onlythetruth

That's what I thought, too, until the DC Midtown Group scandal hit a few years ago (involving sex with minor females, by middle aged male AAs), and the reaction of the GSB was essentially "we can't do anything, because each group is autonomous."

That's what started me thinking. I knew that "corporate AA" (AAWS, with the approval of the GSB) had managed to find the authority to sue Mexican and German AA members for copyright infringement for selling translations of the Big Book, resulting in one AA member spending a year in jail. And it occurred to me that a governing board that has the power to protect an organization's monetary interests certainly has the power to protect its most vulnerable members.

Don't get me wrong: I heartily approve of this grassroots movement to make AA safer. I just think it's a shame that the GSB acknowledges the problem, but then denies that it has the authority to address it.

AntiDenial

I totally agree with passing these posters out at all meetings. It is not always obvious who is a predator-sexual or financial. GSB refuses to do anything about it,so the groups must.

I am most concerned about the minors that are victimized and AA still encourages them to come to adult meetings knowing the dangers. Minors depend on adults to protect them.

CarolD

The MidTown allegations were investigated by the D.C. police
who declined to make arrest due to lack of evidence.

so please let's not get all tangled up with that.

Boleo

Good point. AAWS acts fast when it is about money issues yet turns a blind eye when it is about safety issues. However, it would take a change to at least one of the Traditions to fix this and I can't imagine how that will ever happen.

Perhaps you should start another thread about it?

CarolD

Perhaps it's a good idea to bring up this pamplet in your group concious for consideration.

That is the best way to propose any readings from any source....

London....
you seem to know much about US AA....I've been an active member since '84 and I know
nothing about any grass root movement taking place in my area.

What are you planning to do with this in your home group?

I've also never heard of a member being asked to leave any meeting who was not ddisruptive.
and I've heard a lot of shares that were self promoting ..

onlythetruth

I've thought about that, but I don't see how the same tradition(s) that permit AA's governing bodies to sue AA members (as must be the case, since they did it), don't permit them to protect AA members. How can it be ok to sue, but not protect?

Seems to me that it's not the traditions that need to be changed so much as the interpretation.

Terminally Unique

It's not just "13th Stepping" - I've known 15 year-olds molested by 38 year old members. If I were to actually tell "my story" (or "ESH" - which some have demanded) on here, in detail, I'm pretty sure that someone would scream "program bashing! program bashing! program bashing!" and that the mods would shut this thread down in five seconds flat.

AA is not like the Boy Scouts. The Boy Scouts is not a dumping ground for parolees, sex offenders, and other hardened criminal low life, and I'm not talking about DUIs here.

Keep acting the fools, though. Keep saying that your meeting is "safe," and that it doesn't need this, even though we all know that it's really all one big meeting, and that a victim in a "bad" group could benefit from going to a "good" group and hearing this read aloud.

Keep using the "some are sicker than others" excuse.

Keep using the "that doesn't happen in my home group" line, or the "I've never seen that before" line.

Keep using the "we police ourselves" line.

Know this, though: somebody out there knows the truth, and thanks to the Internet, we are in contact with one another. At the very least, G-D (or "HP") IS WATCHING.

I want to see someone take some responsibility for once, as befits those truly living an honest, spiritual life, and say that they will bring this up at their next group conscience meeting. I want to see someone post that it has actually been adopted.

EricL

I'm sorry you had such a bad experience, it sounds like you were in a really ****** position that never should have happened. Also sorry to hear you harbor such anger against a fellowship of people that had nothing to do with whatever happened instead of the individuals involved. If you were that 15 year old then police action hopefully was taken and you got your day in court. That kind of behavior should be stopped.

As far as being a dumping ground, you're right there are people in the rooms who likely are not alcoholics but get court ordered there. The unfortunate thing is, as you've seen on other threads here, there is no sure fire way to challenge these people and ask them to leave on that basis. Alcoholism is essentially a self diagnosis for the purposes of AA.

However, there are many who truly are alcoholics who happen to be sex offenders or other "low lifes" and there is no way we can or should prohibit these people from attending meetings. They are there for the same solution as the rest of us, they deserve the same shot at this thing as that "innocent" person walking in with a clean record.

Oh, and when it gets into breaking the law, then that is another issue. Then, there is something tangible where we as a society, outside and including the fellowship have come together to agree on a norm. And as such authorities should be contacted and people should be reported, just as if it was a youth sports league, school, etc.

But, the stereotypic "low life" "preying" on a new girl... sorry, he deserves his seat as much as she does if they are both alcoholic.

Dee74

This thread is closed for mod review.
Some posts have been removed.

D