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Hello Everyone! Here is the story of a tireless FMS worker, Herman Ohme. Many things I include in the Newsletter come from him. Don’t forget to keep your calendars open October 5-6 for the National FMSF conference in Illinois. ~Carole

Herman Ohme

San Antonio, TX

<><>  It felt something like the WTC Towers 9-11 attack <> <>

If America felt revulsion and confusion on September 11th, our FMS parents had known those exact feelings years earlier when they opened and read the letter from their adult child undergoing repressed memory therapy, now commonly known as the "Letter of Accusation" .

Those were my feelings and reactions when I read my oldest daughter's "Letter of Accusation" in December of 1992 accusing me of doing unspeakable things to her when she was a very tiny baby of six-months old...are impossible to accurately describe, but our nations' 9-11 terrorist attack of the WTC Towers and Pentagon comes as close as anything.

The two events were totally different but my emotions were the same with one exception

On 9-11, every American shared the same emotions I felt....I wasn't alone..

but the day I read my daughter's letter in 1992, I was alone and lost and NO person in the world could possibly feel as confused and shattered as I felt that day.

 

Both events permanently changed the world....America will never be the same after the 9-11 attack. ....and my life would never be the same after that letter in December '92 .

Temporary Insanity

That first week I was an emotional "wreck"...one minute joking to the friends I had told, "How could I ever have molested Laura at the age of 6 months, when I got sick every time I changed her diapers.... Isn't that proof I didn't have the "stomach" to be a decent child molester ...BUT the joking turned to tears quickly and I would cry like a baby ....

I had learned from my other two daughter's, who remained loyal to me over these years, Laura started believing these lies almost immediately because she was a devout Christian and her new therapist was a "Christian" therapist... that was in January of 1989 (three years earlier) but was afraid I would pull the plug financially and stop paying her college and therapy expenses.

A Radio Program Saved My Sanity

The radio guest I was listening to who was discussing his article about RMT in Mother Jones Magazine name was Ethan Watters . Watters then mentioned the accused parents from all over the country had banded together and formed a national organization called False Memory Syndrome Foundation (FMSF) in Philadelphia. Ethan Watters and Station WOAL (1200) saved my sanity that day and FMSF has probably saved my life.. I knew now I was no longer alone ......This same nightmare was happening to other parents around the country.

In early January of 1993 I heard of other FMS parents and several former RMT patients had a discussion group on the Internet where they could discuss RMT and support each other....but I knew nothing about computers but bought an old XT computer (PC) for $600 and had the newest and fastest modem installed (1200 baud ) and learned just enough to join my new FMS friends in cyberspace..

" Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful committed people can change the world, indeed it is the only thing that ever has. " Margaret Mead

.After several years and much practice, I became skillful enough with my computer to start teaching other FMS parents to come online and join our group. I also realized how computers and modems would enable our FMS group to change state and federal laws to stop this therapy that had crept into our lives and almost destroyed us. And if we succeeded, just like Margaret Mead assured us, __ We__ would__ change__ the__ world . . . . . . .

I knew I had to educate my Texas legislators about this therapy destroying TX families... I began a relentless one-man lobbying campaign to every key member of the TX House and TX Senate Committee's on Health and Human Services. These two committee's totally regulated the Mental Health industry and licensing boards in Texas and all the other states, as well. After countless personal visits, phone calls, faxes, to the State Capital 70 miles away in Austin, I gained the support of the Chair of the Senate Health Committee, Senator Judith Zafirini, who agreed to sponsor my legislation banning RMT in Texas...

I also wanted some personal revenge against my daughter's "Christian" Therapist so I camped out on the doorstep of the Chairman the Texas Mental Health Licensing Board with complaints and videos and articles....I threatened a lawsuit against the clinic where this RMT therapists worked.

After three months of non-stop complaints from me, the "Christian" therapist lost her job and left Austin, left Texas, and returned to her home state of KY...I then registered the same complaints against her with the KY State Licensing Board so she could not poison KY patients.

My vendetta against her therapist drove a wedge of hatred between my daughter and me . She wrote me the most hateful letter I've ever read but, even at that cost, I felt GREAT because I got some revenge and more important, I had learned how to lobby and win.

I had been contacted by FMS leaders in Florida and Illinois to help them lobby their legislators and was invited to be Keynote Speaker at the FL State FMS Convention in Orlando and asked to speak at the Illinois State Convention in Chicago about lobbying techniques I had used.

So In early 1994, I met with activists friends, Bob Kocielny (Ohio) Chris Barden, Ph D. in Chicago, before the Illinois State FMS Conference, and we formed a national lobbying organization we named National Association for Consumer Protection Against Mental Health Practices [NACPMHP].. Bob and I became the National Co-Chairs and Chris Barden was named President of the NACPMHP organization. We then enlisted and organized FMS leaders from each state that wanted to change state and federal laws against the practice of any unsafe or unproven therapy. In less then 4 months, 38 state organizations were lobbying their state legislators for new anti- RMT legislation under the banner of the national organization we formed in Chicago , The NACPMHP.

Since those hectic days in 1994 organizing the NACPMHP with Bob and Chris I have been involved in several worthwhile projects I am particularly proud of being a major part of...This is a list of some of the most meaningful to me personally.

[ 1 ]

[ 2 ]

Revised the 1974 CAPTA Law

[ a.k.a. Mondale Act ]

When the Republican Party took control of the U.S. House of Representatives in 1994, after 40 years as the Minority political party, I saw the opportunity to change the CAPTA laws (Mondale Act of 1974) which had been the root cause of the child sex abuse hysteria and false accusations. I had been an active member of the RNC (Republican National Committee) for years and had some voice with the new party in control. I enlisted the help of nationally known CAPTA experts, Richard Gardner, M.D., Carol Hopkins, San Diego Grand Jury Foreman, to testify before the U.S. House and Senate Committee's to overhaul the Mondale Act of 1974. Our team was successful in correcting some of the worst features of the old CAPTA law but were blocked from deleting the "mandatory reporting" feature. New CAPTA was signed by Clinton and became law in 1986.

[ 3 ]

Helped organize the 1997 Salem "Day of Contrition" Conference that was attended by leading child abuse experts from around the world and brought together every day care and other falsely convicted prisoners that had been released...Kelly Michaels, Ray and Peggy Buckey, Bobby Fjinje, Cheryl and Violet Amirault, etc... Play write Arthur Miller (The Crucible) and author William Styron (Sophie's Choice) were Keynote Speakers.

[ 4 ]

Every FMS group I spoke to about legislation, I stressed it was imperative they learn to use a computer...and get over the fear of something new ...Just Point and Click was my motto...and I promised everyone at every state conference I was invited to speak, "You buy your computer...and I'll teach you to "Point & Click"… To date, over 100 FMS members have taken me up on my promise to help them learn to “Point and Click"...

[ 5 ]

Since 1994, I have maintained an email news service and distribute current and relevant articles and court decisions to approximately 300 FMS members, and also send his same info to all our legal and memory experts, as well as many of our friendly media sources.

[ 6 ]

Like many of you, I spend much time supporting the families and the prisoners who are the real hero's of the memory wars...Those families paying the ultimate price for the betrayal by their child who decided to dredge up false memories of child sex abuse...and now their parents are spending the remainder of their lives in prison...My main projects are Texas prisoners Bruce Perkins and Fran and Dan Keller, one the last of this nations' Day Care Center travesty's.

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On a personal note: As I write this, today is January 6th, 2002, and it's also my estranged daughter, Laura's, 37th Birthday .........and in two weeks, on January 20th it will be exactly 13 years since I have been able to give her a birthday hug and kiss.....

How could we have known 37 years ago today, my dreams and life would be shattered when this tiny baby in my arms would take the False Memory Lane and I would never know her in the same innocent and loving way again.