Care to know who you’re talking to? You want to put a face on it? It’s easy to criticize a group or organization, but this one has nearly 2,000 young people in it and I for one am not going to let you speak for us all. I did not choose an organization to be a part of, I chose much more then that; I chose a lifestyle, the only one worth living for, and if need be, dying for.

My name is Miguel, I’m 25 yrs. old, and I was born in The Family. But even though I was born in The Family, that’s not all I’ve known. When I was 13 my parents left the group, and I was integrated into a different kind of lifestyle. I went to school as opposed to being home schooled. Although as a home-schooler in the Family, I was always just a bit “behind”, getting put in a public school was all it took to show me that I was ahead. All my teachers were amazed at me and all that I knew and how quickly I learned.—it all came from my earlier training as a home-schooler.

But being in public school was not healthy for me; I was picked on, threatened, and abused by other students. It was a difficult time of my life and I could only wish I was back “in the good old days” with friends who liked me and thought like me, and teachers who cared for me as a person and not just a student. But I eventually became more and more like “normal” kids—calloused, crass, bullies who looked down on each other in a mad race to see who’s “cooler” or has the hotter chick. I became cynical, mean, and had my “tough guy” facade on all the time. But inside, I knew where I belonged and it was not there in the middle of all that hell.

Shortly after I turned 15 the Lord gave me the opportunity to rejoin The Family, which, after seeing what life in the system was like, I was very eager to do. I did have dreams, and possibilities of careers to follow, things I wanted to do, but I knew there was something about The Family that I couldn’t shake, it was a part of me, and I knew I wouldn’t be as happy anywhere else. Everything else just paled in comparison.

So I made my choice, and it’s a choice I’m not going back on. It doesn’t matter what you offer me, my wildest dreams come true couldn’t take me from this. Because I believe in it. I’ve seen it, and it’s real. Heaven on earth does exist. I can’t think of a better life lived then one lived serving others; I can’t think of a better way to live then a communal one, with others who believe as I do. I can’t think of a better way of raising our children than the way I was raised. I’m proud of my upbringing, ALL OF IT, and I wouldn’t have it any other way. I‘m proud of my parents, my Dad and Mom are the greatest in my books, they gave me all I ever needed and more, in order to live a productive life in any sphere of society.

I have brothers and sisters who are no longer in The Family. It hurts me to be so far away from them, and I miss them terribly, but I understand their decisions, and they understand mine. Although some have chosen other careers, they are proud of me for mine. But I have also seen how a person’s perspective can change. What was once a fond memory can turn into a hateful thought. The best years of your life can be recalled as the worst depending on your outlook, and I have seen peoples’ outlooks slowly shifting due to others’ delusions and distortions. It saddens me that this occurs, and that some people’s goal is to make this change happen. That is what happened to Ricky.

He did not see anything wrong with his past, nor did he believe it had any negative effect on him. He made statements to this effect as a young adult while still in The Family. It was only after consorting with various hateful, bitter, apostates that his view began to change and he too became bitter and ultimately violent. When he left The Family, he left on good terms. Peter and Mama helped him get set up, and he was going to move on with his life like anyone else who doesn’t care to be a part of us. In my opinion, the people who destroyed his life are those who poisoned him and his views and put hateful thoughts into his mind and took away his peace and happiness in life. Yes, this is about more then just murder/suicide, this is also about how he got to that point, and that was by allowing others’ deluded and distorted views to change his own, thus creating an environment of resentment, anger, and hate to settle in until it ultimately destroyed his life and those he loved. I have many friends who are no longer a part of The Family. They are still my friends and I deeply love each of them. They are leading productive lives in the fields they want to study and work in. God help you if you dare to try to ruin even one of their lives with your slanderous unfounded accusations. It’s bad enough to ruin your own life with your hateful views; stop trying to ruin my life and that of those I love. We’re doing fine without you.

Miguel Rocha is a second-generation member of The Family