Guilty of being 17 and anarchist

ACTION: ALEX WANTS **YOU** TO BREAK THE SILENCE, AND
TELL AS MANY PEOPLE AS POSSIBLE ABOUT "PSYCHOLOGICAL
FASICSM"

One year ago today, Alex Asch was 16 years old. He was
proud to be an anarchist activist specializing in
animal rights.

Alex was attending the summer session of the Institute
for Social Ecology in Vermont to advance his activism.
His friends, other students and teachers said he was
doing well.

But parents of youth today have nearly absolute power
in the USA to lock their children away in psychiatric
facilities.

And so one year ago today, private security guards
arrived and took Alex to a Utah psychiatric facility,
where he remains.

Alex's main request: To break the silence about this
"psychological fascism" that can happen to any youth,
to any one, any where.

This psychiatric kidnapping is happening to thousands
of youth.

This time it happened to an activist youth who was
plugged into a number of social change movements. It
can happen to you.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

ACTION FOR ALEX: Please forward this information to
your friends, colleagues, alternative media, activist
organizations, and other people and groups who support
freedom!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

BELOW are comments from two of Alex's supporters about
this one year anniversary. AT BOTTOM is more
informationabout Alex's situation, and how to write to
him.

ON THE ONE YEAR ANNIVERSARY OF THE PSYCHIATRIC
KIDNAPPING OF ALEX ASCH

From: Ben Grosscup

In the Summer of 2002, I got to know Alex by studying
with him as a fellow classmate at the Institute for
Social Ecology (ISE), a progressive educational
institution that encourages students to think for
themselves and to think critically about the world.

I saw him grow tremendously in his thinking during the
short time that I was studying with him. I have seen
Alex both in class and amongst friends grappling with
complex and important questions of how to be good in
society. From these observations, I believe that Alex
has shown himself capable of thinking critically for
himself and making decent ethical judgments.

I find it totally tragic that Alex's parents and
Turnabout Stillwater, the Psychiatric Institution that
is now holding him, would cut short the sort of
critical inquiry that I saw Alex exploring at ISE,
only to place him in an authoritarian institution that
demands that he change his character against his own
will.

On this one year anniversary of his capture, I look
back on the year that has passed feeling sad that I
have not known personally how to intelligently and
effectively help to end Alex's current imprisonment.
I'm glad that people in the psychiatric survivor
community -- particularly MindFreedom -- are taking
Alex's case seriously, thereby continuing their work
to educate others about problems in how this society,
particularly the psychiatric industry deals with
people it considers mentally ill.

I encourage people concerned about freedom and human
rights to consider Alex's case and to work towards a
new society in which we wouldn't stigmatize or oppress
anyone for being regarded as rebellious, different, or
even "crazy," and in which we could support all people
in becoming more mentally healthy.

Eros and Revolution,
Ben

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

From: "Diane"

I am very pleased to hear about this activism
pertaining to Alex.

I was with him when he was being taken to Utah, and he
told me that day that he wanted as many people as
possible to know about his situation. I'm sure he's
heard something from where he is about the support
he's receiving.

Feel free to use any of my quotes in this article by
Stevphen Shukaitis:

http://www.wiretapmag.org/story.html?StoryID=16151

or from the article I wrote:

http://www.phillyimc.org/article.pl?sid=03/05/30/0240221&mode=thread


You may also use a quote or anything you find useful
from WBAI's radio broadcast:

http://www.radio4all.net/proginfo.php?id=7283

-Diane

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

PAST ALERT ABOUT ALEX WITH BACKGROUND STORY, WRITING
BY ALEX, AND HOW TO WRITE TO HIM:

PLEASE FORWARD TO AS MANY INTERESTED PEOPLE AS
POSSIBLE!

NEWS: Your Mind & Human Rights - 8 July 2003
http://www.MindFreedom.org - * please forward *

"PSYCHOLOGICAL FASCISM":

ONE YEAR ANNIVERSARY APPROACHES FOR LOCK UP OF ALEX
ASCH, 17 YEARS OLD, IN A PSYCHIATRIC FACILITY

YOUTH ACTIVIST PULLED NEARLY ONE YEAR AGO FROM VERMONT
SOCIAL CHANGE SCHOOL, 10 AUGUST 2002

NEEDED: INFO ON "TURNABOUT STILLWATER," WHERE ALEX IS
BEING HELD IN SLC, UTAH, USA

Alex Asch is an activist. He's articulate. He's 17.
He's an anarchist who focuses on animal rights.

And he has also been locked up for nearly a year in a
psychiatric institution in Utah by his parents.

Alex calls what is happening "psychological fascism."
He's not alone -- youth are being locked up in USA
psychiatric facilities as never before.

NABBED AT SOCIAL CHANGE SUMMER SCHOOL

Alex was a 16-year-old attending a well-known Vermont
social change activist school last year. According to
reports he was going well in the summer classes. His
parents sent private security officers to scoop him
up, and he has remained locked up in a Utah
psychiatric facility for a year, this August 10, 2003.
In the USA, youth have few rights to resist
psychiatric institutionalization by parents.

At the plenary of the MindFreedom counter-conference
protesting the American Psychiatric Association Annual
Meeting, activist Katherine Hodges passionately called
upon psychiatric rights activists everywhere to
urgently provide stronger support for the case of ALEX
ASCH.

Since then, several movement activists have been
looking into Alex's situation, and have connected up
concerned activists.

Ben Grosscup is a friend of Alex who recently
networked with MindFreedom - Support Coalition. Ben
said, "It's kind of weird that this came out a year
ago and we are only just making contact with the
psychiatric survivors movement. I am not the only one
of Alex's friends who are concerned about Alex. There
are a number of us."

The psychiatric survivors movement is now 33 years
old. While MindFreedom is open to the public, a survey
shows a majority say they personally experienced human
rights violations in the mental health system, often
as youth.

Ben said that Alex has specifically asked that the
public be told about what is happening to him.

MindFreedom director David Oaks said, "I was locked up
myself at about the age Alex is now. Several of our
members have called for action about Alex, and we'll
be bringing this to our board of directors. We've
talked to Ben, and want to support Alex's friends
trying to find out more information about this Utah
facility in particular, and the youth psychiatric
industry in general."

Tens of thousands of youth are now locked up in
psychiatric facilities. The rate has skyrocketed the
past few decades. Alex said he could stay locked up
until his 18th birthday next year, June, 28, 2004.

Ben has one initial ACTION that he wants people to
take: "We need a lot more research on the facility
where Alex has been locked up -- Turnabout Stillwater
in Salt Lake City, Utah, USA. Please help."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

ACTION YOU CAN TAKE -- GATHER INFO ON FACILITY, AND
YOUTH PSYCHIATRIC INDUSTRY:

If you can help research this facility, and the youth
psychiatric lock-up industry please forward any
information you find to these two e-mail addresses --
mention MindFreedom sent you.

* Ben Grosscup

and

* MindFreedom

ALSO, MindFreedom/Support Coalition members are
encouraged to join the YOUTH COMMITTEE E-MAIL LIST and
post this same info the facility, and any updates.
Members of all ages are welcome to join. [Leah Harris
had already posted about Alex back in February on this
list alerting people, and people in the list
appreciated that.]

To join the MindFreedom/Support Coalition Youth
Committee e-mail list, use this web page:

http://mailman.efn.org/cgi-bin/listinfo/sci-yc

For those unfamiliar with Alex's situation, below is
more information, including the initial letter Ben put
out two days after Alex was grabbed by the private
security guards. Other info includes writings by Alex,
information about how to research the facility and how
to try to write to Alex or send him a book (no
guarantee anything will get to him, of course).

Feel free to forward this public information. It's
lengthy, but it gives a basic background about Alex's
situation, and some of his beliefs and feelings in his
own words.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

From: Ben Grosscup.

August 12, 2002

Dear Friends of Alex Asch,

I am writing to inform you of some very disturbing
news about the well-being of our friend Alex. On the
morning of August 10, 2002, on the last day of classes
of the continuing studies program at the Institute for
Social Ecology, Alex was taken into custody against
his will by his mother and two privately hired,
"Juvenile Transport Officers." They said they were
taking him to a "wilderness camp" in Utah.

Based on a conflicting diagnosis from one
psychiatrist, his parents claim that he has
Oppositional Defiance Disorder (ODD). The diagnostic
criteria used for this peculiarly named disorder are
the following:

"a) A pattern of negativistic, hostile, and defiant
behavior lasting at least 6 months, during which four
(or more) of the following are present: often loses
temper, often argues with adults, often actively
defies or refuses to comply with adults' requests or
rules, often deliberately annoys people, often blames
others for his or her mistakes or misbehavior, is
often touchy or easily annoyed by others, is often
angry and resentful, is often spiteful or vindictive.

"Note: Consider a criterion met only if the behavior
occurs more frequently than is typically observed in
individuals of comparable age and developmental level.


"b) The disturbance in behavior causes clinically
significant impairment in social, academic, or
occupational functioning.

"c) The behaviors do not occur exclusively during the
course of a Psychotic or Mood Disorder.

"d) Criteria are not met for Conduct Disorder, and, if
the individual is age 18 years or older, criteria are
not met for Antisocial Personality Disorder."

When we found out that Alex had been diagnosed (or
sentenced) with this "disorder," we began to asking
ourselves, who defines what is disordered behavior?
And to what end? For those of us who got to know Alex
this summer, it is obvious how this deeply
authoritarian society would write off Alex as
"different" or even "disordered" because of his
perseverant resistance to oppression and
authoritarianism in all its forms. Alex identifies his
political beliefs as anarchist.

For Alex's comrades at the ISE who share many of his
political beliefs and anti-authoritarian
sensibilities, ODD is just a construction of this
truly disordered society. Authority makes up disorders
like ODD to explain the reactions of people like Alex,
and for that matter, the rest of us at various times
in our lives, to the squelching of freedom that is
imposed on us at home, at school, at work, and on the
streets.

Many of us were puzzled at this, wondering if we too
could be similarly diagnosed. Most people realize that
we don't always make the most creative and
well-informed responses to these impositions,
especially in moments where we feel rage at injustice.
That's why we go on for hours of discussion trying to
learn how to confront oppression in more
transformative and effective ways. Nonetheless,
teachers, parents, and government official often
regard people who refuse to submit to their authority
as annoying and dysfunctional, because we demand
freedom every time they deny it.

Alex was actively engaged in learning, discussing, and
having fun with his friends during his time at the
ISE. He had been involved in 3 different programs
since early June until his mother seized him on August
10th. Through critical examination of the world, Alex
and all his friends at ISE were collectively involved
in developing more creative and effective responses to
the oppression we so deplore. Alex chose to become
involved with ISE on his own volition.

With the freedom to study here on his own terms, he
flourished. Unlike his experience at ISE, Alex is
currently being forced into a new experience at a
"wilderness camp" in Utah. Everyone is sad and upset
to see him go against his will. Everyone is worried
that the place where Alex's parents are sending him
will not be a good place for him. Alex doesn't need to
be conditioned to be something other than what he
wishes to become.

He is capable of defining his own life. Sadly, because
Alex is 16 he has virtually no rights in the eyes of
the law. Alex's parents have the money to hire private
cops and threaten lawsuits against anyone who takes
sides with Alex and in turn, the state grants Alex's
parents the legitimacy to exercise arbitrary power to
define his life. That is why Alex's mother was able to
show up at the ISE and demand that Alex accompany the
private cops she hired to bring him to Utah.

Knowing that ISE was in legal jeopardy because as a
"minor," Alex was legally in the care of ISE, Alex
eventually decided that he would allow the private
cops to take him. With some of the last words we heard
from him before he was taken away,

Alex displayed tremendous concern for the well-being
of ISE. He specifically said that he didn't want to
get ISE in trouble with his parents. He realized that
the conflict was between his parents and him and
displayed his maturity by helping to keep ISE, as an
institution, out of the conflict as best he could. For
a week before Alex's mother and her two private cops
came to transport Alex to Utah, Alex's parents had
been calling ISE, pressuring administration officials
with legal threats should they do the slightest action
to prevent them from exercising their authority over
Alex. ISE administration members did everything they
could to get legal advice to help Alex. Had Alex and
ISE not cooperated with his parent's demands, however,
there would have been little chance for Alex to get
freedom and a big chance for serious legal
repercussions to ISE. Because ISE specifically
disallowed the private cops to enter the ISE campus (a
legal right of the ISE), Alex's parents called the
state police (who do have the legal right to enter the
ISE campus). The police were ready to forcibly remove
Alex from ISE campus should Alex's mother have deemed
it necessary.

All of Alex's friends at ISE were deeply disturbed by
what occurred on August 10th. The mood lately at ISE
has been one of sorrow and helplessness. We
fortunately have Alex's address and everyone is
encouraged to send him letters of love and support
during this difficult time. All who wish to
communicate with Alex must remember that mail sent to
Alex will almost surely be read before Alex receives
it. It is therefore not certain that all mail sent to
Alex will actually reach him. Nonetheless, Alex needs
to hear from his comrades and friends that we support
him, we care about him, and we stand with him in his
struggle to be free to self determine the course of
his own life.

Love and Revolution,
Ben Grosscup

PS - Please write to Alex : Alex Asch, Turnabout
Stillwater, 2738 South 2000 East, Salt Lake City UT
84109

PPS- For people who are interested, the web address
for Turnabout Stillwater is:
http://www.xmission.com/~php/

PPPS - This letter is an informative statement written
by a fellow student and friend of Alex, and is not in
any way an official statement of the Institute for
Social Ecology.

------------------------------------------------

October 9, 2002

Dear Friends of Alex Asch,

As you probably all know by now, Alex Asch is being
held at a sort of youth boot camp in Utah. To get a
detailed story about how this happened you can read
the article at the bottom of this message. I sent that
article to almost everyone who was a student at the
Institute for Social Ecology the summer immediately
before Alex' parents seized him. Please forward this
along to others, especially people who know Alex.

Recently, a friend mine, Russ, and I both received
letters from Alex. He has been writing numerous letter
but the authorities at the boot camp in Utah have
severely limited his communication. Below is a
slightly edited transcription of these two letters. At
one point in the letter, Alex says, "I haven't been
outside whatsoever throughout the course of the
previous 47 days." Obviously, there is much reason to
be concerned about Alex's Situation. But first, to
respond to Alex's specific request for books as best
as possible, I drafted the following general request.

Desire for Revolution,

Ben Grosscup

-----------------

GENERAL REQUEST FOR BOOKS

Last August, a young friend, Alex Asch, was taken to a
boot camp in Utah against his will. Alex is an
anarchist and an animal rights activist. He is 16
years old and it looks like he will be held under
duress at this "boot camp" at his parents behest
possibly until June, 28, 2004. His friends, some of
whom he met during the summer of 2002, just before
being sent to the boot camp, are concerned about what
this experience will do to him. A young radical, Alex
is very interested in a variety of topics relating to
radical thought including animal liberation, radical
environmentalism, philosophical anarchism,
linguistics, sexuality, and dialectical philosophy,
and countercultural movements.

In a recent letter Alex managed to send, he
specifically requested that people send him books on
these topics. Unfortunately, it is uncertain whether
the authorities at the boot camp will allow for him to
receive any books. Although the uncertainty of the
situation must be emphasized, one may speculate that
books with less overtly "offensive" or "shocking"
covers are potentially more likely to be accepted.
Thank you for whatever you can contribute. I ask that
you inform me if you do send books to Alex so that I
can keep track of what has been sent. Email to:
stokingthefires@r... Just mention what books
you sent. Lastly if you are not necessarily interested
in sending books, but you would like to write Alex,
you should also send letters to this same address.

Alex Asch

Tunabout Stillwater

2738 S. 2000 E.

Salt Lake City UT 84109 USA

---------------------------------------------

THIS FIRST LETTER WAS RECEIVED
BY RUSS

Before actually attempting to develop this letter
attempting to articulate my perpetual love, thought,
and affection for this friendship... that allows me to
escape the exhaustion and frightening miserable
emotional state of being brought upon me within my
present obviously undesirable situation. All my
letters are received and personally developed are read
by a group of individuals and of the letter is
addressed as fulfilling a set of unacceptable or
supposedly "manipulative" and "inappropriate"
characteristics the letter is unable to be sent or
actually received. I personally have written more
letters then you could possibly imagine and I am aware
that Lilah, Lenni, and Diane I maintain were addressed
as unacceptable and were unable to be given to me.

I came to the understanding for the frightening aspect
of my situation that I will be here for the for the
following 22 months till June 28, 2004 occurs and
though I am unable to go outside or maintain a
tremendous amount of communication within the actual
family of friendships or directly pursue and
participate [in] my empowering radical passion within
the movement and only continuously increase my
critical perspective and individual analysis of
institutional ageism and human speciesism and increase
the concept of psychological fascism.

-------------------------------------------------

THIS SECOND LETTER WAS RECEIVED
BY BEN GROSSCUP

Previous to actually expressing the logistical
characteristics of my present "undesirable" and
obviously imposed upon situation, or how I'm
maintaining emotional sanity, or maintaining my
radical mental characteristics and perspectives, or
institutional analysis, whether it be animal
liberation and the destruction of speciesism or the
development and expression of pre-figurative
philosophical anarchism, I want to attempt to
articulate the beautiful mental state of meditation
that continually occurs previous to attempting to
escape exhaustion of the previous day through simply
sleeping. I would like to tell you your direct
participation within that mental state and meditation
that allows me to retrieve some sort of sub-conscious
happiness within the continually increasing miserable
state of being brought upon me within my present
situation. I've written about that beautiful
meditation within some of the letters I developed
towards Diane, Thomas, Amelia, and Cindy.
[Furthermore,] at this period of time, I'm having a
tremendously difficult time actually maintaining a
thought. I allow the thought of lying upon the lake or
sitting at Paradise [a nice swimming hole near the
Institute for Social Ecology] continually spew
throughout my mind [while I stare] into environmental
oblivion

I'm in a mental state and empowering feeling that
animal liberation, radical environmentalism,
destruction of patriarchy, or the destruction of
capitalism and all institutional social and ecological
inequities it maintains itself upon, or
characteristics imposed upon conventional civilization
has been accomplished. I'm surrounded with a beautiful
form of perpetual hope from the surrounding aspects of
blatantly true affection [that I experienced last
summer].

Obviously you're aware of the exhausting process of
sending letters within this environment. If [letters
are deemed to be] "manipulative" or supposedly
"inappropriate," or "unacceptable" by a group of
individuals [he's obviously referring to the
authorities who are currently dictating most aspects
of life at the boot camp where he's being held], I'm
unable to personally read [such letters]. Initially
your letter [the letter that Ben sent to Alex in
August] was [deemed to be] unacceptable for fulfilling
those inappropriate characteristics, but I was
eventually able to receive it. I'm also pretty sure
that Lailah, Leni, and Diane have written as well but
their letters were addressed as unacceptable. I wrote
a tremendously expressive letter even within those
characteristics. This letter [the one Alex sent to Ben
and was recently received by Ben] has been changed
from its original development. However, I wrote
towards Diane, Cindy, and Amelia as well but had to
send [those letters] directly towards the Institute
for Social Ecology because the majority of all the
possessions I maintained were taken away and that was
the only actual address I was aware of at that period
of time. Please, as you were able to say in your
letter, communicate with as many people as possible
involving my present situation. You couldn't possibly
understand the tears that shed from my eyes and the
facial expression of lost happiness that spontaneously
simply from receiving [letters] from individuals of my
actual family of beautiful friendships of truth, love,
and perpetual affection, whether it be Nick, Russ,
Diane, Annie, Chuck, Amelia, Cindy, Gennie, Nicolette,
Thomas, every individual who was there the previous
summer. I maintain such an empowering love and
affection for each individual friendship, and how I
plan to see them as soon as possible and cry in their
arms with a facial expression of lost happiness and
perpetual hope. I'm having a ridiculously difficult
time articulating my thoughts throughout the course of
this letter without having an eruption of paranoia
[over] the possibility [my letter may be deemed]
"unacceptable and be unable to be received by you."
Hopefully, you'll understand the subliminal expression
of love, previous to having to repress so many
emotions and thoughts I maintain within this
environment. But I need to continue the development of
this letter. I've been attempting to maintain personal
and radical education but it's difficult because the
majority of my notebooks, etc. aren't here. I'm
increasing a critical perspective and radical
institutional analysis of things such as human
speciesism or institutional ageism and so many yet
addressed social and ecological inequalities
continuously surrounding me within this environment
and maintaining itself within conventional
civilization. I've also developed a concept called
psychological fascism. I'm unable to explain the
specific aspects of this very interesting concept of
the imposing of subjective superior mental
characteristics and the repression of individual human
consciousness. I'm unable to continue speaking of it.
Obviously, since your letter was addressed as
supposedly unacceptable you probably have a slight
perspective of these characteristics your letter must
fulfill. So, I'm able to stay strong, maintain my
radical roots" within this present situation.

Please send as many books as possible whether it be on
animal liberation, radical environmentalism (even
though I haven't been outside whatsoever throughout
the course of the previous 47 days), or philosophical
anarchism all the way to interests such as
linguistics, individual sexuality or dialectical
philosophy, or something on counterculture. I really
couldn't possibly care. Just something I maintain
individual or radical interest within. Could you
possibly make sure that my letters sent directly
towards Diane and Darren were actually received by
them and sent those few letters previously listed are
all so tremendously important to be received. Well,
peAce [the upper case "A" was surely meant to be
circled, but strategically was left not circled] Ben
and my perpetual love and affection from this
friendship and way of interaction or appreciation for
maintaining my though is something too difficult to
articulate through words.

PS- Read "Live from Death Row" by Mumia Abu-Jamal,
"The Visit." This is a reflection of my continuous
meditation of that frightening morning leaving Diane's
arms my friendships of affection, ability to pursue my
radical objectives or my existence as a whole.

[[I just read this chapter. It is a story of Mumia's
daughter getting her first chance to visit her father
in prison. In this story, a plexiglass window
separates Mumia from his wife and daughter. Here are
some passages from this chapter:

She burst into the tiny visiting room. Her brown eyes
a glitter with happiness; stopped, stunned, staring at
the glassy barrier between us; and burst into tears at
this arrogant attempts at state separation. In
milliseconds, sadness and shock shifted into fury as
her petite fingers curled into tight fists, which
banged and pummeled the plexiglas barrier, which
shuddered and shimmied but did not shatter.

"Break it! Break it!, " she screamed. Her mother,
recovering form her shock, bundled up Hamida in her
arms, as sobs rocked them both. My eyes filled to the
brim. My nose clogged.

Her unspoken words echoed in my consciousness: "Why
can't I hug Him? Why can't we kiss? Why can't I sit in
his lap? Why can't we touch? Why not?" I turned away
to recover.

[After some more conversation, her] smile restored.
She uttered a parting poem that we used to say over
the phone: "I love you, I miss you, and when I see
you, I'm gonna kiss you!" The three of us laughed and
they left.

Over 5 years have passed since that visit, but I
remember it like it was an hour ago: the slams of her
tiny fists against that ugly barrier; her instinctual
rage against it - the state-made blockade raised under
the rubric of security, her hot tears. They haunt
me.]]

PPS- Please allow my thought to maintain itself at the
Institute for Social Ecology. The friendships I love
and the radical movements maintaining our empowering
radical objectives.

PPPS- I'm not entirely sure if the simple word,
"degraded," could possibly express the repetitive
state of being I maintain.

PPPPS- Besides developing a movement for my
liberation, I'm not entirely sure what you could do
but simply maintain my thought. June 28, 2004 is the
day my existence, empowering passions, radical
accomplishments, beautiful affection, and simply my
true state of being will be brought upon me. Please be
there and allow all individuals from the previous
summer and even more to be there as well. The first
hug will be the first glimpse.

PPPPPS- You really couldn't possibly imagine the
perpetual thought that continuously spews throughout
my mental state of some of the friendships I maintain.
I know that thought will not diminish throughout the
course of the frightening following 22 months.

------------------------------------------------

February 26, 2003

Dear Friends of Alex Asch,

In recent days, at least 2 letters from Alex Asch's,
our young friend who has been kept in a youth boot
camp against his will, were received. One came to
Diane (whose recent message is posted below) and the
other one to Thomas and I, the content of which is not
new from what's below. However, to sum it up, I would
say that Alex is for the most part very miserable
where he is right now, but he is also trying to make
the best he can of a very bad situation. He says that
he's observing the oppressive institution where he's
being kept as sort of a study of hierarchy and
domination.

These letters indicate, however, that his captors are
allowing some communication. Please write to him to
show that you are thinking about him and that you
support him as he undergoes this difficult struggle.

Alex Asch

Tunabout Stillwater

2738 S. 2000 E.

Salt Lake City UT 84109 USA

Desire for Revolution,
Ben Grosscup

802-454-8347

PS-Below is an update message forwarded from Diane.

--------------------------

Hi,

How's the winter treating everyone?? It's cold and
snowy in these parts, but soon it'll be warm and we
can go out and dance and play again! It's easy to
forget about lost emotions and painful experiences,
but the past few days have brought this all back to
me. I received a letter in the mail from Alex this
past Friday, and then another one today. I also got
one on Nov. 2nd, and I began to write to you then, but
then I got caught up with school and such. I would
love to type up the contents of all three letters to
you, but they are 14 pages in total, and very crammed
writing. So, here are a few things from each of them:

-His return address was not written on any of the
envelopes, nor was it written anywhere within the
letter, apparently no one is really supposed to know
or have it.

Some "highlights" from the letters:

November:

-This is something that he wrote for a zine he's
working on: I was on a beautiful objective path from a
radical, mental, cultural, or emotional perspective an
existence of individual spontaneity and radical
passion within institutional analysis and objective
friendships of empowering affection at the initial
development of their perpetual love and truth, my
radical passions increase within the wisdom that
followed within every experience that was brought upon
me within each individual day, or within my cultural
ontology, ideological ability, individual insurrection
of my consciousness and perception or internal
expression through external expression of love,
affection and compassion within discussion or action,
yet now I have been taken off that path, put upon an
undesirable path that I am disgusted upon, brought to
an imposed miserable state of being within this
systematic enclosure and alienation from my actual
existence as one that allows me to know WITH EVERY
ASPECT OF MY HEART I must not follow this path of
cultural, ontological, or mental make believe, this
alienation this train brought upon me. this imposed
upon path pushing upon exhaustion and hopelessness as
tactics of manipulation within my individual human
consciousness but I feel or know I must stand in
place, understand my true path is awaiting, and come
to this understanding or overcoming alienation through
thoughts of friendships, my existence as one, my
individual anarchist ontology, animal liberation or
ecological insurrection desires, and only the EERIE
ASPECTS OF TIME are the difficulty and frightening or
main strength of this train, and my tactics of
maintaining strength to hold off the train are what I
must continuously address.

"I need you ALL a promise that you'll be there that
amazing day my path is once again brought upon me, I
NEED TO KNOW THAT"

"please write as much as possible. be conscious of
every statement, cindy milstein was already addressed
as unacceptable, but passed books for radical
education, the importance is a continuous thought and
an awareness of LOVE"

(and the recent letters):

"I'm attempting to get as much out of this undesirable
situation and alienation as possible, through thought,
inquiry, and analysis, and developing many writings
within my zine of me from an emotional perspective and
introspection of me as a radical individual, and I am
also develop(ing) a perspective of this environment as
a residential and domestic reflection of mass
civilization and attempting to learn within thought,
or educate myself as much as possible of and coming to
an amazing understanding of hierarchy, hegemony,
authoritarian ideology or enforcement, or the
systematic enclosure that brings upon human tyranny
within ecological alienation and environmental
destruction..."

(and here's something very disheartening): "my
decision that frightening morning was the worst choice
of my existence, you and thomas were right,and the
choice haunts me,"

--------------

Well, I just began looking at the one I got today - it
is six pages, but essentially he is really clinging to
the memories of ISE and of Paradise and the pasture
and the berries, and seems to be keeping himself going
with the knowledge that we are in solidarity and love
with him. My old address was deemed as "unacceptable",
and Cindy and Darren are as well - but my new address
can still receive from him, so Cindy, if you have a
different name you can use and a different address, or
if you want to send me things that I can send to him,
that could work. He is now allowed to receive pictures
and books as well. I'm going to send some pics from
the summer, and he requested "Days of War, Night of
Love," "a Culture of Make Believe" by Derrick Jensen,
and "This is the A.L.F." - AK Press. Please keep in
touch, and I hope to hear from you soon.

Love and Revolution,
D

------------------------------------------------

Ben Grosscup

Until August 27, 2003:

1116 Maple Hill Rd.

Plainfield VT 05667

802-454-8347

Stokingthefires@r...

~~~~~~~~~~~~

From: "Deicide"

To: "Oaks - MindFreedom.org"

I am Darren Kramer, a friend of Alex's that has helped
initiate the campaign to bring attention to his case.
I am the co-founder of Ever Reviled Records Workers'
Collective and one of his co-workers from the
collective.

Ever Reviled Records started the campaign to bring
attention to Alex's case not only to make people aware
of Alex, but also to help bring into the spectrum of
debate the thousands of other children that are being
coercively thrown into mental institutions. The case
has made me more intimately aware of an entire aspect
of the system of domination that exists in our country
that I had not thought much about: the insidious use
of psychiatry to overextend parental control over
children. These institutions must be examined and
subject to criticism if their application is being so
loosely used as to jail against his will such an
amazing spirit as Alex Asch.