Canton school’s use of torture may finally be stopped

Dear Editor:

Diogenes can stop his search: We do have honest people in Canton. Despite the purchase of some of our legislature by the lobbyists at the Judge Rotenberg Center, Governor Patrick and Senator Joyce have been instrumental in denying Matthew Israel our taxes in the form of Medicaid funds. You and I are thereby saved from further financing the hideous and literally shocking torture of those children, many who come from homes below the poverty line that would be using Medicaid.

It shocked me to see how few of the citizens of Canton either knew what has been going on there or cared, using the excuse that “that was the only way to control those people” and accepting the brainwashing of the center’s PR group, who have certainly earned their money. There are institutions all over this state that long ago rejected “aversive therapy” and can help these kids, but the ignorant and desperate would believe the slick words of the JRC administrators.

Perhaps now, not even the 88 young people (ironically) “grandfathered” to continue to receive those increasingly damaging electric shocks won’t be tortured anymore. The FDA is investigating the legality of using non-FDA approved shocking instruments that were first invented to stun pigs on their way to slaughter.

Shame on the members of our town government who first let this shame into our town. I can understand the profit motive, but this place is not for profit, so Canton doesn’t even get taxes from this place. And as usual, no one at Town Hall bothers to investigate the background of these people or places of business (e.g. M&M Engineering), so the deaths of those children in Rhode Island at the hands of Matthew Israel and his gang were not even acknowledged or “known” when we let these monsters in our town. The Judge Rotenberg Educational Center has gone through many aliases, due perhaps to the number of children (six) who have died under their dubious “care.” Israel conveniently decided to “honor” the judge who made it mandatory that the JRC gets first dibs on any emotionally disabled young people who must continue to be wards of the state after reaching 18 years of age.

We are infamous throughout the civilized world for our tolerance of the use of shocking torture implements to punish those kids for behavioral infractions (e.g. talking back). Here in Canton, the UN has investigated their behavior, Mother Jones Magazine continues to follow up on their 2007 investigatory lead article, and the Patriot Ledger, Canton Citizen, and Boston Globe have written countless articles about the abuse there. There have been at least five public hearings at the State House, but the lobbyists have bought the legislature’s silence despite Senator Joyce’s efforts. We have had buses of human rights advocates come to Canton and march in front of that place to protest the abuse. And finally, something may be done by people outside of Canton. For shame. What use are our churches and synagogues if they refuse to speak out on this abomination?

Alice C. Brown

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