My name is Andrew Peloquin. I am 17 and was born and raised in The Family. I live in Mexico and was raised in Japan. The Family is a very safe environment for children (having been one not long ago) and teenagers to grow up in. I haven’t heard of any Family teens committing suicide, killing each other, shooting their classmates, and many other horrible actions that have happened in schools and other institutions.

When I hear the allegations against The Family, it makes me sick. There are some people who have deceived themselves into thinking that the time they spent in The Family was abusive, demoralizing, and any other bullshit terms they can come up with. I personally am very thankful that I was raised in The Family. I have seen life outside The Family and know, no matter how many dishes you have to wash (being an expert myself), floors to sweep, and any other jobs that you would have to do in a number of different employments, life could never be as bad as people who have way too much time on their hands, make it out to be.

I knew Angela Smith personally. I lived with her for a period of time. I felt very wronged when I heard of her undignified death. But all the stink some people are raising just makes me sick to the stomach. How would you like to be slandered after your death? How would you like people to spread malicious lies about you after you are dead and gone? I hope that the people that hear about your death don’t handle it with the same callousness as you are handling this one. The measure that ye mete out, the same measure shall be meted unto you. God help you.

To find out that Ricky had premeditated this heinous act is a revolting thought. To kill someone on the spur of the moment is bad enough but to plan and prepare beforehand is a thought that is very disgusting. And to blame it on The Family as “abusive childhood” is just a waste of someone’s time. There have been many teens who have left The Family to claim that they were abused but all that have been tested for trauma have left the lab with a clean bill of mental stability. If you’ve seen the video of Ricky explaining everything you would find the real cause of his anger; people who have left The Family who are angered at something trivial and convinced themselves that they were deeply wronged. I don’t know all the circumstances surrounding every one who has left The Family, but for the most part, these ones weren’t able to live up to the standard expected of us members and got bitter. They lied to themselves for so long they eventually believed it themselves.

All that to say, all those out there who are blaming this circumstance on The Family either need some major brain surgery to repair stupidity (if there is such a surgery), get admitted into a mental hospital, or are very deceived people. Please get a life and leave us who are enjoying ours alone.

Andrew Peloquin is a second-generation member of the Family International.