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In Reply to: Re: I disagree posted by Observer on August 25, 2004 at 12:50:40:
First of all, I'm not angry. I'm trying to point out the dubious ethics of taking money from The Family under the circumstances that Penn took it and then rationalizing it with the cliche, "Take the money and run."
Apparently you are completely satisfied that Penn discharged his responsibility for the support & assistance he gave the criminal leadership through the things he has published since leaving. He is certainly an eloquent and persuasive writer, and I agree that he has done good things for the cause of truth in exposing TF's leadership.
If Penn had NOT taken the money under the circumstances he did, I would agree that his expose of the criminal leadership satisfied his indebtedness to everyone who was ever ripped off by TF's leadership as a consequence of his PR skills. But because he took hush money and benefited personally as a consequence of his advantaged position, I believe he has an added responsibility to former & current Family members who will never receive a dime of compensation.
There is a good chance that some SGs will prevail in a suit against TF for damages. There is almost no chance that people like Penn who put in 15, 20, or 25 years of service will get squat, even if they're still faithful soldiers in the Lord's Army when the criminal leadership retires into a comfortable old age.
I find it disengenuous for Penn to say, "Everybody deserves money from the group. The more people that succeed in getting it, the more of a precedent it creates for others." The only people who get paid off are the ones who could send the criminal leadership to prison. At this point, I don't see how Penn's ability to leverage a golden parachute benefitted anyone but him and his friends. Encouraging others who are in similar positions of advantage to follow suit will not put Zerby & Smith out of business.
Secondly, I don't read the majority of SG responses to Penn's article as being anything close to excusing him for the personal choices he and his apologists have dismissed as "beside the point." Many of the SGs see the issue as I do. Read the comments of Shackled, Banal_Commentator, 19-year-old Single Mother, Overcome by Rage...just to mention a few. One of the most reasonable & balanced commentators at the site, Wolf, (a young man wise beyond his years) said essentially what I am saying directly to Penn at the Exfam website:
"As you acknowledged, your apology is trite. You can do something to give it meaning, however. You can start investing a portion of your time or salary (or both) into putting Zerby and Kelly behind bars. Nothing can undo your past criminal compliance, but you may be able to prevent the same people from continuing their criminal abuse.
You seem like a bright person. You have already used your intelligence against Z&K by exposing some of their evil. If you are sincere about the above apology you can go further and bring them to their end."
