Ritsfield Victory!

by silentlambs 115 Replies latest watchtower scandals

• 

  waiting

  MadAp,

  I'm confused - as I sometimes am by your posts.

  All this could have been avoided if you had simply gone along with the crowd, and also "cast your stone" at the abuser.

  No, you had the audacity to be objective, and point out that this victimizer was probably once a victim of abuse himself

  Not everyone - including myself cast stones at the abuser. I absolutely did not do that. I congratulated Erica and SilentLambs for the imho justified court win.

  It doesn't matter too much that this man *might* - absolutely not *probably* was a victim of abuse himself. That is no excuse. If he committed the crime - and the judge and jury said he did - then he deserves to serve the full jail sentence.

  There are many victims/survivors who do not victimize other children. Many do - but it's not a viable excuse. It's playing on the sympathies of others to try to use that as a excuse for criminal behavior against children.

  Who cares that his life was likely ruined many years before he repeated the cycle

  Again, *likely ruined* is absolutely unproven. He raped a child - let his crime stand as it is - a crime. Even the WTBTS says for publicity purposes - "it's a terrible crime."

  Why show sympathy and understanding for such.

  With the help of over $20,000 worth of therapy, I've tried to understand my father. Several of my therapists gave me books on sociapaths to help my understanding. He had an alcoholic father and a strict Nazarene mother and both believed in beatings. That helps with the understanding - it is absolutely no excuse.

  I do not understand my father's compulsions - the closest I can come is that of an alien and a human looking at each other, with no way to understand each other. Do I have sympathy for him? No. Compassion? No. Understanding? As I would with an alien lifeform - beware.

  Cast your stone, and satisfy the bloodlust of your friends.

  You and I aren't in the semi-private arguement between Wendy and other women. I would suggest that if you learn nothing else in life, stay out of arguments that you aren't involved in.

  It has little to do with "bloodlust" but more to do with the wording of words - and their intent.

  Btw, several of these women (not myself) have said that "if you've not experienced rape (as being raped, not a rapist) or been the victim of child abuse, you've no right to pass judgement on emotions shown." (paraphrased)

  Are you, MadApostate, a victim of rape or child abuse? And I don't mean because your mom slapped you upside the head for telling her to go to hell. Pretty much most people my age got that one in that politically incorrect time period.

  Your post is one of the reasons that emotions come to the fore for victims/survivors of child abuse. Emotions of anger. I've tried to answer sans the anger because I believe you'd use it against me within your reply.

  waiting
• 

  Billygoat

  waiting - Well said!

  Andi
• 

  MadApostate

  Waiting:

  As you point out, my post was directed at those who are gleefully
  "casting stones" at the guilty party. As you further point out, You were not one of the stone throwers. Thus, why not take your own advice given further down in you post, AND STAY THE FUCK OUT OF THIS DISCUSSION!!!

  I am sickened how a certained group of females here try to paint anyone who fails to agree 100% with them as advocates of child molesters.

  I am also sickened at the bloodlust of the same persons who fail to realize that there are more lives ruined/destroyed here than just Ericas. I fully support lifeterm incarceration of proven pedophiles, because that is what is bet for society. However, I DO NOT rejoice in the fact that a human life is reduced to that existence. I feel deep regret for any human that reaches that point. All of us are sum totals of our genetics and our formative environment, neither of which we had any control. When those factors combine to create a "Hitler", I consider it a great tragedy- obviously for those harmed by the villian, but for the villian also.

  Let he who is without sin cast the first stone.
• 

  mommy

  Wow!
  I will have to say well said Waiting and Mad apostate.
  wendy

  In a controversy the instant we feel anger, we have already ceased striving for the truth, and have begun striving for ourselves.
• 

  Billygoat

  Mad,

  I believe since this is a public discussion board that NOBODY has an obligation to stay out of a "conversation". It is a public conversation by simply being posted. So please let me take a moment to be a "Ms. Buttinsky"...

  I know I can only speak for myself, but if you were referring to me as part of that group of females, I'd like to set the record straight. (If not, then I'd still like to voice my opinion!

  Knowing some of these women as I do, I doubt that ANY of us are JOYFUL over someone being lowered to a life existence in jail. I think what DOES satisfy us is that there is one less child molester out there that can destroy lives. What satisfies me is that justice for Erica has been done. It is satisfying whenever anyone has been made accountable. Justice. Accountability. THAT is what most people ask for in these situations. Someone has committed a wrong against a child. SOMEONE needs to answer for it.

  By using the words "gleefully casting stones" and "bloodlust" you seem to be infering this is a witchhunt scenario that is disregarding all victims other than Erica. I couldn't disagree more. We rejoice ANYTIME a silentlamb approaches a milestone in their recovery. And believe you me - this was a milestone for all of us victims - NOT just Erica!

  Andi
• 

  noidea

  It is so incredible how such a wonderful and positive post has turned so ugly. Let's remember what this post was originally for.
  CONGRATULATIONS ERICA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
• 

  MadApostate

  Billygoat: If you had spent any time considering my comments, you would have seen that my first paragraph was a reasoned, logical response to Waiting, who had told me to mind my own business. And yes, this tread had turned into a bloodlust celebration, which disgusts me.

  Noidea: Sorry to have interrupted the party.
• 

  Tina

  and you sicken me mad ap. you are no expert on this subject,nor a victim/survivor. If you dont like it dont read it. You had no idea of the subtext of what was going on either. Stones can't be cast at a person who has been judged guilty.It's now a FACT. That's how it works.Tuff.What gives you the right to come in here and berate anyone. Evreyone here has the right to voice their opinions and feelings.That's what this board is all aboard-get the concept yet?
  Read my post '10 Nutty Beliefs by Dr Ellis'. You're displaying a bunch of those distorted thinking patterns.
• 

  JanH

  MadApostate & Wendy,

  I appreciate the points you try to make. Yes, it's a bloodlust thread. And yes, the subject of child abuse is too emotional for most people to even attempt to deal with rationally. Add the fact that a number of victims are present on this board, and it should be pretty obvious that anyone who would even suggest anesthesia to someone looking like someone who might be a suspected pedophile before he's cut to shreds with a dull knife in public, would be attacked as "a bleeding heart liberal" "defending the pedophile."

  It's a lost cause.

  What is even more serious: the matter is so emotional that juries will keep sending innocent people (mostly men) away to prison, like they did in the thousands in the 80s when the first public panics started. Many of those convicted then have later been aquitted. One should hope lessons should be learned: no matter should be too emotional for a rational approach. Obviously, this isn't the time and place for it.

  Until powers that be realize that the issues of comfort and help for the victim and the judicial case against the accused should be totally saparate cases, this is a topic a rational person will not dare touch with a ten foot remote controlled dung fork (obviously, I am not very rational today).

  - Jan
  --
  Faith, n. Belief without evidence in what is told by one who speaks without knowledge, of things without parallel. [Ambrose Bierce, The Devil´s Dictionary, 1911]
• 

  Tina

  (((((((jan)))))))))
  While I agree with some of your post,I disagree with the point of 'rationality'.
  I fail to see the 'hysteria' here that you do. The public(here anyway) don't go massively overboard.And neither do I think the women here do.

  Many things have changed and improved since the 80's.
  Assessment techniques,privacy issues.Why there seems to be a glut to you ,might just be due to something that is an age old problem,finally coming out of the closet of shame and secrecy,getting the attention it finally deserves.

  I will acknowledge that once society became enlightened enough to go public with such sensitive issues,mistakes were made. Wacky theraputic modalitys made it worse. I do see a middle of the road as this issue is settling into the collective conscience now.

  But please don't write off everyone here woth the blanket statement of irrational. That makes you sound narrow minded. Many of us are able to detach the emotion from the event. Since this thread is experiential rather than clinical,I see no prob with those expressing their feelings. And it certainly isnt irrational to me under that rubric.
  Also by labeling those 'irrational' you minimize and dismiss them and their experiences as not worthy of merit or attention.It's not only sexist,but a ploy used by attys. to discredit survivors in court. I know,I've seen it done. luv ya.T