversation where he or she:

1. Calls me a "little bastard"
2. Calls the domestic violence victim "crazy"
3. Admits that he or she remembers when I said "she is in a dangerous situation" back in February.

I wish they would just leave me along. They messed up, accept the consequences and move on! The important part is that she is safe. She will not be hurt again.

As I tread on eggshells

I would love to go into details, but for my own protection it is best to keep this vague. No, this is not warrantless wiretapping or anything else like that. It is protecting the welfare of the Army family.

I blew a huge whistle today. I saw something wrong, something that had been wrong for 7 months. I was concerned for reprisals. I did not know what would happen to me, my career, or my family. The affirmations of protection offered to me by the government seemed superficial, not knowing what would actually happen to me.

I gathered the courage and made my complaint today. I told the right person, at the right time. I know that I did the right thing, morally, ethically, and as a Soldier.

My conscience is clear, knowing that I helped save a woman's life and ensured that her and her baby will be taken care of. I cannot ask anymore of myself. Soldiers with integrity and personal convictions are now defending this woman. Instead of those who lack any semblance of intestinal fortitude.

The outpouring of support (WARNING: Sarcasm Ahead!)

So I did not plan on my transition out of CAFETY to be quick and simple.

I received the gamut of e-mails, which I will take a sarcastic viewpoint and describe some of them to the point of being outrageous:

First there was the "Thank You's". I guess it is a good thing that all my hard work was recognized AFTER I resigned from the board.

On the second day, came the "RRAAAAWWWRRRR!!!!".

On the third day, I received the "please don't leave, we are all too much alike." Apparently some were smart enough to recognize that most of CAFETY thinks the exact same way. Since I am not one of those traditional thinkers, they seem afraid of boring board meetings and everyone acting like Eeyore. I might send them a Glenn Beck book. :-)

On the fourth day I received another e-mail, this one I am going to directly quote,

"In your case I think you represent a specific group, I know many of my old program buddies who have joined the army or another branch of military service, and most of them don't even know how to start talking about what happened to them in in the program, most of them don't even understand what effect it still has on them. Who would speak for them if you weren't around?"

I have never met another program grad in the military that could talk about it. Many flock to the military because it provides similar structure, because the world is a "scary place." I joined because I was destined to a military career from the first time I shot a gun. If I completely silence myself, then all of those service members will be silenced.

I cannot let them down like that.

Letter of resignation

Due to recent events, I will no longer be volunteering or assisting with the mission of CAFETY. Below is my letter of resignation from the organization.

All,

I found CAFETY back in 2006. I was in Iraq at the time, looking for an organization to volunteer with. I found HEAL, and quickly left their website due to such strong partisanship. I also found ISACCORP, whose director told me that she did not want a military person working with her organization. After weeks of looking, I found a small start-up called CAFETY. CAFETY was the first group who actually accepted me for the occupation I chose. At the same time, my views were appreciated.

Since the beginning, I acknowledged one simple fact. Nothing can be accomplished through an unbalanced approach. Just as important as our mission is how it is accomplished. Intense government interference will not solve the residential treatment issue; many of the offending programs are already sponsored by some level of government (Judge Rottenberg Center) or accredited by a government agency (Mount Bachelor Academy). On the other side of the coin, deregulation will merely increase the chances of abuse, not accomplishing the mission of CAFETY. In my opinion and following rational-choice theory, the best ground to stand on is that of the center. A centrist stance to residential treatment reform allows us to capture a larger audience without disenfranchising survivors, parents, or potential volunteers.

Examining the political stances of the new board of directors, it is clear that predisposition to personal viewpoints was involved. Myself, a 3-year volunteer with countless hours dedicated to the cause, and our financial sponsor were both voted off of the board. The only commonality between the two of us is our political views; moderate, centrist, libertarian. While I am not discounting the credentials or experience of the new members on the board of directors, it is clear that my participation is neither appreciated, recognized, or needed any longer.

I therefore resign any affiliation with the organization known as CAFETY. I will not speak for CAFETY in any public function, nor will I endorse, defame, or support the mission of CAFETY.

Sincerely,
Eric Beasley

Welcome to the VA, How do you want to die today?

I saw this segment this morning with utter and absolute disgust. I have never seen a better example of "We have always been at war with Eurasia, Eastasia has always been our friend" in my ENTIRE life.

To summarize, VA puts out a memo July 2nd telling providers to refer their patients to a end-of-life counseling book called "Your Life, Your Choice." The contents of this book are not important, some like it and some don't. What matters is the insistence of VA Assistant Secretary Tammy Duckworth that this memo never existed. She was asked 3 times about it and said something along the lines of "the last VA memo about end-of-life counseling was in 2007." Chris Wallace HAD THE DOCUMENT IN THE STUDIO!!

As I watched this segment, this women disgraced herself, the administration, and the military. She ignored the facts which were presented to her and made up her own story.

This is the same kind of beaurecrat which allowed for Walter Reed to turn into a Eastern-bloc hospital. The same kind of person who, during routine surgery, messed up and caused an Airman to lose both his legs.

Where are the politicians shouting "We support our troops" now? Oh right, they are on such a well-deserved summer break.

http://fns.blogs.foxnews.com/2009/08/23/the-death-book/

The true failure of the Army mental health care system.

I retrieved my medical records a few days ago. I was looking around in them, seeing what I even had in there. When I came across the records from my incarceration in December. There are records of my forced ER visit to Walter Reed. There are records of what the doctors diagnosed. Now do not misunderstand me, the doctors and nurses wrote exactly what I had said. The papers say something along the lines of :

Servicemember was admitted to WRAMC (Walter Reed Army Medical Center) because therapist reported SM (servicemember) was experiencing HI (homicidal intents) and SI (suicidal intents).

That's fine and dandy. That is what was reported, put it in there. However here is my issue with my current medical record.
THERE IS NO RECORD OF THAT DIAGNOSES BEING FALSE!!!!

As far as the Army is concerned, I am still suicidal and homicidal. No follow up messages, nothing to indicate that their entire reporting system is flawed beyond repair.

Let's address the real issue at hand here. The Army does not know how to handle mental health.

Say I want to speak to someone confidentially. Say I am having disturbing thoughts come into my head and I cannot get rid of them. There is absolutely no way that I can discuss such secrets without the risk of disclosure to my military bosses. I cannot speak with a therapist, counselor, chaplain, or lawyer about what is going on inside my head. The military does not have a single outlet to talk through such problems.

If I tell a therapist, counselor, chaplain, or lawyer something along the lines of "I keep having these thoughts come into my head, about hurting myself and others. I want to talk about them and work through them," then I would be escorted to a medical facility. I would be put on suicide watch, stripped of everything I could kill myself with, and undergo intensive psychiatric evaluations for days. I would be subjected to the same treatment which I went through while being escorted to Casa by the Sea.

So why would anyone talk to a counselor or therapist? Why would a single soldier admit they have a problem and try to work through it?

This is why the suicide rate for the Army jumped to 75 in a year. This is why veterans come home and keep it all bottled up. This is what is truly killing veterans of the military, the lack of confidentiality in the mental health care system.

Responsible Discourse v. Angry Mob

I am still angry with the owners of WWASP for what they did to me. I will never forget it, but one day I will be able to forgive. Not because I did anything wrong, but I will be able to allow Dharma (karma) to take over and deal out whatever consequences it feels necessary.

Anger is an acceptable feeling, the method of dealing with it is what really matters. I have to deal with my anger in a way which does not hurt others. If I play some video games to vent, then nothing which actually exists is hurt or destroyed.

I understand that every survivor is angry. They were betrayed by their parents, lied to by some escorts, taken to an abusive place (maybe a foreign country) and tormented physically, emotionally, and mentally. I was there with some of you, and I understand what everyone else went through.

Having anger about your time there is no excuse to act irrationally or without restraint. The best way that WWASP and NATSAP and all these other horrendous places have kept us silent is by labeling us a bunch of bitter kids because someone tried to teach us discipline.

NEWS FLASH: I like discipline, I dislike the abuse you put me through.
I have sat in a guard tower with 60 lbs. of gear, in Iraq, with 125 degress of sunlight pounding down on me for 6 HOURS! I have carried 60 lbs. on my back for 13 miles ruck marches. I have run half-marathons with 2 weeks of preparation.

Casa by the Sea was still worse.

NYRA Annual Meeting Post Script

My wife and I attended the NYRA Annual Meeting on the 1st and 2nd of this month. There were goods, bads, and uglies.

Good - Brian Lombrowski and I gave a great presentation. I wasn't planning on going up there and speaking, but I felt I had some good things to say. I talked about LGAT (Large Group Awareness Training) which is the outline for the WWASP seminars. More specifically the Lifespring model. I discussed how the seminars were designed to suck in as many as people as possible to ensure program graduation. My parents, my sister, and my current wife all attended seminars. My wife and I were 16 (not married at the time of course).

Great presentations about lowering the drinking age. Did you know that the United States of America has a higher drinking age than both China and North Korea? Who would have that that straight up communists would have more relax alcohol laws than the our great and free nation.

Students for a Sensible Drug Policy presented. I agreed with all their points except when they said that random drug testing doesn't work. I know from experience it works, otherwise I would be smoking a joint right now.

Bad - Had to drive to D.C. for it.

Ugly - The Students for Liberty debated The Students for a Democratic Society.
DISCLAIMER: I would take great pleasure in punching every SDS member squarely in the face and breaking their nose. I feel like they completely HATE the military (myself included).
Most of the debate consisted of hundreds of obnoxious political terms that mean just about the same thing, except slightly different. Not much conversation concerning Youth Rights (which was the point of the conference). There was one question where some women went on for 5 minutes about some obscure topic. It was so bad that my wife, a Political Science major, had to step out because of how ridiculous their arguments were. That should tell you something.

Bad Part II - The two debate groups ate all of the food provided by NYRA. I would have been happy with a MRE.

But I do have to say that it was worth it. NYRA rocks!

Meditation and recovery

I wanted to write about the meditation I have been using to help center me when my mind drifts back to my Mexico time. It isn't original, however it has helped me through so much in the past 6 months.

I was meditating at the Tibetan Meditation Center in Frederick and I chose to visit events from my past life in Mexico. I knew that this would not be easy, but I felt that I was in a safe place and no harm would come to me.

I've found that assigning my feelings to objects which I can see in my mind help me deal with those feelings. For instance, when I think of something I fear I see it as some sort of challenge. Then I see myself as the perfect protagonist to defeat that challenge.

In my mind's eye, I see Mexico as a large red gate, which is the actual front gate of Casa by the Sea. I do not see past this gate, save for a few occasions where the memories from inside this area spill over and impact my ever-day life. However I could hear it, always gnawing at the daily decisions I make. Small triggers, bring me back there, constant reminders of my Casa by the Sea days tauntingly saying "I'm still here."

While meditating, I saw these gates and felt the evil which lived behind them. I saw myself as a skilled adventurer, poised and ready to combat whatever difficulty lie behind that gate. I walked up to the gate and it slowly opened. I saw the everyday life of a prisoner at Casa by the Sea. I saw the staff, the uniforms, the same eerie foreboding of whatever wicked this way came. My strength started to waver, merely seeing these sights again brought with them dark feelings.

I felt my physical being become sick. My stomach turned in circles, my head pounded. My breathing became strained, and sitting up became an impossible task. I hunched over, the emotional pain I retain from Casa became physical pain. This wasn't working, I had to change my path.

I realized my approach was my problem. I came to this vision thinking my problem was a nail, because I am great at hammering. I really needed to allow the nail to be and work around it. I distanced myself emotionally from the events. I saw them happen, I accepted them. However I realized that they can no longer affect me in the present.

My physical pains disappeared. I continued to venture out, exploring other memories and being at peace with them. Returning from the temple, I had never felt so at peace.

As I look back on it

July 11, 2001.

That was the day that I was taken to Mexico. Against my will, without my prior knowledge, the first crime I was ever subjected to. Kidnapped in the middle of the night, not knowing whether I was awake or dreaming. I feel the affect of these events every year.

July 11, 2004 - First year out of the program. I had 2 weeks before I left for the Army. I hadn't realized what really happened to me at Casa by the Sea, so I dismissed the flashbacks.

July 11, 2005 - I had a bad feeling all day. I spent the evening with my girlfriend (at the time) and hoped to forget it. I woke up numerous times throughout the night, suffering from a recurring dream where I get taken away. I never figured out how to escape my own prison.

July 11, 2006 - I was at Balad, Iraq for this event. I woke up in the middle of the night, sweating bullets and scared out of my mind. I grabbed my rifle and held it in my sleeping bag. A roommate was concerned about me doing this, I stepped outside and spoke with him for most of the night. I did not sleep that day.

July 11, 2007 - I had just married my wonderful wife. We went out for dinner and I hoped having someone else next to me would prevent any nightmares. They came, but were less intense. I felt some security.

July 11, 2008 - My wife and I were in the middle of an argument and she was in California. I was in Maryland. I knew this day would be bad. I knew I could not handle it. I tried taking this night sober, however I could feel the anger boiling inside of me. I knew that I had neither the willpower or courage to face this demon. I resorted to the bottle and became excessively drunk. I paid for it the next 2 days.

July 11, 2009 - After my trials and tribulations from December, I felt ready to take this issue head on. I had all the tools, and knew what was heading my way. I spent the day relaxing at home with my wife and dog. I played Bingo at the VFW in the evening. The feelings were there, grasping for some semblance of control. They never got a hold. I visualized my Grandfather's ranch, up in Glennville, CA when I started to feel scared or hurt. I grasped the Phurba which I wear around my neck. I repeated various chants and sayings which brought me comfort. I made it through the day and slept like a baby.

NYRA Annual Meeting

Anyone in the Washington D.C. Area, the National Youth Rights Association is having their annual meeting on August 1st and 2nd. Anyone interested, please visit their website at http://www.youthrights.org .

It's been a while

I have attempted to write about my experiences at WWASP seminars for a while now. Everytime I start, I hit this block. I remember it so clearly, but expressing these events in words has never come easy. In turn, I have decided to put this literary expedition off for now, instead focusing on some more recent events.

I wonder to myself daily, does this mean that I am finally recovering from my trials and tribulations? I have been through hell over this past year. I was taken away by the Army to Walter Reed, escorted there late on a Thursday evening. A certain mental health provider ignored advice from my therapist and wife, the advice to "not re-create Mexico" for me.

I made it through, not without a scar or two. I do not trust my Army Chain of Command. I never will, not after these events. I can only trust 3 fellow soldiers as a result of this. They were the ones who housed me, who spoke up for me by asking my commander the simple question "why don't we call his wife and ask what is really going on?"

I cannot put into words how understanding my civilian supervisor was. She told me "don't come into work until this has been resolved." These 4 people are the only reason I remained (relatively) sane through this ordeal.

It took me 2 months to even consider speaking to my counselor again. I had lost so much trust in the Mental Health field from Mexico, only to have a reckless social worker take the rest away.

I actually confronted this social worker. In my meditations, I always felt her presence gnawing at me. I knew what I had to do, the path was laid out for me. This women is my rapist, the one who took full control away from me and left me for dead. I thought for months about what I would say to her, only because the answer was right in front of me.

I was attending a Buddhist meditation center a few times a month. I would not be feeling her when I was meditating if it did not mean something. So I thought to myself, "What would Buddha do?"

I looked her dead in the eyes and told her that I was confronting my abuser. I told her that she re-created my PTSD and set my recovery back years. I also let her know that I was praying for her soul, "I hope that the harm you caused to me is overshadowed by the good you will accomplish in this life."

Emotional Abuse

Where I faltered was not the physical. I failed the mental challenges associated with immersion into a world commonly called the "program." Never have I been mentally assaulted like I was at Casa by the Sea.

We had 1.5 hours of group therapy 6 days a week. Our counselors were not certified or trained in the field of mental health. They were locals who could speak English well enough to talk to our parents. I also wouldn't call it "therapy", it was merely a tool for students to advance. It was easy to put someone else down and give them "feedback" in order to make yourself look good.

The entire system worked in one simple way. Students show up. They are physical abused by the staff and emotionally abused by the upper-level students. In order to complete the brainwashing, students progress to the upper-levels and become the abusers, cementing the transition from victim to minion.

I try to put Casa by the Sea into perspective, in a way that can make sense to those who were not there. It was like Basic Training, but it wasn't. It was a little like being deployed, but it wasn't. It was similar to stuff you see in the movies (Holes, But I'm a Cheerleader), but there is nothing funny about being in such a place.

My largest regret is the simple fact that I broke. I think about it like this. I am a Soldier, I am not supposed to give in to my captors. I am supposed to resist and escape. I failed on all accounts. Sure, I wasn't a Soldier yet, but that does not make my incarceration at Casa by the Sea any less traumatic.

I know this section is weak, doesn't go into any specifics. I have yet to truly face down the emotional abuse I had gone through outside of the seminars. When the time comes, I will be able to talk freely about it. My pieces on the seminars will go into greater detail.

Physical Abuse at Casa by the Sea

So why is residential treatment so bad? Based on my experiences, while I was there I did have it rough. Casa by the Sea has hurt me more in the past 7 months than it did over the 28 months I was there. I will start from the beginning....

I was at Casa by the Sea from July 11, 2001 until November 3, 2003. I left a 15 year old boy. I returned just shy of 18.

The details of my incarceration are hard to recall. I struggle with discerning between the physical abusive events which occurred, and the emotionally abusive events which live in my mind and physical trauma. I know that I was thrown into a wall by a man named Arturo when I first arrived. I know that an administrator named Dustin was there and witnessed the event.

Worksheets was the mellow version of time-out. Normally students would go there from 3 hours to days. I spent two straight days in worksheet once. We sat on 3 inches of wooden bench, feet together, knees together, hands on your knees, back straight, looking straight forward. We had to ask permission to scratch, sneeze, use the restroom, or drink water. We sat like that for 45-60 minutes in a row, listening to educational tapes.

Three times a day we went outside and performed physical fitness. Worksheet fitness varies by the student-leaders which are working it. One time I performed modified jumping jacks for 90 minutes straight. No water breaks, just exercise. To add injury to insult, we were barefoot on concrete covered by Astroturf. I was unable to walk straight for one week. Another time I performed various sprints, pushups, and movements in a sand pit. I was so fatigued that I vomited twice. I was not given a water break or medical treatment either time. These two events occurred in coastal Baja California in the August/September timeframe.

For comparison, I have a link to the Army's standard for work/rest cycle (http://tinyurl.com/ldvg72). All of the above I have described would be classified as "Hard Work" by the Army. Best case, Casa by the Sea doubled the Army standard. Worst case, Casa by the Sea violated this standard by 9 times. These youth were not trained or built up to that standard. If a Drill Sergeant treated a new recruit like the staff at Casa by the Sea treated me, they would be tried, convicted, sent to jail, and dishonorably discharged for their crimes. The commander in charge of the Drill Sergeant would have a letter of reprimand in their file, preventing further promotion.

Lose-Lose for Youth Rights

Forest Grove V. TA

Recently, the Supreme Court heard a case in which nothing good could come. I think either way the court ruled, someone was losing out and it would impact CAFETY in a negative way.

Brief summary, child was not doing well at school and had behavioral issues. Parents sent child to Mount Bachelor Academy and the School District did not want to reimburse the parents for tuition fees.

If the district won, then every child with behavioral/mental issues would have to attend special ed classes before they could get tuition reimbursement for external schooling. If the parents won, then it is acceptable to use taxpayer dollars to send a child to a school where the following is acceptable: "students say staff members of the residential program have instructed girls, some of whom say they have been victims of rape or sexual abuse, to dress in provocative clothing — fishnet stockings, high heels and miniskirts — and perform lap dances for male students as therapy."

The Supreme Court ruled 6-3 in favor of the parents. So, citizens of Oregon, your taxpayer dollars are going towards a facility which believes re-creating the circumstances of sexual assault for victims is an acceptable method of therapy.

I have a connection to Mount Bachelor Academy, they use the Lifespring training model, the same I experienced at Casa by the Sea. I know what that place did to me. Lifespring is not Special Ed, it is Special Dead. A method of brainwashing to chomp away at a person's soul and replace it with a shell, programmed to respond a certain way to external stimuli. Their goal is to create more minions to spread the gospel according to Lifespring. I have seen hundreds of people walking around as this Lifespring Zombie, preaching the seminars as the only way of life.

Upcoming Schedule

Next week I will start a series of blogs concerning my experiences in a WWASP school, called Casa by the Sea. For a teaser, you can read the schedule below.

Physical abuse at Casa by the Sea
Emotional abuse at Casa by the Sea
WWASP Seminars in depth - Discovery
WWASP Seminars in depth - Focus
WWASP Seminars in depth - Accountability
WWASP Seminars in depth - Parent/Child I
WWASP Seminars in depth - Parent/Child II
WWASP Seminars in depth - Parent/Child III
Returning home
Basic Training to Iraq
Coming home and the interim
December 4th, the day which will live in infamy
PTSD
PTSD Part II

Dates have been removed.

The problem with partisans

In relation to H.R. 911, here is why both political parties have serious mental handicaps (I call it lackingcommonsenseitis). Do you see this map?

This map should look completely different. The map should be ENTIRELY BLUE! As far as I am concerned, those who voted against H.R. 911 had two reasons.

The first reason, used by Virginia Foxx of North Carolina's 5th district, is that Ms. Foxx used to operate a residential treatment center. She said it in the House hearings, which Kathryn Whitehead and Jon Martin-Crawford both participated.

The second reason, used by everyone else, is that Republicans saw this issue as a pet project of the far-left. They lumped H.R. 911 into the rest of the stuff that comes from the far-left, save the whales, stop carbon emissions, don't test on animals, you get the picture. The marketing for our organization to those center or right on the political spectrum is miserable. Utterly miserable.

Please, write your congress(wo)man. Let them know how residential treatment has impacted you or someone you know. Do not allow these corrupt, out of touch loons with no real-world experience get away with such injustices. Hold them accountable, when you vote for your House representative, ignore the little letter next to their name. Read their record and vote based off what the law says.

Upcoming CAFETY Events

CAFETY will have a booth at the San Francisco Gay Pride Parade this weekend, 27-28 of July. Anyone who would like to volunteer, please e-mail cacafety@gmail.com .

If you are just interested in finding out about CAFETY, speaking with some volunteers, and learning about our organization, look for us there.

Paging Bill O'Reilly.....

Mr. O'Reilly,

I have watched your show for years now. I enjoy it and expand my political knowledge everytime I see it. However I feel it is my turn to expand your knowledge.

Jessica's law is a just and worthy cause. I applaud the amount of time you have spent dedicated to the passage of such protection for youth. Where were you for H.R. 911? Why haven't you spoken up about the youth being falsely imprisoned within your own state of New York?

These youth are stripped of every semblance of legal protection. They are humiliated, beaten, and deprived of food, water, and social contact. I can speak from direct personal experience, having been in the military for 5 years and spending a year in Iraq. I would rather be in Iraq than in a residential treatment center.

I hope that you will heed the call of this young conservative. I hope that you will turn the media power which you hold against such residential treatment centers and expose them for what they are, torture camps against American citizens within our own borders.

Sincerely,
Eric Beasley

Introduction to Conservative thought

Republican does not equal Conservative!

I am very passionate about that. Republican is a political party, conservatism is a political philosophy which centers on the Declaration of Independence, Bill of Rights, and the U.S. Constitution. Whatever my personal feelings on a subject may be, I feel bound by the above laws and documents of our country. My religious views (Buddhism) may reflect in my personal opinions, however my legal ideas are separate.

As far as CAFETY is concerned, residential treatment centers are a festering plague upon our nation. People complain about the abuse at Guantanamo, however they overlook such abuses happening miles away from their homes. Abuses happening to American citizens, both at home and abroad. These youth are not judged by a jury of their peers. Nor do they appear before a judge. They have no lawyer, no legal representation. As far as I am concerned, these youth are falsely imprisoned and deprived of the most BASIC human rights, "life, libery, and the pursuit of happiness."

I was one of these youth. I was kidnapped, taken across county, state, and federal borders. I was taken in the middle of the night to Ensenada, BC, Mexico. I did not see the inside of a court room. I was not judged by a jury of my peers. However, I was thrown into a wall my first hour there. I was told that I was a druggie because I had on a pair of Vans. My rights as a human being were taken away from me with some signatures from my parents.

Think about it, when a minor commits a crime, are they given a trial? Yes. Do they have access to a lawyer and information concerning their legal rights? Yes. So why would a youth, like myself, who never broke the law be stripped of their rights? Owners, employees, and referral agencies are all DIRECTLY responsible for the gross human rights violations committed at these facilities.


Do some youth need to be taken to some form of residential treatment? Yes, definitely. However, there is no justification for depriving these youth of their rights as human beings, let alone American citizens.