7 Comments Posted by zodiac

wrote:
Rusty,
If you see this I'd be very curious to read your research.
s.w.carmichael@gmail.com
wrote:
It has been a long time since I dropped in on this site.
To those who may not be aware, Fred Boyce passed away May 6, 2006. It was Fred's story that brought a personal face to the horrors of places like Pennhurst or Fernald. While this knowledge is heartbreaking, we should all never forget what Fred Boyce and his fellow "state boys" endured, for that we should honor the memory of Fred Boyce and the bravery of his story.
wrote:
The NBC10 website describes Suffer the Little Children as: "perhaps the most important news report in WCAU history"
wrote:
Thank you for that much improved video link.
wrote:
Sadly the condition of the documentry isn't in much better shape than Pennhurst itself, the Audio is impossible to follow at times. I see there is a Pennhurst Documentry in the works, perhaps some restoration will be done.

there is a NPR interview online at :
http://www.theconnection.org/shows/2004/07/20040708_b_main.asp
Michael D'Antonio and Fred Boyce one the former "State boys" at Fernald are featured, this would be very interesting to anyone who wants to understand better what went on in places like Pennhurst.
wrote:
Sadly the condition of the documentry isn't in much better shape than Pennhurst itself, the Audio is impossible to follow at times. I see there is a Pennhurst Documentry in the works, perhaps some restoration will be done.

there is a NPR interview online at :
http://www.theconnection.org/shows/2004/07/20040708_b_main.asp
Michael D'Antonio and Fred Boyce one the former "State boys" at Fernald are featured, this would be very interesting to anyone who wants to understand better what went on in places like Pennhurst.
wrote:
Visitors of this site may or may not be familiar with the book "THE STATE BOYS REBELLION" by Michael D'Antonio, if you haven't read this book you really must (prepare to have your heart literally torn loose). It describes the plight of a group of boys at the Fernald School in Massachusetts, a near carbon copy of Pennhurst. Specifically it details the lives of a number of boys who were not necessarily retarded to begin with, but merely had a speech problem, or didn't "test" well; the tests used in those days to determine that a child was "defective" are now known to be faulty and not at all a good indicator of there true intelligence or potential. This practice of placing essentially normal children (they are referred to as "almosts") in an institution as a method of disposing of them was widespread. Here is a segment from "Suffer the Children" that I have transcribed:

TV10: This boy, was he mentally retarded when he came to Pennhurst?

Dr. JF: He was mentally retarded in the sense that he did not receive proper education, he came from parents that were delinquent themselves

TV10: In other words this boy was normal as far as his mind and being retarded was concerned?

Dr. JF: He can progress to a normal level

TV10: But he never will as long as he is here at Pennhurst is that right?

Dr. JF: I can not say that but chances are poorer here than they would be where they had a program set up for this type of case

TV10: There are too many Johnnies here at Pennhurst this Friday evening.

It just makes me sick with shame that this could have happened