DungBeetle posted this on TOB and asked me to post it here.
And YES absolutely feel free to spread this around everywhere..this is a work in progress though, I will be updating probably for days. Some stuff I couldn't hear, some stuff was read so I hope to get copies of those and fill in the holes. For those of you who catch mistypes please send corrections. GO LAMBS GO!!!
Transcript of Silentlambs March
Brooklyn New York
Pierpont to Columbia Heights
September 27, 2002 2:00 PM EST
ALL : Silentlambs No More! No More Pedophiles At My Door! I Dont Know What Youve Been Told, But Silentlambs Are Mighty Bold!, Listen to the Lambs Roar!
Here we are, Headquarters!
ALL : J. R. Brown Must Go Down!! Silent Lambs No More!!
"Theyre looking out the window, look they ran away. Theyre hiding. Hi everybody!!
ALL : One Two Three Four!! Silent Lambs No More!!!
Bill Bowen : Their policy hurts children. They need to acknowlege the problem and apologize. This March is about a cause for protecting children. Its about exposing protection for child rapists. Its about a religion crushing a movement that has as its only goal and purpose to support and encourage the healing of Jehovahs Witnesses victims of abuse. That the Governing Body appoints judicial committees in an attempt to beat their brethren into silence. The entire nature really is about the victims. They will NOT be beaten! ***to stop them from speaking out about their abuse.
Today is for the victims; today the Silent Lambs are Silent No More!! Today the Lambs Are Roaring and will continue to do so untill Jehovahs Witnesses stop their policies who feel that child rapists can be prevented ,their members from being convicted, by keeping secret databases of child molesters hidden in buildings like this. It is the Governing Body thats been silent, it is in their interest that we trek down these steps, and through these doors of the American justice system, in the form of billions of dollars of litigation to those injured, that they should take decisive action that helps.
What comes to your mind when you define what a hero is? A hero is not the biggest person, not the strongest or the best looking. A hero is a person who takes action, who has taken a stand for the silent lambs..when you came forward as I just didyou were called Liars! When you tried to warn us, you were silenced. When you tried to get justice in the courts, you were stabbed in the back by your brothers and sisters.
Yet today, we are honored to be in the presence of real heroes, people with enough courage to sacrifice everything, with the interest of protecting children. Today Silent Lambs recognizes heroes who stand up for children. It is called the Silentlambs Courage Award. Their names will appear on the Silentlambs website as heroes who had the honor and integrity to do what was right.
continue to workon silentlambsthe first everto those who punished you for doing what was right. And you today set the example for Jehovahs Witnesses as how they should treat those who stand up and
All : Listen to the Lambs Roar!
Bill Bowen: The first recipient is one of the first persons to step up to the media and reveal the terrible abuse that she suffered as a child. Her effort opened the way for many other abuse survivors to tell she gave an extensive interview for Dateline but it was neverToday, I feel very honored to Pandello as the first recipient of the Silentlambs Courage award.
All : Corie!! Corie!! Corie!!!
Bill Bowen : The next person I would like to announce, went to the national media, spoke out, and she came forward about her abuse, she was told that she would be disfellowshiped. She then went to the police, and said I will report this abuse, and while the Jehovahs Witnesses sat on the molesters side of the courtroom, and protected him and even sent her a death threat, for standing up and reporting a child molester. And today we are very honored to present Erica Garza as the next recipient of the Silentlambs Courage Award.
All : Erica!! Erica!! Erica!!
Bill Bowen : The next recipient of the Silentlambs Courage Award was not able to be here today. She was in court for the last two weeks testifying about the Watchtower policy that literally destroyed her life. As she was in court for the last two weeks, the Watchtower hierarchy sought to get Jehovahs Witnesses to sit on their side of the courtroom in opposition to her. Yet she stepped forward and she testified. And that court case has yet to be decided as of today, in Canada, where this trial took place. And so Im very honored, in abstentia to present Victoria Boer with the next Silentlambs award.
All : Victoria!! Victoria!!
Bill Bowen: The next person was also featured on Dateline and it was discussed about the molester that she knew that molested 17 little girls. He remains a Jehovahs Witness in good standing as he resides in a prison penal facility. Yet when she tried to warn other members of her congregation about what happened, the elders disfellowshiped her for trying to protect the children. So Im very honored to present Laurie Fitzwater with the fourth Silentlambs Courage Award.
All : Laurie!! Laurie!! Laurie!!!
Laurie:..and he will go back to the congregation in good standingbecause hes not I tried to tell..they said I had a..attitude and that I was a to the congregation.
Bill Bowen : Not all people who receive the Courage Award are necessarily victims of abuse, but they step up and stand up for them. The person that is next in line, sat on the other side of that courtroom with Erica as the Witnesses gave them dirty looks and because she was a friend. She came back to the courtroom when this man had to be reconvicted and she testified in her behalf and told about the extent of the abuse. So for her courage in coming forward, for protecting and helping a victim of abuse, Im happy to award Sherry Galvez as the next recipient of the Silentlambs Courage Award.
Sherry : My brothers who cant be here today, and I hold lambs for them. This is an evil, wicked policy that can ruin lives, it continues to damage untold others. Today the lamb Roar!!
All : Sherry!! Sherry!! Sherry!!
Bill Bowen ..this woman was afraid when she spoke to me to use her own telephone for fear of what the organization would to do to her. Now the progress of the Silentlambs organization over two yearsgrowth personal and spiritual..a person who has courageously stepped up and not only spoken out in court for victims of abuse but also spoken about her own abuse and has..the media and contacted them vigourously to protect the children. That next person to receive this award is Pat Garza.
Bill Bowen : ..award to two parents that stood beside their children and enabled them to be strong to stand up to the media and be interviewed for these things. The next recipients of the Silentlambs Courage Award are Carl and Barbara Pandello.
Barbara Pandelo : We were told that we were the only ones, and that if we say anything that we would be bringing reproach on Jehovahs name. And to find out that there was just so many people like us, its so encouraging and being here for the other children is an honor. Thank you, its all an honor for me.
Carl Pandelo : Being raised by Jehovahs Witnesses, probably one horrifying thing is to be disfellowshiped, but in fact its an honor to be disfellowshiped for being apostates and to stand and know what is wrong and knowing whats right and Im really proud to be, me and my wife, are disfellowshiped for speaking out, we have no fear of them. Thank you.
Bill Bowen : the next person I would like to present the Silentlambs Courage Award is a person who ..helping..their own daughter was abused, they went to the elders, they were told to be silent, threatened with disfellowshiping, and by her being here today, they could for this, disfellowship her. She helped many of you be here today. Her name is Jeanne Kraus.
Jeannie Krause : ***
Bill Bowen : ***
Joe Anderson if I take this over to that building..I become a Witness again!! I doubt that. Afraidthey dont know how to do itchildren
Barbara Anderson ..for ten years right here in this building behind us... For three years I was in the Writing Department, two of those years, I knew of the abuse. For the last ten years I have been..the children of Jehovahs Witnesses are not safeand its just wonderful to ..to force Jehovahs witnesses for the way they use old bible edicts of having two witnesses to each molestation We love our children, yes, we love our children more than we love the Watchtower Society.
Bill Bowen : The last recipient of the Silentlambs Courage Award goes to someone I know very well. When I first came out on this issue of abuse, this person was told, that all they had to do was just leave me, and they would be protected and taken care of. So the next recipient of the Silentlambs Courage Award is Sheila Bowen.
All : Sheila!! Sheila!! Sheila!!
Bill Bowen : I think this illustrates to everyone that Silentlambs come from all walks of life, and abuse victims know that they support them and stand behind them with the courage to say Dont be silentlet them know that they can speak out. ..small things, yet it will multiply and multiply and multiply untill Watchtower changes their policies.
Bill Bowen : Now I have some folks with advocacy groups here in the New York area and I asked them to say a few words to you. The first person Id like to speak is Alfono..youll have to tell them the name of your groupso first Id like to have Tina come up, and then well hear from David Carillo from SNAP, and then third from Van dugo, from Child Protection Advocates.
Tina Alfano : Thank you all for coming here today. I know for some of you, it was really hard whether to come or not today. So far your strength and your courage. My name is Tina Alfano, and Im the president and founder of Keep-Our-Children-Safe.com. I came here today in support of all the Silent Lambs. Today, you are Silent! No! More! Every child matters. We will stand strong and firm against child abuse and molestation. We will be united in our plight and we will prevail.
Children have rights. Children should have better laws to protect them. The wilderness has more laws to protect IT than we have laws to protect our children. Somehow, somewheree, we have failed to protect our children. But we can and must make a change to right this wrong. Where are our legislators? Where are our Congressmen and our Senators? Today you may ask, when will this all end We must bring accountability to every individual who abuses our children no matter WHO THEY ARE!
And to Watchtower: You have the power to change your policies. The power to change the lives of thousands of your children. I know you WILL do your best to change because it IS Gods will. And God has gathered us all here today, to rally for change, to say No More dead children, no more abused children, NO MORE SILENT CHILDREN.
Thank you all again for coming to this history making March. Together we have already made a difference. God bless all of you here today and may today be the start of a better life for you and your children.
Bill Bowen : Next we would like to hear from David Cerulli of SNAP Survivors..Ill let you do it!!
David Cerulli : Thank you for inviting me. Im a survivor. As a boy of 14, I was repeatedly raped and sodomized by a priest at a church in Allentown, Pennsylvania. I was uncapable of fighting the power of the priest and the church at age 14. Thanks to the help of my family and wonderful people along the way, and most recently SNAP, I can say I am a survivor.
Many other vicitms are not so lucky. They try to numb the pain with alcohol and drugs and suicide. This tragedy continues today. SNAP exists to help victims become survivors. We dont want to lose any more victims along the way. We have monthly support group meetings and this Sunday were having a rally outside of Saint Patricks Cathedral from nine in the morning untill one. Youre all invited. I hope you can make it. Id like to thank you for inviting me, for allowing me to stay, I think youre doing a wonderful job, keep up the good work!
Bill Bowen : David Cerulli took off work to be with us today, and hes here to support us as abuse survivors. Were very appreciative of him making this trip. Thank you, David!
The next person Id like to let speak is Dan Dugo of Child Protection Advocates.
Dan Dugo : I think its touching and nice to see everybody come here together from different congregations, from different religions, even no religions, just to stand here and give support to the cause. I tend to think that people need to speak a little more about the bigger picture, like the politics behind things, thats something Id like to touch on. I feel that the issue of clergy members who abuse children sexually is an issue of child safety and not a religion issue, which these people hide behind.
All religious leaders as well as politicians have a moral and civil obligation to take children under their watch. While our country is in the middle of a crisis of children that are being molested and raped by clergy members as well as other members of society, Senator Bruno of the New York State majority leader stated publicly that the clergy mandated reporting bill is not a priority right now. As for our top guy, Governor Pataki, its nice to watch him stand on platforms and receive awards, but what is he really doing to protect children? Its time to put politics aside and do his job. If Pataki wanted a bill on his desk that would make clergy mandatory reporting, or for the statute of limitations to be extended, he would have that bill on his desk within the week. But because of his bid for re-election, the welfare, safety and health of defenseless children have been put on the back burner. God forbid he should pass a law that should upset some Catholics or some Catholic group that he might lose some votes from.
Politicians are sacrificing the children for the sake of votes. We wont tolerate this and Im asking society as well to put their foot down and say no, they wont tolerate it either. I dont know much about politics, but Im being forced to learn very quickly, and what I see so far is disgusting. I also feel that the federal and state agencies should investigate all religious organizations who engaged in covering up and obstructing justice.
Bill Bowen : Next, we have an attorney here with us, her name is Kimberly Norris from Dallas Texas area. And she has an announcement she would like to make to you here today.
Kim Norris : Hey, Im Kim Norris from FORT WORTH Texas! I hold in my hand the first of countless lawsuits to be brought in the fifty states filed by my firm and lawyers afilliated with us to be filed in Oregon today on behalf of a Jehovahs Witness Congregations victim/survivor asking for compensation in the amount of three million dollars. This is one of many, check our website, well update as we go. Lets go get em!
Bill Bowen : This is the last part of the program, and at this point, different abuse survivors said that they would like to say a few words. I ask you to keep it brief because we have a kind of a large group and were taking the valuable time of these police officers here. So if any of you would like to come forward, remember to hold the megaphone close and youre welcome to say a few words.
The first is Barbara Carr from Michigan. Brenda, Im sorry.
Brenda Carr : Right here, Im not a victim myself, but on behalf of a victim from Winnipeg Canada, who could not be here today, and whose family has been destroyed by the protection of pedophiles by the Watchtower congregation. Its a poem she wrote entitled
I am a voice from the past
I am a voice from the past, abandoned, rejected and outcast.
A child of twelve, and all alone, abused and treated like a criminal.
Shamed and silenced by those I trusted, I die alone, depressed and deserted.
I am a voice from the past, abandoned, rejected and outcast
A child of five abused by brothers, no one to hear my cries, alone and scared,
My life a mess, drugs and alcohol, to deal with the stress.
I am a voice from the past, abandoned, rejected and outcast
Abused as child, again as wife, no compassion from you I found.
Abusers you keep within your walls, but you never hear the ** call.
I am a voice of the future, of all those you call sinners,
Hear me declare, for all to hear, ** you were.
Hear from the innocents, God says, so do it!"
Signed Carie**
Bill Bowen : Next, I would like to ask dorian baker to come up and read a piece that was written by an abuse survivor that couldnt be here, and she asked her to share this today.
Dorian : Id like to begin by stating that I am honored to be in the company I am in, although I could not be there physically. Many of you know me as alamb. I am a victim of sexual abuse by two elders, one being my father. One is an admitted child molester, having admitted to his actions both in court and at judicial meetings. No actions were taken by the elders involved, and he is still actively involved in a congregation and baby-sits for sisters on their studies. He is also regularly in contact with my own children against a court orderthe same court order that I am respecting by not attending today.
If someone had done this thirty years ago, this lamb would not exist. How many lambs will there be next time? What price for the children to pay? What is enough? ONE is too many! To those who support the faulty policies of this organization: you can silence the cries of the innocents and the believers, but you will never silence us, the survivors. We are not going away! We will not disappear! We only ask that you do not add to our ranks. You can cripple our spirit and trample our innocence, but you cannot put out the fire that has been started. Truth and right will win. You can view us as dead and shun us, but you cannot kill our spiritit is FREE!
Bill Bowen : Thank you very much, would someone else like to come forward and speak?
This is Mike Pence from Arizona.
Mike Pence : Thank you very much. I would like first of all to thank the 16 and some odd individuals on the internet most of whom I have never known and will never know and who funded our trip here to be with all of you today. So a thank you to all of them.
When I first started to write, after 9/11 I decided I wanted to be a writer and when I first started to write I realized I had to write about what was going on with Bill Bowen and Siletnlambs. And in the course of reseraching some articles it came forward that my own children had been abused. And they had the courage to come forward and so I would like to salute them for their courage*** my new lawyer has authorized me to say that the presiing overseer of the Orland Pennsylvania congregation is the man who our children alleged who has abused them, and we will not rest untill this individual is brought to justice.
Finally, Id like to thank this man for the courage to step forward and to make the sacrifices in his personal life that I know hes had to make because that kept him tied up on the phone for enough hours and Im sure some of other people have too. So thanks to Bill and to his family for the sacrifices theyve made and thank you to all of you for supporting victims of abuse like my children.
Bill Bowen : Next we hear from Barbara Lees from Illinois.
Barbara Lees : Im so proud to be here with all of you, I just want to make it very clear that when a congregation body of elders decides theyre above the law theyre hurting so many people by just sending a pedophile out into the world and not warning authorities, not warning the congregation, not warning families in the congregation. We would love to be able to have the chance to make the decision whether we want our children around a pedophile and to discipline us because we wont go door to door with them.Its really important that they realize that they need to report this to the authorities.
I know of a situation where the elders decided they could not handle a particular pedophile they removed him, let him out, he became a little league coach, admitted to multiple victims, went to prison, got out, went to another Kingdom Hall, got caught again, ****
Bill Bowen : and now heres Charles Riley from New York.
Charles Riley: I just wanted to say that Im here in support of everyone here and I also wanted to say that Im also here in support of my niece in California because in 1984 she was molested on three different occasions bu one of our brothers in the congregation in Tujunga California. And when my sister went to the elders to get it straightened out, they refused to do anything about it, she sent a letter to the Governing Body, and they wrote her back saying that they were not going to get involved. And this brotherthis so-called brotherwent to another congregation and molested two other young ladies.
Im here in support of her, and I also wanted to say: I was an elder for seven years. And I know for a fact that they instructed elders NOT to go to the police when it comes to child molesting. And I also wanted to mention that of all the Governing Body members of the Watchtower appointed, one of the main culprits is Theodore Jaracz. He is the main culprit; he has to pay. And ** not gonna stop untill justice is done for all of our children and for all of us that have been abused by this organization.
Bill Bowen : Next is Debra.
Debra : It is a thrill to be here today. The elder uncle that molested me when I was 14 years old** North Carolina at the time, I normally live in Staten Island New York. He traveled on to ** Tennessee where he was disfellowshiped** many young girls. He had many flagrant affairs. I was warned that if I said anything my dear precious aunt would be dead. Less than a year later she did mysteriously die after her six year old son also mystriously hung himself in ** North Carolina. Steve ** is now one of the anointed remnant of Jehovahs Witnesses.
Pat Garza : I'm Pat Garza, and I'm here to say that I was raped by Theodore Jaracz when I was a little girl, in the city of Los Angeles, he was the District Servant. There are two boys; their initials are "M.D." and "M.W.", if they - if I could find them theyre older than me, they were there, there were witnesses! We were terrified and silenced! We were not allowed to talk. My life was threatened and my brothers, were threatened, they were going to be killed if I spoke.
And when I started remembering the abuse I was abused horrifically in the congregation and I wrote the Watchtower Society and I begged for help, I have the letters with me to show you the names of ten of the elders who hurt me and they told me they could not answer any of the questions I asked, nor could they comment on the circumstances that I described in the congregation.
I ended up in the hospital, in crisis in the emergency ward because of what the elders did to me. And then I was hospitalized for months, because I had nowhere to go, I was homeless. They threw me out in the street, I was destitute and I was disabled, I was unable to work because of the flashbacks I was having. And I ended up on the street, and I have with me a photocopy of the letter that the elders, he entire body of elders sent me, it has all of their names on it. It says that they called the Watchtower Society here in New York, and asked how to help me and they sent me a list of homeless shelters and I have that list of homeless shelters, one of them was Parkside Projects on skid row in Portland Oregon. Two of them were *** Beaverton Oregon and the other was the YWCA. The humiliation that I felt was beyond belief. I almost died when I got that letter from those elders, and I almost stopped praying.
The Watchtower Society has stood as a block between children and your God. All they do is destroy a person's faith *** and make them feel like God does not love us. And I'm here to say that He does, and I'm saying for those of us who are victims of Satanic Ritual Abuse in this organization fight some of these elders and fight Ted Jaracz.
It's safe to come out now and you can come and talk and I'm begging anyone who knows "M.D" and "M.W." - I would say their names but for privacy I won't reveal them, but SilentLambs knows the full identity of "M.D." and "M.W." who were there - would you please call SilentLambs at 1-877-WTABUSE Please step forward and be my witnesses.
Theyre bringing pedophiles into this organization, they're ruining children for sex and that's what they were doing with me, the boys were there to prepare me for sex with Ted Jaracz! They were there to keep me, to make me, disassociate so that I could not remember him.
ALL : Let him in! Let him in! Let him in!
What are you afaid of! What are you afraid of! What are you afraid of?
Bill Bowen : Everybody get, come back over. Come back on this side.
We thank you for your sacrifice and kind support in making the effort to be here.
In Ezekiel theres an interesting Scripture regarding the shepherds of ancient times, and it states:
The stricken ones you have not strengthened; the ailing ones you have not healed; the broken ones you have not banded; and the dispersed ones you have not brought back; the lost ones you have not multiplied; "***
the governing body must wake up! And realize that God did not tolerate tyrants in the Bible times and he will not tolerate tyrants today. So while we wait on Jehovah, we follow the course of Ezekiel and seek out and protect the lowly ones.
Thank you all for being brave, thank you all for standing for righteousness, and thank you all for proving that you are no longer SILENT LAMBS!!!
Were going to have a meal at a restaurant thats right nearby within walking distance. And I invite all of you to come that would like to attend. So with this we will conclude, well let these nice police officers get on their way. So lets all move, and jeanne krause is going to show us where its at.
ALL : Thank you NYPD!
Edited by - JanH on 30 September 2002 17:0:43