Friday, July 27, 2007

Poor, poor Nell...

I think it's interesting how people have made me out to be "the bad guy", when I see my role as "victim". It sure feels like I've been violated, symbolically gang-banged by first the city of Onamia, then Nexus and the community. (I feel so dirty!)

My decision to come forward in the public eye, voicing my concern to some of my fellow citizens and my disdain to others, didn't come easily. Upon hearing about the Nexus relocation, I realized immediately that my life in Onamia was destroyed forever. (D' D' D'... D'at's all, Folks...) You know how I knew this? Because it wasn't "strangers" doing this to me. It was people I'd known, some for a long, long time. Folks I'd gotten along with just fine, thankee sai. Nope. I knew right away how seriously this would alter (damage) my life. Because I KNEW: The calvary isn't coming. Nope. Dudley Do-right is over at the Purple Doors having a friendly beer with Snidely Whiplash. My old "friends" and acquaintances had knowingly, willingly, purposefully tied me to the railroad tracks and expected me to just lay there quietly waiting for the train to come. Well, they can tie me, but they cannot gag me.

"Its for the good of the community," D'Angelo said, callously watching me struggle in my ropes.

"Wait!" I begged, "Isn't that Communism? Huh? In Democracy, we're all about INDIVIDUAL rights! We protect the individual. It is about the Rule of Law! Justice for ALL! All, INCLUDING ME!"

No. I was badly mistaken about the justice thing. Liberty and Justice for all has become nothing more than a lost, idealistic fantasy from my childhood. It has apparently become - obsolete. If your plan doesn't fit into the existing law, well, just change the law to suit your needs.

"I just want to be left alone," I told them. "Its not like I asked for this. I haven't done anything to you. I was just minding my own business," which, I admit, cuts me from the herd. Who minds their own business these days?

"YOU CAN'T LIVE WITH YOUR HEAD UNDER A ROCK!" Councilman Bob Mickus shouted at me.

Sure I can! Why not? If I choose to live with my head under a rock, is it not my right to do so? I prefer living with my head under a rock. I'm a hermit, for the gods' sake. I'd never, ever have anticipated that a sex offender facility would take over my neighborhood. Not in a million years! Nobody told me that the Mille Lacs Messenger was mandatory reading.

Bill Hill wondered why I was upset about the Mille Lacs Academy. "It's closer to me than it is to you," he said. Yeah, but Bill, you're the one responsible for the location. You chose it. You're o.k. with it. Fine. I had absolutely no say in the matter. I did not choose it. I am NOT fine with it.

Larry Milton looked me in the eye and said, "It's not personal. This is Business." Well, Larry, my life IS very personal to me, as I am sure that YOUR life is very personal to YOU. When it comes right down to it, LIFE is all we have. And as I lay on the tracks waiting for the train, I feel sorry for you. That you have put your business before my life, ANYBODY'S life makes me lose any respect I might have had for you. There are other locations for the Nexus institution which wouldn't disturb people. Of course, one can't have a liquor license within 1000 feet of a correctional facility, but is that really worth messing up our lives for? A liquor license?

Just the other day, Councilman Jerome Kryzer told me, "If you don't like it here, why don't you leave!"
"What do you mean," I asked. "Move away?" He nodded.
"But Jerry, I've been here thirty years," I said.
"Well I've been here eighteen!" he snapped.
I paused to consider this.
"Then you move away," I said calmly.

And then there is Councilman Mark Loch, with whom I've never shared a word, harsh or otherwise. We have never met. Yet, I'm sure he includes me when he refers to "the Bradbury Idiots." Well, Mark. I'd be careful what you say, unless YOU received a 4.0 GPA in PhD school. Be a little cautious when ridiculing our "intellegence" [sic. See comments.] There are some very bright people in our township. Besides, you're getting a tad personal.

If I sound a bit miffed, it's because I am. (Believe it or not, I've been holding back!) Here's something personal for you: Just over ten years ago, I did the Mayo Clinic gig. I was hospitalized. Doctors gave me only a couple of weeks to live. I got through that and they extended my death sentence to two years, maybe five years tops. I'm still here and still struggling with a painful disabling chronic illness that will, I imagine, kill me. Time is especially important to me, since I don't know how much more the Bank of Life will let me borrow. I want to keep living with my head under my rock, spend my time with my friends and loved ones, smell the roses; not studying about deviant sexual behavior in teenage male juvenile offenders and trying to save my neighborhood. I have had three months stolen from my life because of this Nexus problem that has been thrust upon me. Sorry. It makes me cranky.

I wasn't too surprised that the calvary didn't come to rescue me. Saddened, yes. Surprised, no. But it has been depressing to see the angry Nexus employees show up with torches and pitchforks, dousing my ropes with gasoline and lighting a match. I'm not trying to hurt anyone. That goes against my nature. I am trying to save my life and get off the tracks before the train comes.

And when it comes, it will mow us ALL down - for when you don't step forward to rescue an individual, you are all voluntarily tying yourselves to the tracks too.

Good Neighbor Nell
Good neighbor Nell,
She sure was swell
until she rang
that Freedom Bell.

It wasn't long
before she fell.
She had a song
they could not qwell.

"I'm just a farmer
in the Dell."
(But they would harm her,
steal her shell.)

"Stand next to me!
And do not sell!
We must be Free
where we would dwell!"

"Don't listen to
the lies they tell!
But listen to
The Freedom Bell!"

They weren't enchanted
by her spell.
With rage they ranted
'gainst poor Nell.

"You dumb bitch, Nell,
you sure do smell!"
Mad voices sang,
"Go straight to Hell!"
"Go straight to Hell,
you foolish Nell!
You sound too much
like Hannabelle!"

10 comments:

Anonymous said...

"Don't listen to
the lies they tell!
But listen to
The Freedom Bell!"

Oh the lies "they" tell
Shifting facts to justify their disrespect, to give themselves permission to attack others on a personal level, to condem kids they know nothing about, to besmirch the good name of caring staff, to promote and instigate attacks of any nature on the academy, the employees and the kids in an attempt to run them out of the neighborhood. The lies "they" tell to rob from those kids the freedom to make positive changes in their lives, the freedom of good, honest, hard working, caring individual to do the type of work their hearts direct them to do, the freedom to interact with your community without fear of retribution for who they are or who they support. The lies "they" tell that robs a person of the freedom and the right to disagree with your position because if they do "they" will attack on a personal level as they did with Mary.

"Don't listen to
the lies they tell!
But listen to
The Freedom Bell!"

So....some Bradbury residents can jump on your bandwagon and claim to be worried about their safety when juvenile sex offenders come to their neighborhood when in fact it is all about assesments, costs of progress, anger at the fact that some of those community based, family based, god fearing, morally upstanding neighbors have wanted that property for their own greedy reasons and it wasn't sold to them; figuring if they can force the sale to be cancelled the owner will be forced to sell to them. You want to claim you are cutting through the lies and being honest and the moral voice of the neighborhood...why don't you out those with other than honest reasons for being opposed to Mille Lacs Academy being in their backyard. You won't because it doesn't serve your needs or promote your cause.

If you profess to be cutting through the lies...then cut through all of them, not just the ones that serve your need, like the lies about sex offenders treatment not working. Yes some kids may grow up to be adult offenders but of all the young men who have passed through the doors of the Academy and places like them, how many have gone on to be productive members of society? How many may be serving our country that secures your rights and freedoms to wage your ugly personal attacks on others?

"Don't listen to
the lies they tell!
But listen to
The Freedom Bell!"

Anonymous said...

I think we should require these anonymouses to take a number, like anon1, anon2, anon78 etc. It is getting real confusing to tell them apart. Anyway, in response to this, I know that no one wants this property for their own personal gain (no one can afford it at 3 times the estimated market value that NEXUS wants to pay) we only want to see it used with keeping of the nature of the neighborhood, which is rural residential. Not the multi-story, multi building, institution that is being proposed. With parking lots, lights, ball fields, noise, traffic, etc.
Granted these kids do need help and the program that NEXUS provides is good, but there is a more suitable location for this type of institution. NEXUS wants all the land it can get for future expansion! So it won't stop with a small foot print. If you want to complain about greed, how about those civic leaders and land owners that own property east and south of town that don't want to give it up because they will make more money with commercial establishments and fine dining!

The comment about attacking the academy or employees because of their "position". It is not a "position" it's forcing yourself upon us without our knowledge, using improper and illogical annexation and zoning procedures. Quietly making it a "done deal" before we can protest. Jim D'Angelo stated: that it would COST too much to refurbish the Brainerd location. It would COST too much to refurbish Crosier. It would be too noisey across HWY 169. As he wants to operate at tax payer expense without paying for services he receives from the county, city and state. Talk about greed!
NEXUS wants the freedom to force themselves into our neighborhood and the hell with our freedoms! We didn't ask for this and we didn't start the attacks. A city council man called us idiots, the mayor called us gutless, and one of you fine folk used some language that probably characterizes the class of your fine respondants as akin to "Jerry Springer People"! All we want to do is protect our property values and quiet way of life.

Anonymous said...

Good call on the anonymous idea "Pancho", if that is your real name. I see Jackie??? would like us to post our real names. Anyone who posts their real name will have "hannabelle the horrible" digging through their garbage and making threatening phone calls within the hour.
John D.

Anonymous said...

Okay, I am tired of this name calling, Junior high school, bullshit! We are trying to save our homes and our way of life ( and geez, even the future of this area). I have never and would never make a threatening phone call. Hannabelle would never dig through garbage (unless she threw away, by accident the severed head of a previous respondent). The only garbage she has to deal with is all of this crap!
I am willing to discuss this subject open and honestly with facts and figures and the truth. If anyone can't stand the truth they can go and get their GED and get out of Junior High.
Some people tend to project what they themselves would do in a certain situation. Is this the case? I honestly never considered it. You can, if you want, but please close the lid when you're done, the flies are bad this year.
Curt L.

Anonymous said...

Actually "panch" your post is about the only thing on this joke of a website that's worth reading. The way I see things is that Onamia is dying. The popuation is getting grayer and grayer. The school is on the brink of having to close down. You know the people of this town will refuse to pass a referendum. We already have an exodus of students wanting to jump ship and go to school in communities where people actually care about the future. Nobody wants to move to a town and raise their families in a situation like this. Look at all of the homes in Onamia up for sale right now that nobody wants. Go ahead and try to sell your house. I'm sure the reservation will probably buy it, and that's the best any of us can probably hope for. The drug and poverty problem is out of control. There is not enough adequate paying jobs for the population. You won't get rich at the academy, but you can at least pay your bills. The problem is the majority of the people in this town have too many felonies to work in a facility like this, and hannabelle is worried about the residents at the academy???Mainstreet is a dilapidated mess. And now Nexus wants more accomodations or their outta here too. I look at this along with a wealth of other issues that would deture anyone from wanting to come or stay here. And it seems as though there is a group of people who are content with sitting back in their little corner of the world and watch Onamia turn into a ghost town. I don't trust big corporations or CEO's either, but I believe that the Academy is good for this community and they need to be retained. There's not much left in this town. I believe that all of us weither you live next door to the Academy already or within a ten mile radious, enjoy a quiet way of life, and that won't last long in a dead town. In the mean time it would be great if your fearless leader, who's name is all over this website, would stop trashing on hard working people and most likely alienating locals who might otherwise support your cause. That's where the gutless and idiotic comments are true.
John D.

Anonymous said...

Curt
You People sound like a broken record. "Stop with the name calling!" "Stop with the name calling!" "As long as your name isn't Hannabelle" "Stop with the name calling" And appearently the Bradury area is the only place were people with diplomas and college educations congregate. Your way of life isn't any different or better than that of your neighbors within a 3 mile radius of you. Your homes are already in extreme danger of becoming worthless, just like the rest of ours. And if Hannabelle isn't the one making the threatening phone calls than one of your cohorts is. You might want to have a chat with that person, cuz she's making the rest of you look pretty bad. And I know most of you in the Bradbury area are good people.

John D.

Unknown said...

Interesting!

Have you seen the Harry Potter episode where the news reporter is a parody of irresponsible journalism and sensationalism without any burden of truth. Why am I reminded of that now?

I work at MLA and I have worked with Mary. I don't even know if she likes me, that's not important. She has impressed me as a person of integrity and conscience. (Yeah... as a matter of fact, she has corrected me: professionally and appropriately.)

At MLA we try to teach the kids to accept responsibility for their actions and not wallow in the excuse of being a victim, wherein, all actions are justified. Hannabelle reminds me of someone who may be difficult to work with at MLA. Hannabelle is reckless and irresponsible throughout this website and cries victim as justification for her actions - even her actions against Mary.

Mary is a good role model for me as a new employee and for the kids, who also respect her. Mary teaches and models that when someone commits an injustice or insult to you, you don't have a right to trash them: you work it out appropriately.

At MLA we protect the kids by giving them a safe environment to work through their behaviors and sort out their feelings. We don't let them take their feelings out on each other and we don't let them take their hostilities out on the community. I live in this community so I appreciate how much we protect the community.

You see, at Mille Lacs Academy, we are watching the offenders 24/7. They never leave staff sight or they are on loss of shoes (flip flops) for a period of time.

Yeah, guys have tried to run away but even in the sensational dribble offered by Hannabelle, you can see the juvenile was apprehended at the Gateway Cafe.

The irony is that Hannabelle offers fear mongering (with ad space available) of offenders who are being watched. Does she offer any insight into the perps who are not being watched?

Does Hannabelle have any insight into the two men who were watching my son down at the Dam, then one pulled up along side him and drove slowly along side him until my son bolted down the Soo Line on his bike?

Are you watching the perps out there who are not under supervision?

I've been a guardian ad litem for about 6 years now and I have learned a lot about sex offenders of many ages, backgrounds, and genders.

Sensational "look-at-me's" like Hannabelle are great cover for the perps out there who will charm their way into your young daughters pants or grab your son off the street and make him do things which make you wonder why he turned to drugs.

I think these perps owe Hannabelle a big debt of gratitude.

The community, on the other hand, owes people like Mary all of the friendly support you can offer!

Thank you Mary! Feel free to correct me any time! :~)

Anonymous said...

HANNABELLE SHOULD DIE!!!!!

Anonymous said...

To the Anonymous who keeps Threatening Hannabelle:

Please Sir or Mam, stop raising yourself to her level!!

Cannt you see that people like her and Curt are educated folk who have earned the right to threaten all who respond negatively to them with decapitation.

And to abuse already abused children by calling them names like pud pullers and so on.

And to lie about and disgrace honest, hard working citizens like Mary and Kevin.

And to make harrasing phone calls to the Byes and to city officials.

So Anonymous enough of this junior high bullshit!!! Go get your GED already!!! Maybe you can get you some edumacation like Curt and Hannabelle. Then and only then will you be worthy to make those kind of random pshchotic threats.

Hannabelle are sure your PHD didn't come out of a Cracker Jack Box because it seems like a joke to me?

Love
Your Local Yocal

Anonymous said...

This so called blog should be renamed Clarabelle, the clown with the big mouth who likes to throw out her education stats., like it's suppose to give her substance, it sure does, now we know why she spouts the hate that she does, and by the way she isn't even a taxpayer, or does she own a home in Bradbury Township. Check the county records.