Sexual abuse poll

[waysider]

Good choice, excie

I read you loud and clear.

[lindyhopper]

Well, I thought I could come back and revise the poll, but it doesn't look like I can...or I haven't figured it out.

I would add the "my child(ren) was abused"

I guess I don't care so much about knowing whether it was man on man, or woman on man, or woman on woman, or man on woman, it is all equally bad in my book. I guess it might be intriguing to see how much homosexual abuse or harassment went on seeing as we were SO anti-gay in TWI.

I am not looking to be representative of this community. I am just looking to see how much of this stuff happened to people in this community...or at least among those willing to say something about it. I realise this isn't the best way to get a true measure of it and I don't think percentages really make a difference when it comes to those that these things happened to. One in a million is too many. Doesn't lessen the damage, cruelty, sickness or profound impact of that one event. So I don't care if you weren't abused....but horray for you, plenty of others were.

I am a little surprised of how many people were told or encouraged to get an abortion. Well, not that it happened (I know that teaching was going on) but only in that I have only heard of maybe one or two people's stories before. Very sad. ((((ladies/families)))) Maybe I haven't been paying much attention for a while.

Maybe we should have a slot that says I definitely know of X number of people that don't post here that were sexually abused or harassed.

and you should have been able to click more than one box if needed. Did I do that right?

And I know that other incidents of abuse are valid as well, but I guess I was trying to weed out the people that were not apart of the TWI culture of sexual abuse. What I mean is, there were the teachings that at the very least implied the condoning of leaders taking advantage of the flock, and those teachings (as far as I remember) happened more at the advanced class level and up. Maybe I am wrong. So Joe Blow from fellowship may have been an abuser, but may not have been someone using TWI's teachings as an excuse justifying their actions. Does that make any sense?

So, the condoning of spousal abuse would be one to add, for those reasons. I guess, these would be incidents that happened on lower than advanced class levels as well.

Edited January 6, 2008 by lindyhopper

[simonzelotes]

I am not looking to be representative of this community. I am just looking to see how much of this stuff happened to people in this community...or at least among those willing to say something about it. I realise this isn't the best way to get a true measure of it and I don't think percentages really make a difference when it comes to those that these things happened to. One in a million is too many. Doesn't lessen the damage, cruelty, sickness or profound impact of that one event. So I don't care if you weren't abused....but horray for you, plenty of others were.

So, evidently, you want to keep in line with the greasespot cafe's objective to "tell the other side of the story"....as opposed to telling the whole story...'Horray for you'...So is this a closed poll?...Those not abused need not participate...Can we still read the thread?...How about offer up a comment?...

Why not stretch the definition of abuse,as you seem intent on doing, so we can all participate and no one feels left out?....Then the poll can be titled "How I was abused by the way: let me count thy ways"...Maybe one by one we can all declare ourselves perpertrators or victims of the most scandalous,evilest, seed-of-the-serpent-est empire that ever walked the earth...We can all denounce every waking moment of our way years as being totally worthless,...wasted days and wasted nights, followed by months and years of wandering o' so aimlessly,until we saw the light when greasespot came into our lives...Then we can have a nice community of victims--holding hands,hugging and crying on eachother's shoulders---waiting for that newbie to come along so that we can rescue him or her into our fold...

I know that this is just one little poll, and you're right, it won't be a true measure of abuse or percentages, regardless of what answers are put in there..To tell you the truth, I don't hardly participate in polls, anyway...Furthermore, I usually stay away from these abuse topics---at least I did the first four or five hundred times I've seen them come up in the 'about the way' category...But, I've got time invested in GSC like anybody else here, and I also have about 15 years invested in twi...I won't say to somebody who was a sexual abuse victim at the hands of a man of God "I feel your pain", because I can't, and won't, feel their pain...But I can offer up words of sympathy,hope and encouragement...I have found hope and encouragement to be more helpful than sympathy...Maybe not everybody agrees,but it's what I do best...

But, I suppose, this thread can go the way of the many others---if you can't say something nasty, don't say anything at all...After all,what could possibly be cathartic about opposing perspectives?...I don't consider myself anybody's healer here,but I do consider a few as friends...Sometimes, I think of the words of Jesus,when he was being crucified, regarding his killers: "Father, forgive them for they know not what they do"...I know,I know---those rat bastards in the way that perpertrated the abuse knew exactly what they were doing...Does it really make all that much difference,now?...

BTW, the poll shows that there were two abuse and four attempts by VP or LCM...The rest were by other way leadership and seven were counseled to have abortions,but not specifically who did the counseling...While that's certainly too many, my follow-up question would be where do the victims go from here?...

[rascal]

Do they have to go any where Simon? It happened, It is a part of who we are. Maybe those who suffered....maybe we don`t want anything. Maybe we are long over it...most of us I imagine don`t even want sympathy.

Maybe it is important after decades of having dirty little secrets....keeping things *lock box* ...it is needed to just be ok to talk about.

Nobody here is qualified to *fix* anything...to my knowledge. Words of encouragement are nice....but comments about seeking sympathy or being whiners to get attention are really out of line. I personally am not looking to any one here to provide answers or direction...that is something we do in real life.

Yeah, the subject of abuse comes up periodically, So does every other subject, but for some reason...it is offensive ..for some reason this one makes folks uncomfortable or irritated.

[Eyesopen]

It never ceases to amaze me both here in GS and in everyday life there is always someone who is offended because they were not included in a discussion. Forget the fact that the discussion had nothing to do with them...it should have been generic so that everyone could get their warm fuzzy and be included. Why is it that some people cannot grasp the concept that not everything or every conversation will be relevant to them?

As I see it a question was asked: Who had this ____ happen to them? Those that this question included and were comfortable in saying so, answered. Then came those that "wanted to be included". Did the question asker care about other people? They must not because they didnt ask about others...

I'm sorry this just gets under my skin. Lindyhopper was curious and asked a simple question to asuage that curiosity. No slight to anyone was intended and yet it happened anyway. Yes Lindy asked for suggestions of additional questions and some of those suggested fell in with the intent of the thread. Great! But some comments by at least one poster were just stupid and had nothing to do with the thread.

Obviously I'm not talking to everyone....if the shoe fits wear it, if it doesnt then dont wear it.

[potato]

So, evidently, you want to keep in line with the greasespot cafe's objective to "tell the other side of the story"....as opposed to telling the whole story...'Horray for you'...So is this a closed poll?...Those not abused need not participate...Can we still read the thread?...How about offer up a comment?...

geez, just go write your own poll if you don't like this one.

[Bumpy]

geez, just go write your own poll if you don't like this one.

Word of Knowledge! Thread Carefully!

Word of Wisdom! Don't disagree with a Potato or a V xxx N !!!

[edited to delete insulting name referring to another poster]

Revelation..? Surprise!! You've been cast into the Fiery Pit of Internet...kaka!

[FaintWhispers]

In caecus terrae, luscus rex est.

[excathedra]

In caecus terrae, luscus rex est.

excellent !!!!

ha !

--

lindy, i didn't know you could vote more than once on these polls. thanks

Edited January 6, 2008 by excathedra

[excathedra]

well simonzee, i've known you since... i don't know '78 or '79.... a long time..... we were "youngins" in the way corps program together (what year were you born ? ;) )

anyway your perspective is ALWAYS welcome with me

you are a true friend and a wonderful man and a very kind human soul

i just wish you werent' so LOGICAL BECAUSE I AM SO EMOTIONAL !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

oops i was i shouting

love forever and ever,

ex

[GeorgeStGeorge]

In caecus terrae, luscus rex est.

Interesting point, but lousy Latin.

In governs either the accusative case, in which case it is rendered "into," or an ablative, in which case it is rendered "in."

Caecus is the masculine, singular, nominative form of the adjective; and terrae is the nominative plural, the genitive singular, or the dative singular form of the noun terra.

Assuming the meaning was to be "In the land of the blind, a one-eyed man is king." it should be

In caecorum terra, luscus rex est.

I've seen patria (country) used instead of terra (land) for this proverb:

In patria caecorum, luscus rex est. (Or, because word order is not essential in Latin, "Caecorum in patria, luscus rex est.")

Interfector Draconum :)

[Tom Strange]

and you have a tyranisaurus rex too!

[excathedra]

ps. if you think sexual abuse is something to be laughed at, you're the one who should be laughed at

and you can discuss it 'til the day you die

that's all

sorry for being so serious

[waysider]

ps. if you think sexual abuse is something to be laughed at, you're the one who should be laughed at

and you can discuss it 'til the day you die

that's all

sorry for being so serious

You don't have to apologize for being serious when a serious subject is being discussed.

IMO