August 2023 INSIGHTS PAGE-3
Survivor Speaks Out: Adult Sheds Light on Childhood Abuse Encountered in Religion-based Group Home Environment.
Back to Wright’s experience.
As he recalls, he read a slightly off-color joke about Helen Keller and a fish market from the book “Truly Tasteless Jokes.”, while at the time, not understanding its meaning. Instead of the laughter and joy he expected, Denise informed her husband Kevin the joke, assuming that she also misunderstood its implications. As a result, Kevin called Wright down and immediately pinned him to a wall by the throat, lifting him off the ground six to eight inches. The difference in their sizes were substantial, with Kevin standing at 6’7″ and outweighing the 5’4″ Wright by over a hundred and a half pounds.
His words were chilling. He held a bullwhip up to Wright’s face, saying that the next time he told a joke like that or exhibited similar behavior, he would use the whip on him. The following day, Wright went to school and reported the incident to a gym teacher, after the teacher saw Wright quiet and reserved, taking him aside asking what was wrong. The instructor asked Wright to stay in the gym and let Wright know that everything would be alright, when the police and other officials were subsequently called. Wright gave his statement and was offered the chance to either return to the Christian Ranch at Kevins behest or move back to his mother’s home. He chose the latter. That is now a matter of record in the county.
Fast forward to recent events and what led to What Brought Us to this point
In a personal endeavor to comprehend and address the incidents that had left indelible marks on his life, Michael Wright, the child in this article, and its author, reached out to Kevin under the guise of donating a dining room set to the former home to try and make peace with this dark spot in his life. His aim was not to reignite old conflicts but to foster a dialogue that could pave the way to understanding, forgiveness, and a pathway to move on with his life. Yet, Kevin responded to Wright’s efforts by branding him a ‘pathological liar,’ dismissing all his experiences as fabrications.
In response to this, Wright stated, “It’s baffling how someone can be allowed to assume a role as a mentor or guide for the vulnerable. An individual who distorts the truth as a shield to conceal his own behavior should never be permitted to interact, let alone be left to guide children, desperate for guidance and direction. This is at the heart of the issue, when a person like Kevin defames children to other adults, leaving a psychological imprint that lasts a lifetime. I would argue that this puts these children in harm’s way, making them susceptible to being ostracized and belittled as a direct result of that treatment, by other predators they encounter throughout their lives which lead to the child becoming a second-class citizen or worse. “
It was this encounter that prompted me to write this editorial – to bring awareness to these issue, while protecting future children from similar harmful behavior. Often, individuals like Blew enter a child’s life under the pretext of support and guidance. Yet, instead of providing the nurturing environment as the marketing fluff states, they expose them to physical and psychological trauma. The impact of such experiences on a child’s development and mental health cannot be underestimated.
Finally, a larger majority of people are advocating for thorough investigations into these types of establishments and demanding transparency from their management organizations. The allegations have also sparked discussions about the need for more robust regulatory measures and increased oversight to prevent further harm to the vulnerable children who are placed in these facilities.