The Myth of Being Brainwashed

This case is not just about the homeschool issues. There are many other injustices that have been perpetrated, and we should be just as concerned about them.

Venessa Mills was accused, by her husband and her own family, of being "brainwashed." They said she had completely changed and was being influenced by her church. (After all, heaven forbid that anyone joining a church should actually change!)

On the other hand, Venessa Mills pointed out that they had changed too, and that they were being influenced by grudge-holding former church members. She didn't use the word "brainwashed," though.

So, either Venessa Mills is under the influence of her "cultish" church, or her husband is under the influence of the ex-"cultish" church members (and/or trying to divert attention away from his adulterous affair).

Here's what Judge Mangum said from the bench:

"I don't know. They allege and you deny, about being brainwashed ... I'm not saying that one way or another."

Judge Mangum then ordered a mental health evaluation for Venessa Mills - but not for her husband.

It's important to note that Judge Mangum didn't make any kind of solid judgment on the brainwashing issue. Based on all the evidence that he claimed he had thoroughly reviewed, he specifically stated that he didn't know. So why the one-sided mental health evaluation? Why does only Venessa Mills need to be mentally evaluated?

Because her husband used the term "brainwashed" and she didn't.

Don't believe it? Just listen to Judge Mangum's verbal ruling. He explains it very clearly. Just the mere use of the word in the allegation - with no evidence whatsoever - was enough for him to order the mental evaluation. And nobody finds this frightening?

But what good is a mental health evaluation going to do? What is brainwashing anyway? Apparently, nobody really knows - not even the so-called "cult experts."

Originally, it meant severe mental conditioning that involved persistent sleep deprivation, chemical manipulation, controlled isolation, intense psychological pressure, sensory deprivation, and many other nasty, yet tangible, techniques. And, even then, it was found to wear off very quickly as soon as the subject was removed from the direct application of these things.

Yet Judge Mangum was asked to believe that Venessa Mills was "brainwashed" by a small church on the other side of the country. What a joke!

But these days the term "brainwashing" is applied much more loosely; it is used to describe the effects of propoganda, of advertising, of peer pressure, and even of fashion-following. Do you watch TV? You could be accused of being brainwashed. Did you vote for Barack Obama or John McCain? You could be accused of being brainwashed. Do you have an iPod? You could be accused of being brainwashed. Do you drink Coca-Cola? You could be accused of being brainwashed! And watch out! If you get accused of being brainwashed in Judge Mangum's courtroom, he'll order a mental health evaluation at the very mention of the word. What a joke!

So who's really "brainwashed?" The person being accused, or the people who have been ignorantly accusing her? Or the judge who was "brainwashed" by the accusations of brainwashing into ordering a one-sided mental health evaluation, despite the lack of any evidence whatsoever?

Well, if you believe all the "experts," none of whom even agree, then we're all being "brainwashed" all the time. So, on Judge Mangum's "logic," we all need mental health evaluations. Except for anyone who accuses someone else of being brainwashed, of course. Apparently, according to Judge Mangum, that demonstrates sound mental health.

Is this what our legal system has come to? Judges basing their decisions on gossip? Ordering mental health examinations on unsubstantiated allegations alone? And then using scaremongering words like "cult" and "brainwashed" to cover his own mistakes?

How many other people have suffered at the hands of this kangaroo court system? Judging by the comments on this blog, far more than most of us are aware of.

Don't keep your head stuck in the sand! Doesn't the Bible tell us to do to others as we would have them do to us? If you don't stand up for justice now, how can you expect justice for yourself?