The Congressional Page Program: Poorman's Skull and Bones????

[Junkdrawer]

Courtesy gmaki

So I'm watching the debate on the Torture Program and I'm asking myself "Where do they get these guys and how do they maintain their disipline?" Then the Foley thing comes out and I hear that the House leadership is allowing a Republican member to track "promising" pages. Then I think "Where have I heard about this kind of perverted recruitment ritual before?"

....

The home of Skull and Bones on the Yale campus is a stone building resembling a mausoleum, and known as "the Tomb." Initiations take place on Deer Island in the St. Lawrence River (an island owned by the Russell Trust Association), with regular reunions on Deer Island and at Yale. Initiation rites reportedly include strenuous and traumatic activities of the new member, while immersed naked in mud, and in a coffin. More important is the "sexual autobiography": The initiate tells the order all the sex secrets of his young life. Weakened mental defenses against manipulation, and the blackmail potential of such information, have obvious permanent uses in enforcing loyalty among members.

....

http://www.geocities.com/CapitolHill/8425/BONES.HTM

[sam sarrha]

1. skull F'rs and Boners maybe, it couldn't maintain without a secret society

and VERY severe punishment for exposure other than not becoming a millionare

[aquart]

2. "Poor man's"? Are pages the children of the poor?

I don't think so. Seems to me they are the kids of the well-to-do and well-connected.

[peacetalksforall]

3. children of big donors? nt

[Tanuki]

5. A friend of mine was a page

It was rotated among the high schools in the district. The congressman notified the school that a position would be available, and the school made a recommendation from those who applied. The student was chosen on the basis of achievement, etc. as well as the school's judgment that the applicant would do a good job and represent the school well. My friend's family was not involved in politics, as far as I know.




(edited for typo)

[peacetalksforall]

7. That's good to hear. nt

[bottomofthehill]

17. This would be the exception that makes the rule the rule

The great majority are little rich kids of parents with influence. Why they would think it was a good idea to send them here with the track record of the Page program is past me.

I would rather let my child volunteer in a prison, there you know the danger you are in.

Drinking Drugs and Sex is what is on the mind of many 16 year olds and when you remove the parents, this is what you get.

[fedupinBushcountry]

4. Oh please

take your :tinfoilhat: somewhere else.

[Junkdrawer]

6. Just a crazy thought. Before I'd take it seriously, I'd need some info:

Most importantly:

How many important Republicans started out as pages?

Who did they page for and what kind of contacts were made?

[OneBlueSky]

8. "allowing a Republican member to track 'promising' pages" . . .

chortle chortle nyuk nyuk nyuk . . .

he said "Republican member" . . .

[ProSense]

9. Sounds like you're blaming the victims!

Foley actions are reprehensible!

[Junkdrawer]

10. How would this be "blaming the victims?"

:shrug:

[ProSense]

11. It implies that

they become pages and agree to be abused in return for their silence!

[Junkdrawer]

12. No, it implies that out of a large number of pages, a handful..

are picked to receive unsolicited advances.

[ProSense]

13. "a handful are picked to receive unsolicited advances"

That's abuse, they didn't volunteer for abuse or remain a page to be abused.

"The Congressional Page Program: Poorman's Skull and Bones???? "

[Junkdrawer]

14. I agree..Skull and Bones is voluntary and this theoretical abuse...

of the Congressional Page Program would not be voluntary.

We know pages were selected for abuse. We know the Republican leadership looked the other way. How deep this all goes is what we don't know.

[fedupinBushcountry]

16. I agree

and posts like this are out of order and plain ridiculous.

[bottomofthehill]

15. Time to change the Page program, Simple Fix

One of the biggest problems with the Page program is that it takes children from under the watchful eye of their parents and puts them under the like pervert and Former Member Foley. They go to school very early in the morning and work often times late into the night with no parental supervision.

The simple fix is to pick the best and the brightest of the DC public school system and allow them to be Congressional Pages.

Eliminate the Dorm System and the Proctors who live there to oversee the program, hell sell the dorm off and use it to defray the cost of transporting these DC children home to be with their parents at the end of the day and on weekends.

Keep the school structure so that the DC School children are given access to the high quality education that the little rich kids have been getting for all these years.