Felicity Lee – My Statement to Members of Ivory Garden & Others
I am the ‘owner’ and operator of Ivory Garden (IGDID.com), an online community (message board), where survivors of child abuse with dissociative disorders gather and talk, supporting each other and making friends. This group is not politically focused – nor, is any political agenda promoted within this group.
When I started IGDID.com many years ago, I was aware that there was ‘The Backlash’ – groups of people who have been active since 1974 when child protective guidelines (CAPTA) where being enforced. Their purpose is to isolate children and survivors of abuse/extortion from any support or protection that is legally/socially available to them. In this way, they effectively ‘silence’ those who ‘might’ endanger the abuser/predators. They target anyone who is effective in protecting/supporting children and survivors of child abuse/extortion, including mental health professionals, teachers, reporting agencies, and yes – support groups – such as IGDID.com.
“The longest-standing target of retaliation against professional child advocates appears to be the mental health professional. … as reports of children suspected of being abused or neglected increased twenty-fold, from approximately 150,000 to 3 million, between 1963 and 1993 …at the same time that adult victims of child abuse were seeking healing in support groups and in the offices of mental health professionals. It is common and usual for any reform movement, after it achieves a certain measure of public support and sympathy (as did child protection during the 1970s and 1980s) to be subjected to an opposition movement. In the context of child protection, that opposition movement has come to be known to child advocates as "The Backlash" (Myers, 1994, Conte, 1994, Hechler, 1988). Taken from “Retaliation Against Professionals Who Report Child Abuse” By Katherine Hine, J.D
I will, from now on, refer to these advocates for abusers/extortionists of children ‘the backlash’. They have been responsible for the silly notions that therapists implant memories in people’s brains, that therapists create Dissociative Identity Disorder; that all victims/survivors of child abuse/extortion are liars, and other such ridiculous notions.
But, their tactics are effective – very effective, thus far. We have to go back a bit and remember:
“By the late eighties and early nineties, ..attack upon mental health professionals began. The identified abusers of adult victims of child abuse began to avail themselves of new third party liability theories upon which they based litigation against their adult children's therapists. Bowman and Mertz (1996) describe with alarm the recent emergence of these increasingly novel legal theories formulated specifically for use in lawsuits in civil court seeking damages against therapists treating adult child sexual abuse survivors -- patients who are, for the most part, satisfied with the targeted therapist.
The intensity of the attack on mental health professionals escalated in 1997 with the bringing of federal indictments against Houston mental health professionals Judy Peterson, Ph.D., Richard Seward, M.D., Gloria Keraga, M.D., Sylvia Davis, M.S.W., and hospital administrator George Jerry Mueck, CPA. The defendants faced possible sentences of life imprisonment without parole apparently because the government disagreed with the diagnosis and treatment of seven patients who claimed to have been falsely convinced that they had been victims of childhood abuse.
Following five months of testimony in 1998 and 1999 by 33 government witnesses and dozens of audio and video tapes offered in evidence, a mistrial was declared in February, 1999 after the dismissals of all but 11 jury members. The results of an informal jury poll showed that, despite the fact that the defense had not yet presented its case, the jurors were strongly inclined toward acquittal. On March 1, 1999, the government dismissed all charges against the five defendants. However, the legal costs for the defendants and the government were staggering.” By Katherine Hine, J.D.http://www.nafcj.net/Retaliation.htm
As we can see, facing life imprisonment for ‘supposedly’ causing a client to believe they suffered abuse, sends out a strong message to anyone working with children or survivors of child abuse. The Backlash publishes books and articles circularly sourcing each other, in order to create the illusion that they have any real evidence of their theories. They have taken over such sites as Wikipedia in order to cause the public to ‘buy’ their propaganda. Their most vulnerable victims are the ‘public’, and they heavily publicize anything that will sway public opinion their way.
The Backlash, as we are discovering, uses intimidation and threats (in whatever form) in order to isolate the victims and survivors of child abuse. The biggest threat to all advocates of child abuse is their power to hurt them financially, personally, or professionally. And, they have a strong track record of doing just that.
Today, they remain active – though, less effective as many survivors of child abuse are beginning to come forward, name their abusers, and confront The Backlash. Groups like the False Memory Syndrome Foundation are finding it more difficult to sue therapists and reporters of child abuse. Their theories are no longer taken seriously.
The Backlash now ‘send’ out internet trolls, who work anonymously to discredit and slander anyone who is effectively supporting, protecting, or treating children and survivors of child abuse in hopes that the public will read and listen to their slander. The Backlash promotes publically anyone who protects and defends child abusers/predators and bashes, slanders, and insults those who are working to protect and support children and survivors of child abuse. They use such public formums and sites such as Amazon, personal blogs, chat rooms, etc. to slander. These people are called ‘trolls’, and they like to infiltrate support groups, especially facebook – befriend the members and turn them against the people who are effectively protecting and supporting them in an effort to again isolate survivors. They use the same tactics, that survivors of child abuse recognize and react to, that their abusers used when they were young. These tactics are confusing and damaging to survivors of child abuse who do not understand ‘why’ The Backlash would want to hurt them.
Since 1974, The Backlash has managed to sway public opinion concerning the reality and extent of child abuse, scare professionals away from treating clients with Dissociative Identity Disorder and/or child abuse. During that time statistics have skyrocketed until today, the (UNODC) United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime report that:
2 million children are subjected to prostitution in the global commercial sex trade (UNICEF)
There are 20.9 Million victims of Trafficking World wide as of 2012, 1.5 Million victims in the United States
A $32 billion-a-year industry, human trafficking is on the rise and is in all 50 states (U.S. Government)
4.5 Million of trafficked persons are sexually exploited
Someone is profiting from child abuse/exploitation. Someone else is profiting from defending those accused of child abuse/exploitation. Child abuse is a lucrative business, for sure, and we can only imagine to what length they will go to keep their investment safe and secure.
I never thought that ‘I’ would be targeted by The Backlash. I mean, I simply started a board where people who had experienced child abuse could meet and talk – get some support. And, now – I find myself targeted on the internet. I now know how others must have felt when The Backlash intimidates and threatens good people simply because they are supporting and protecting children and survivors of child abuse.
As I have heard others say – “it is just not worth it” - I now understand and often feel like giving up, wondering if people will believe what they say about me even though nothing they say is true. The Backlash use ‘skeptic’ techniques which are meant to put the question in people’s minds of whether I can be trusted. They intimidate by digging for dirt in my personal and professional life – and, when they can’t find any – they simply make up something ‘juicy’. It is disheartening that professional sites allow this to happen – despite their TOS which prohibits this.
Now, I find myself in the position that, though I don’t feel that I should have to, I need to defend myself from their slanderous lies. I hate doing this, because it puts people in the position of thinking that they must choose sides – just what The Backlash intended all along. For me, there is no ‘side’ to take – because, there is only one side – truth. The ‘taking side’ tactic is what created the problem we are having now – with child abuse/exploitation out of control, victims and survivors of child abuse isolated and unprotected – silenced. I mean, what are the sides to choose from? The Backlash is truthful and to be trusted in their protection of abusers/predators and their intimidation of anyone who protects and supports children and survivors? Or, those working so diligently to support and protect survivors and victimized children are truthful and to be trusted? There is no fence sitting, no common ground here. The mistake is to consider what they say – rather than who they are, ,what they represent, and mostly, what have they done that can be seen, measured and appraised. The public MUST take a side of either to support those who protect and defend the abusers and predators of children – or – for those who protect and support children and survivors of abuse/exploitation. If you make the mistake of choosing based on what is ‘said’, you fall into their trap of ‘forgetting’ who they are, who they represent, and what they have to show for their ‘good’ work – because their purpose is to create a ‘reality’ that protects ‘them’ and keeps their resources coming in. Bottom line is much more important than being honest.
What I don’t want to do here is to cause concern for me or IGDID.com. Their tactics have not affected me or IGDID.com – but, not for lack of trying.
Here is just a bit of what I contend with (Quotes from Amazon site - trolls Karmakaze and CritThink ):
“Felicity it's quite clear to me that you are about asking people for $50 a month to play in your website. You have no credentials, not a one.”
“You support MKULTRA crap because fear makes you money.”
“If I ran a support website for survivors, I'd research people like Kevin Annett BEFORE I formed any coalition with him. Sorry to say, but his tactic of taking advantage of vulnerable people under the guise of saving them, reminds me of you and Judy.”
“People can see how you team up with abusers like Kevin Annett while you claim you are trying to help people. I hope a few survivors have the guts to take you on...you are taking advantage of the very people you claim to help, asking for donations of up to $50 per person per month. “
“Let's see...set up a nonprofit...ask for donations, ask people to work for you, but don't pay them a penny. After people volunteer for hours and hours, kick them out if they question you. Call yourself an expert...even though you hold no licecense of any sort in mental health. Claim you are a victim while victimizing others.”
“This author financially ripped off Jenny Hill by having her sign away any financial or publishing right to HER OWN LIFE! then lied that woman was in the hospital, sending her family into a tail spin, while the author cooked up a bogus letter that she admitted under scrutiny was not written by Jenny. You and Judy, what a team...financially take advantage of the very people you claim to help. Quite a theme your coalition has.”
“And you, Felicity Lee, constantly seek donations from DID survivors...what's worse is you ask them to put in hours of work on your website and don't pay them a penny. So wonder you and Kevin Annett formed a coalition.”
"CEOs of four ritual abuse survivor organizations have joined forces with...Kevin Annett...”
“And here is a constant MO with Judy and Felicity. Create an alternate reality of made up BS...mindcontrolling Nazis, floating beings, etc. Try and get vulnerable people who you say you want to help to endorse the idea...in the case of Jenny it didn't work out too well as Jenny called out Judy for her BS on national TV.”
“Oh, and collect money...very important. Collect money from the victims you are claiming to help.”
“You're not my enemy. You're the enemy of women like Jenny Hill. Vulnerable people who pay you for your lies. “
“Team up with a man, Kevin Annett, who reabuses the sexually abused and give this man access to the women of Ivory Garden Try and get women to live in even more fear so that you can "help" them.”
“This book 22 Faces is fear mongering to groom victims so that you and your cohalition can take advantage of them. FRAUD!!!!”
These are taken directly from Amazon website ‘review’ section of a book called “22 Faces” by Judy Byington. These quotes are written by two trolls of The Backlash, named CritThink and Karmakaze (alias’). These are just in the past couple days. There are literally thousands of similar posts there and elsewhere on the web. I have read worse, but more personal. One day, they decided to post several personal pictures from facebook, one a video of my 12 yo granddaughter dancing as well as my personal information. One troll, Doug Mesner/Lucien Greaves did a satanic ritual right on Amazon supposedly turning me in a Satanist. They are now contacting people who might know me writing horrible emails to them slandering me under an array of different alias’ – pretending to be their friend. Well, you can imagine that they have done everything they can to get me to take IGDID.com down. Why? It is a support link for survivors of child abuse/exploitation. Keep in mind the original purpose of The Backlash – to isolate survivors and victims of child abuse/exploitation – to silence them.
For those who want/need clarification – I am going to answer a few questions The Backlash trolls have brought up –
1. We do not charge members to join or belong to IGDID.com.
2. I support and validate survivors and victims of child abuse/exploitation – that is all – no other groups or people.
3. I don’t know or have any opinion about Kevin Annett, but do know that he is not a member of IGDID –
4. I hope that no one has gotten the idea that I can ‘save’ anyone; that certainly is not my intention.
5. Since, I am also being accused of ‘lining my pockets’ with money collect at IGDID.com, I will say that our financial statements are available. We claimed negative balance of $3.23 last year, and as with most support groups, we rarely have the money to cover expenses.
6. I do not consider myself a ‘victim’ at all.
7. The staff at IGDID.com volunteer their time willingly, they do a wonderful job, and do not ‘expect’ payment.
8. I do not claim to have a license in mental health – and, I have never offered anyone ‘therapy’. I hold degrees in psychology – where I did spend years researching and writing journals, and I have a Master’s Degree and license in teaching.
9. IGDID.com is not a ‘ritual abuse’ survivor group – but, a group for all survivors of child abuse who have dissociative disorders. Ivory Garden has several groups for survivors of child abuse.
10. IGDID.com members do not influence each other to believe anything at all. All members have their own stories – and, they are supported and validated for who they are.
11. I am not a ‘fraud’.
12. I am a simple woman, a survivor of child abuse/exploitation.
13. As a retired special education teacher, I have always been an advocate for children, as well as to adult survivors of child abuse.
14. IGDID.com is safe and well-moderated by an excellent staff.
I don't like having to defend myself from out and out slander. I am hurt – yes. I am not made of stone and wonder that people may read the lies that they write and believe any of it for a second. I worry that the emails they receive will turn them right into the arms of The Backlash and away from the safety of those who protect and support the victims and survivors of abuse/exploitation. I am scared – yes – to what lengths these people may go to hurt me. And, I am worried – yes – that people will become concerned for my well-being. I am sad – yes – that I can’t simply run a support group without being targeted.
But, I am also a survivor of abuse/exploitation. I remember the bullies – the abusers/perpetrators. I remember their tactics – not just similar to The Backlash trolls, but exactly the same tactics. I recognize them as being the abusers. And, I am angry that they think they can use these tactics to isolate the survivors of abuse with lies and intimidation, bully me and others into walking away from IGDID.com where so many survivors of abuse find solace and friendship. And, I will fight to keep IGDID.com running – I will not be silence.
That is my statement.
Thank you for reading and for your continued support.
Anyone who would like to contact me, please do so at felicity4us2@gmail.com.
