- Fourteen year old Martin Anderson (Florida)
is dead murdered by sadistic, depraved staff at a boot camp. Martin
excelled in math, and had won a school leadership award. Martin's gift
to society his leadership qualities are lost forever. His joyriding
with his cousins in his grandmother's car resulted in a death sentence,
a short three hours after his arrival at this camp of sadism!
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- Young Martin, who suffered from sickle
cell anemia (obviously not a consideration) collapsed while doing
push-ups, sit-ups, running laps and other exercises that were part of his
'admission' process at the camp. For this infraction, Martin was ruthlessly
manhandled and abused; by a number of burly guards over a period of 30
min. The videotape shows this young boy being kneed, punched, smothered
and dragged about like a rag doll!
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- Imagine the outrage of Martin's parents,
when the incompetent Dr. Charles Siebert, the Bay County Medical Examiner,
reported that the boy died of 'complications' of sickle cell trait! The
'complications' were forced physical exertion, collapse, and a thirty minute
beating. Martin's body was exhumed and a second more through autopsy was
done. Dr. Vernard Adams, who conducted the second autopsy reported, "Martin
Anderson's death was caused by hands blocking the boy's mouth, as well
as the forced inhalation of ammonia fumes that caused his vocal cords to
spasm, blocking his upper airway." Apparently these sadists
had shoved ammonia capsules up this child's nose! One can only imagine,
the terror of this boy, helpless and powerless, being beaten to death by
staff people who were supposedly assigned to his care! Why they are
not behind bars at this moment is unconscionable!
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- There are a number of these boot camps
(private- public) throughout the country. Martin's death is not the first.
The objective in these places is to break the spirit of the child (male
or female), bringing about conformity and emotional desensitization! In
other words, turn them into obedient, passive, compliant zombies!
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- The most disturbing, though not surprising,
viewing of this video (shown on the news), was watching this group
of male staff; who collectively saw nothing wrong in using
brute force against a child who'd collapsed. When violence and degrading
humiliation are considered therapy, when sadistic emotional and physical
attacks are seen as helping the victim, there is no way to rein staff
in. When there is no regulatory oversight of such places, staff are free
to vent their impotent, self loathing on the voiceless. By their
very nature, institutions which hold powerless people; encourage abuse
and maltreatment by staff of limited intellect and grave psychological
problems. When abuse of power is the treatment (group homes, prisons, war
zones, boot camps, private clinics etc) it is impossible for treatment
or care to be safe.
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- I can personally relate to the grief
of the Anderson family, in that my 21 year old brother was beaten to death
by staff in an institution. His crime was autism! My parents were informed
that my brother Jerry had died of pneumonia with a 'smile on his lips'!
When they insisted on viewing his body, the massive bruises told another
story. A mere youngster at the time, I sensed my parent's impotency, due
to their poverty, of fighting a state institution. It must be understood,
that in such cases, an institution closes ranks. The explanation that finally
came forth on my brother was that fellow residents had beaten him. With
these residents, all profoundly retarded, and therefore voiceless, there
was no way of getting to the truth. No way, until 15 years later, after
my brother's death, and the death of my parents, that I went to work in
this institution.
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- Staff, many who had worked there at the
time of my brother's death, had no way of connecting me with him, given
that I was married. I didn't bother to tell them. Frankly, I had applied
for a job there, out of financial necessity. I had no intentions of becoming
a crusader against abuse. Reflecting on my experience in this place
long afterwards; I came to the conclusion that people experience cross
roads events in their lives. A cross road experience is when you are suddenly
thrust into the position of standing for what's right. It's nothing that
one can prepare for but rather it is a testing of one's character/values.
Many in the sunshine, non-confrontational, events of their lives presume
themselves to be persons of loyalty, integrity, sacrificial giving, justice,
kindness, gentleness and compassion. The proof comes in the crisis at the
crossroads. Am I the person that I thought I was?
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- A crossroad event is an individual act
an individual decision. It is a momentous event, in that it usually
involves a personal sacrifice. It asks itself "Is this job,
this position, my paycheck, worth more than standing up for what's right?
Am I willing to face public ridicule, criticisms, abandonment of family
and 'friends' and loss of my job?" The word 'friend' needs to be qualified,
in that a true 'friend' will never desert you. It is a most isolating and
lonely trip down the road less traveled but the most rewarding pilgrimage
that one will make. For in doing so one experiences a new awareness,
a fearlessness, and boldness.
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- In my experience, at the institution
of reporting abuse and negligence of the residents (helpless and voiceless);
the immediate response was not to laud me for following the law but
rather an attempt to fire me! If I entered the coffee room all would
leave. If a message had to be conveyed to me, it was done in a note. The
local newspaper was full of hateful accusations by fellow employees/administration.
I was asked to take a lie-detector test, which I had no problem with.
Interestingly, the abusers all refused. I knew, that I knew, that
I knew, that I was right. This institution was the largest
employer in the county and apparently politics took precedence over protecting
the helpless. We lived in a small town, some 20 miles from this institution,
so it was a big event when a news helicopter flew in from a distant city
to do a story. When they tried to fire me for doing my job, I had contacted
every agency having to do with the handicapped, the Governor, the FBI (they
received federal funds), and every newspaper. It became a state-wide event!
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- I was helping my husband out in our seafood
store before starting my shift (3-11) at the institution. The doors crashed
open; with a horde of reporters, cameras and lights descending upon us.
A reporter shoved a microphone in my face and said, "Mrs. Moriarty
we've just come from the institution. We've been told that you are nothing
but a trouble-maker, what do you have to say to this?" I replied,
"If reporting crippled, blind, profoundly retarded people, being thrown
down the stairs, kicked, held under water (bathtub), left naked, in puddles
of urine, covered with flies, eating feces out of the toilets, because
of not being fed, and receiving inadequate medical attentions, makes me
a "trouble-maker", then, yes I'm a trouble-maker and will continue
to be so, until something is done!"
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- It was a long arduous battle but
in the end I won every court case. I knew I would because I was right.
You don't abuse your fellow human beings most especially the
most helpless and vulnerable and think there's nothing wrong with it. Eventually,
many people lost their jobs, including the Superintendent, who'd threatened
that he'd "get me".
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- With young Martin, there was not one
person in the group beating and suffocating him (including a nurse), who
recognized the cross road they were at. None came out of their groupthink/herd
mentality and defended a little boy who was helpless! This is inexcusable.
People, it must be understood, are basically followers. They will take
part, or say nothing, in such group situations out of misplaced loyalty.
A false sense of bravado takes place when people act collectively. Many
find themselves caught up in depraved acts that they wouldn't do alone.
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- This groupthink mentality is found in
all spectrums of society. It is not just in war zones, institutions, shelters,
prisons, etc, that this perverse allegiance takes place. Physicians,
Law Enforcement Officers, judges, corporations, government employees, and
Attorneys are just as guilty. There's a closing of the ranks should
a 'whistleblower' appear in their midst. I've never seen it to fail,
that the government employee, who reports corruption and misuse of public
funds, is the one fired. The police officer who refuses to take part in
some cover-up is the one who is black balled! The military man who reports
inhumane treatment and torture; finds himself a target even by his own
hometown. It shows you how far down the food chain we've devolved, when
FEAR becomes the silencer of honest folks. "Silence is Golden"
but not in the face of injustice grave abuse murder
fraud and corruption. A young boy was sentenced to death, for a joyride.
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- Rep. Bill Janklow, of South Dakota, known
for his numerous motor vehicle violations, was convicted of manslaughter,
in the death of Randolph Scott. The judge in this case, sentenced Janklow
to a mere 90 days in the county jail with 10 hours of the day free!
Be it Rep. Janklow, or a Senator, leaving a woman to die in a submerged
car our system of justice in this country is for the moneyed and
titled! If Martin had been a well known Representative from Rhode Island,
he could have pleaded sleepwalking and been admitted to a money rehab center!
All animals are NOT equal. It behooves all of us to take a moment
and voice our outrage to Governor Jeb Bush, and Florida newspapers. SILENCE
= CONSENT. Are we who we think we are or are we merely another member
of the herd fearful of standing alone?
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