Florida School for Boys - Wikipedia
Came across this video today, and found it quite shocking -- largely because as a child, between 8 and 13, I was sent to just such a place in Ottawa. But WHAT a difference.
The US South, and certainly Florida, pride themselves on their fervent Christianity, but the brutality at that school was horrifying. The home I was sent to in Ottawa (called the Protestant Children's Village, but there was nothing about religion to the place at all), helped a lot of kids to heal from horrible childhood abuse. I know they saved my life, and made it possible for me to succeed. No child was ever struck at the PCV. Not ever.
What do you think makes the difference? Why was one so harmful, and the other so helpful?
(For the record, there is very little history on the Protestant Children's Village, but I have an old magazine article from the time that I was there. I'm in it, but I will never tell you who I am. It's worth a read, I think.)