From: 'Andrew Phelps' <starfish@northcoast.com>
To: <s-acc@yahoogroups.com>
Sent: Wed Nov 26 14:00 PST
Subject: [s-acc] gaslighting and behavior
Hi
I feel overwhelmed by the experience of Buffalo Alternatives. I did a 3 hr. workshop there — Engaging Personal Trauma Informs Social Justice — with Ed Knight, Yvette Sangster, Pat Risser, Drake Ewbank, Lynne Stewart, and Delphine Brody; Carli Scales also helped out. This theme — from the S-ACC orientation — "touched a soft spot" and strong audience involvement followed. In the first part, the discussion went into feminism/abuse dynamics with a degree of directness and authenticity not common to "mixed audiences." The second part, we touched deeply enough that many people "stayed late" for wanting to continue the discussion.
For me, the question was, "Do they make me 'behave', or do I behave based on my own Vision?" At a political level, seen in conference organizing glitches, and in the
National Coalition meeting associated, we could see that this question was .. insufficiently in focus. Stumbling forward accommodating SAMHSA and doing politics "in a routine way" only goes so far. There's all kinds of room for what this list speaks for engaging.Our movement was built by challenging the torture dynamic of the system, but it was put together "not facing the 'torture' matter head-on." The problem of Social Accountability is to develop the character and maturity needed to "face the 'torture' matter head-on." And as I see it, the change of regime in the U.S. produces social dynamics where that is now in the realm of the possible. This week I learn that Michelle Obama is sending her kids to Sidwell Friends (I'm Class of 1961) and I signed on to an "Ethical APA" petition which led to John Brennan
withdrawing his name as a candidate for CIA Director.We are crossing the gulf.
Philip Zimbardo's theory that the timing is based on our attitude when we get up in the morning is .. reductionist. Bryant Welch's theory that the behavior management based clinical system promotes 'gaslighting' puts the existential character of the problem squarely in the eyes of professionals and .. if we do this right .. progressive activists. Maria Maceira-Lessley (may she rest in peace) dreamed that we can construct a "client/survivor" activism which provides the love that stems from the values of freedom and dignity: We can do that.
Andrew Phelps