Eventually, in the early Nineties, Mene was institutionalized in Texas. Today she is a frail thirty-three-year-old, addicted to methamphetamine, turning tricks on Southern California beaches and struggling to stay alive. "She's just given up on life," Mene's mother says. "She's committing suicide without committing suicide. She's doing it slowly."

-- Rolling Stone: The Life and Death of the Chosen One, Summer Double Issue 977/978, June 30-July 14, 2005

While the claims above about Merry's current state are generally known by a number of former Family members who know or have met Merry in recent years, it is indeed a very serious claim, which we would not likely have published had the information not previously appeared in Rolling Stone magazine:

Quote:

Eventually, in the early Nineties, Mene was institutionalized in Texas. Today she is a frail thirty-three-year-old, addicted to methamphetamine, turning tricks on Southern California beaches and struggling to stay alive. "She's just given up on life," Mene's mother says. "She's committing suicide without committing suicide. She's doing it slowly."

-- Rolling Stone: The Life and Death of the Chosen One, Summer Double Issue 977/978, June 30-July 14, 2005

Editors so far have chosen not to add details to the "Merry Today" section beyond what has already been published by Rolling Stone.

I will add a link to the source of that text in the article on Merry.

Perhaps she's waiting for "Pappa Lion" to come to her during the night and give her one of his "revelations"?

Many thanks. Why do you think Claire Borowik referred to this article as an "inaccurate & pejorative account"? She certainly didn´t seem very pleased with it.

As the International Spokesperson for The Family, it is Claire's job to refute any material about her organization that shows it in a less than positive light.

She is sort of like those guys that worked for the cigarrette companies in the past that kept on telling the public that smoking really wasn't that bad for you.

Indian Joe wrote:

As the International Spokesperson for The Family, it is Claire's job to refute any material about her organization that shows it in a less than positive light.

She is sort of like those guys that worked for the cigarrette companies in the past that kept on telling the public that smoking really wasn't that bad for you.

This is true. However, we should not overlook alternative theories about what she is such as the one presented at http://www.oplexicon.org/tf-yaa/

That´s the second time in the last 24 hours I´ve heard that song as the background to a video; however, the subject of the other video was a political leader.

Piram wrote:

That´s the second time in the last 24 hours I´ve heard that song as the background to a video; however, the subject of the other video was a political leader.

The other one can be found at http://www.filmstripinternational.com/

However, what I haven´t seen is anything that documents these affirmations, which are very serious, as factual. What research has been made that prompted you to post this?

Piram wrote:

However, what I haven´t seen is anything that documents these affirmations, which are very serious, as factual. What research has been made that prompted you to post this?

I personally met 'Mene' after she was released (she'd been arrested again) last year with a group of individuals attempting to convince the court to mandate rehabilitation and treatment.

How was her state of health, in your opinion?

Were charges brought against her for anything?

Did she finally go into rehabilitation and treatment?

Or does the state just wash its hands of cases like Mene?

And perhaps most importantly of all, IMO: Does she want help, or has she really "given up"?

evanman wrote:

Perhaps she's waiting for "Pappa Lion" to come to her during the night and give her one of his "revelations"?

I happened upon the name of the last "Shepherd" my wife and I ever saw in TF (Spain): Brian Edward Pickus, or Hezron. It says he was divorced from his wife in 1978, but I know for a fact that he no longer lived with her for at least a year prior to that. (And I think he had one child, a baby, with him) Although I had relatively little contact with his ex-wife, I remember both of them as having strong characters*, so I figure there must have been an unpleasant falling-out. If he indeed did what it says he did, it certainly looks like he fell to real depths. Looks like TF changed its policy on bailing out members, at least in his case: they apparently put up 70,000 USD. Certainly looks like at least certain members have been "blessed" with "the abundant life"... But much like international crooks when they´ve got to "take it on the lam" because the heat´s on, Brian Edward Pickus headed for a nice South American country he could disappear into: Brazil, where I suppose he can samba to his heart´s delight and try to forget about what he has accomplished -- or undone -- in his life.

*although in his case, perhaps a better word would be "overbearing".