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In Reply to: Re: Taking the money & running posted by Devil's Advocate on August 24, 2004 at 17:56:00:
I agree with you that James Penn & Ricky are in different positions with regard to the morality of taking money from Zerby & Smith. Yes, Ricky is clearly a victim and if he could threaten to *talk* if they didn't give the cash, well shit, this was the kid whose sexual abuse was published in a book for us all to read! IMO Zerby & Smith should sell off all Family assests & give it all to Ricky & other SGs.
Yes, Penn is in a different position but I can't agree that he "comes across as an accomplished extortionist with a talent for rationalizing his entitlement to blood money raised through the exploitation of children and ignorant religious zealots." You're eloquent but I think Penn explained it quite well -- once the money was in the hand of Smith & Zerby they would've only used it for their own thing. Zerby was the one who robbed the poor, Penn took part of that back. And he did have the balls to expose this publicly when he didn't need to.
