| | I was having a little trouble handling my parents fighting all the time so I would sneak off to my friends house unannounced. My dad sent me to Bethel as a punishment. He sign all right over to Brother Herman Fountain. While I was there I was on the "Nigger Crew" for 8 months. Thats where we would dig ditches for 8 hours a day with little or no water. I had sores on my hands for the whole 8 months. I was picked on quite a bit for my deform ear. The other boys nicked named me "Lobe" I was beaten and pushed around, a had things taken from me for no reason, like extra shoes, a fan, etc. Our clothes were all ruined by whoever was in charge of the laundry. they were never clean and they rotted on the clothesline. All our mail was black out with a sharpie, like classified secret documents. my letter would read Dear Neil, the and summer Love Mom and Dad. Full pages blacked out. I was always sick with something. I went almost two weeks being deaf because I had bugs in my ear and wax had built up so bad it hurt. I was punished repeatedly because I could not her orders that were yelled at me from distances. Josh Fountain picked on me repeatedly and encouraged jokes from the other boys there about me. The leaders were just the bigger boys Herman, Josh and Bubba could not control with intimidation, so they gave them control over the weaker boys to keep them busy. When one boy would do something against one of the leaders. Herman Sr. would make the boy that was out of line call out push ups for everyone else. Sometimes as many as 50 or more. This was bad because it would cause all the boys to pick on the boy that messed up. The leaders would play favorites whenever they felt like it. I think the most loving person that I met in the school was a lady that went to the school when she was a kid. Her name was Dotti. I pray she is far away from this madness. She had a few kids with Bubba. I left the school when I was 17. I swore to some of my friends in the school that I would come back a year later. I did. When I came back the friends that were still there saddened my heart. The whole year I would try to talk to my parent about the school and they would not listen. Everything would just end up in an argument . So when I went back I had no help for my friends that were still there. I feel sorry for every kid that get ignored by their parent and gets sent there. It was our parents responsibility to raise us. Not an ex Heroin junkie Herman Fountains responsibility. I say this only because I heard him say it himself. The schooling I received was also not credited. So I was forced to get my G.E.D. I was homed schooled my most of my life. I was well on my way to getting into a good college and going to Bethel messed that up. I'm not looking for money or being comped for my losses. I do want Bethel Boys home and Bethel Girls Home Closed Forever. I don't think it is what any boy or girl needs. I think that parents thinking about sending their boy or girl there should really ask themselves "Do I really Love My Child?" If the question is no, then they need to own up to being a parent instead of passing the buck to someone else. My parents were selfish. Are yours. I love my family very much and I have a better relationship with my parents than I did back then, but its because I have finally had the time to heal from all the pain I was put through. Love First Ask Question As They Come UP! Close Bethel Now! |