I intended to post my final thoughts on Ron’s email today, but before I get to that, I’d like to share some thoughts with those of you reading this blog who had a great experience at the Honor Academy and who genuinely love Teen Mania.
I know that it might be hard for you to understand that something you loved so much and is a core part of who you are was actually painful and confusing for so many others. It is only natural to be defensive when people we love are “attacked.” I get that.
But, if you really do love the Honor Academy and want future interns to be able to have the same great experiences you did, wouldn’t you want to be absolutely certain that any and all abusive attitudes and practices are removed from the Honor Academy?
Just because you did not personally experience abuse does not mean it did not happen. There are dozens of abuses documented on this blog in the ‘true stories’ link found in the sidebar to the right as well as in the comments section throughout the blog. Whether or not these abuses occurred cannot be disputed. It is FACT. You do not have to agree with my theology or my methods in order to recognize this abuse. You don’t even have to like me.
Now, whether or not those abuses were intentional and systematic is up for grabs. On that topic, there is room for disagreement among truly sincere people on both sides. But, unless you believe everyone on this site is lying, then you have to concede that true abuse has happened, whether or not anyone meant for it to happen.
The question is, what do you do with that? The way I see it there are 3 options.
1) Sweep it under the rug and pretend it never happened.
2) Blame the victims of the abuse for somehow bringing it on themselves.
3) Hold leadership accountable and demand that they fix the situation.
Which will you choose?