Why some people don't get the abuse stories

[Lifted Up]

This reply is in reference to the initial post of this thread...on page one that is.

The anonymous factor is a major one in believability. Not just in abuse testimony, but in other matters and relationships as well. Going along with that is that most of our communication with each other is in cyberspace. Good grief, those of us who have been around Waydale/GS for several years know of some BIG problems that have resulted from internet relations; relations between people who presumably "knew" each other through the internet and e-mails.

Yes, I know that some of us DO know others personally...as in live, but more than just briefly meeting someone, and of course that can make someone's testimony believable. By the way, this does not IMO include someone you knew years ago, but havent met or talked with since. I am thinking, for one, from my own experience about the former high school classmate I was in touch earlier this year who is a big Broadway star. He has, of course, changed tremendously...and no doubt so have I, heh heh.

Now within this context, I DO believe it is possible to know someone long anough and well enough (and not anonymously) through GS or otherwise in cyberspace to know him/her as a reliable person, and to know to some partial degree his/her heart. It was on that basis aound a year or so ago, I think, that I called up one GSer in response to a prayer request to attempt to give some comfort...never found out if I succeeded or not. There is some irony in this case, which I'll spare you now. The point is, I would have a much easier time believing this person on testimony about his/her own experiences than I would someone I know only as a GS handle.

As Linda said, there are good...no, make that very very good (doubleplusgood in newspeak) reasons for remaining anonynous. But that doesn't help the believability.

And even the above mention person I feel I know well enough to accept personal testimony would not move me with talk abou SOMEONE ELSE's presumed experience.

Someone once told me I would have to accept his/her account of someone else'e experience, because if I didn't believe this second hand account, I wouldn't believe the other persons personal account of abuse. The person who told me that, to put it very mildly, missed the boat. Or perhaps it was just another illustration that we really don't know each other through GS well enough for me to have his/her trust. I can accept that, because it is the same reason I have been giving about believability, or lack thereof. But then that same person had better not expect me not only to trust the account of someone I don't know at all, but to trust the SECOND HAND account of someone I don't know at all.

I have had a little success, especially back in the old Waydale days, in getting personal TWI abuse testimony, because I sought it out, as I have on occasion since.

Trust has to work both ways. And, if someone has been burned badly because they weren't trusted or believed after giving their personal testimony, I can understand that. But it still doesn't help the believability of their account.

A word to those who, as I do, adhere to some standards when it comes to believing or not the account of someone they dont know. If you can't accept it for the reasons I have given here...that is, you don't know...then neither do you know enough to degrade the testimony publically.

[Lifted Up]

Back again to the original post...Linda, you mentioned only two people whom you knew...at least one of whom you knew only years ago...as reasons that changed your mind. I am curious; did not the well known (or so I thought) anonymous "Marsha" account influence your thinking?

[gladtobeout]

Linda Z

Thanks for your sharing. It was hard for me to accept the information that I heard here and on Waydale. I met with someone who was there and had first hand knowledge. This person was able to confirm these seemingly wild accusations. It was a ruuuuuuude awakening. I fell into depression and felt guilty for being part of a group that could do such things. It took me about two years just to start to see a little light.

I'm fine now and am still thankful for all the good that I learned and I feel that this site may help many people get out of a still very troubled situation. I'm very thankful for EXIE and the other brave souls who shared their stories. We still have a lot of work to do and people to rescue.

Thanks,

[Lifted Up]

I'm very thankful for EXIE and the other brave souls who shared their stories. We still have a lot of work to do and people to rescue.

Serious question; where have these stories been shared, if they have been shared publically?

By serious, I mean I am asking the question with desire to know, not expressing doubt that the stories are there, as may be assumed by some.

Edited November 19, 2005 by Lifted Up

[rascal]

This is a forum for discussing our twi experiences.....Not a place to try to convince you personally lifted, or anybody else of our veracity.....and I certainly don`t care enough whether or not you believe me to actually use my name..... or be willing to give details and identities that are not mine in order to make my experiences appear to be more acceptable to you.

Geeeze, It is hard enough to relate some of this stuff without being hounded to give someone the salacious titilating little details....in order to satisfy their curiosity....

The information is there....whether or not you believe it is your choice...

[Lifted Up]

Rascal, I am not asking you for anything personally, and especially not asking for anything that was mentioned privately. My question was for anyone who can answer. I refer only to anything that was posted publically, as it seems to be implied by gladtobeout. If someone tells me reliably I consider you among others reliable) that there is nothing posted publically, I will not bring up the subject again.

Perhaps you DO believe that my only purpose in asking is to cast doubt, in which case, so be it.

Several years ago, in the old Waydale days, I made some very fruitful queries on the same subject (sexual abuse in TWI) with a couple of posters and got some eye opening first hand testimony. I did not and do not doubt their testimonies. In those cases, VPW was not involved.

There is one long time ago poster who is still around from whom I once heard something even closer to the subject. But i have never inquired further for reasons I think you would understand. Just as I have not asked the corps person I sat next to all the time at Emporia (who might have some information) for the same reasons.

In the first post on this thread, Linda expressed her doubts. As far as I know, she did not express them publically until after, as she posts, she had them resolved only because she saw testimonies from two people and knew the people to whom it happened.Maybe that is my mistake...asking questions before they are answered. Don't worry; I am not asking you personally for anything, and if you don't believe that, rest assured that I will soon drop the subject entirely.

Edited November 19, 2005 by Lifted Up

[rascal]

Sorry if I over reacted, lifted .... sometimes I feel like I am being bullied.

[Lifted Up]

Thanks rascal. And in case you are wondering...maybe not...that last part about soon dropping the subject entirely had nothing to do with your post, other than your post moved me to mention what I had already decided. Efforts producing little results prolonged indefinitely are like, well.....

[Belle]

Lifted, generally these stories come out in the course of a thread or several. Being involved with the site you get bits and pieces of a person's eperiences as different threads and conversations bring out certain emotions, memories and experiences. It's not a "My Story" kind of thing although, there are some people who have posted their story in the "My Story" section of the site.

John Juedes has several accounts posted on his site and, I think, Pat Roberge has some on his site as well.

I suppose you could use the search function to try to find some of them. I'd post links, but I don't have them.