My name is Fiona Palumbo. I’m 22 years old and am a born and raised member of The Family International. Here are some of my thoughts pertaining to some of the insinuations and accusations which have been leveled against us recently due to unfortunate events which have once again catapulted our small group into the eye of the media.

I admit. I have had a highly unusual lifestyle. Yes, it’s the truth. I not only admit to it, but I’m proud of it! I love telling people that I’m the oldest of seven children; all born and raised on the mission field of Brazil, and watch their eyes bug out. I love telling them that I’ve never attended a “normal” school and yet I’ve had visiting Americans (not members of our group) tell me that my English is far superior to those of many people my age “up there". I love the fact that although my parents are Americans and I am also a naturalized American, we’ve chosen to make our lives here, putting our love for these people and the ministry we’ve been called to above “the American dream” and any cushy comforts and financial benefits we’d be sure to have if we chose to live in a first world country, get a “higher education", and have secular jobs. My life is different, yes, but very good, and I wouldn’t have it any other way.

I have gone without many of the things that a “normal” child, raised in a “normal” environment would be accustomed to such as: endless hours of indiscriminate TV watching, the “liberty” to do my own thing much of the time due to the neglect of my parents who both have to work all day to make a living, social pressure at school, being discriminated, ostracized, forced to “fit in", judged by my wealth and social status, influenced by peer pressure to smoke, take drugs and have sex before I feel I’m ready for it, to mention only a few of the things that so many kids in the world today have to deal with on a daily basis and which have almost become the “accepted norm". I’m sorry, but those are things that I can live without, and which I’ll try to protect my children from (when I have them) to the best of my ability.

Besides the ordinary things that I’ve been privileged to go without, I’ve also been protected from many perils and evils which are prevalent in the world today. I’ve never had a parent with an alcohol problem. I’ve never seen any member of my family act violently or in a physically abusive manner. I’ve never been cussed at by an enraged father. I’ve never been sexually abused by a step-father (or ANYBODY else for that matter)—and neither have any of my peers and friends who have grown up with me in this group. Now how is that something to be upset about?

I have had my share of the trials of life, emotional difficulties and times of pain and suffering. But even in those times I’ve had something that so many in the world go without, and that is a loving family, friends who really care, co-workers who are supportive, and the strong faith that has been instilled in me from birth, which gives me the strength to accept, to believe, to look for the best in all things, to trust in God’s power and endless love, and to rise above the challenges of life. Now you’re going to tell me that I’m abused, that I’m entrapped and enslaved, brainwashed and deluded? Sorry, but for obvious reasons I’m going to have a hard time being convinced.

I think it’s funny that some of the ex-members of our group all of a sudden have so many complaints, so much bitterness and bad memories. It’s strange how suddenly these things could be so expounded in their lives from one year to the next, or even less, when they previously really weren’t a prominent issue in their lives.

Seriously, how many of these people have left because “they were abused"? I really don’t know anybody who has. All my friends, and others I know who chose to move on did so for a variety of reasons, some of the main ones being; the desire to get a higher education and “become somebody” in the secular world; the desire for material possessions and money of their own; a problem with authority, wanting to be their own boss and not have to base or curb their actions according to any authority or out of consideration for anybody; the desire to try new things that are not permitted in our group such as smoking, excessive drinking, drugs, etc.; wanting to date or marry someone outside of our group; wanting an easier lifestyle which doesn’t require as much sacrifice and dedication. There are many more reasons, and many legitimate ones, but I have never met someone who actually left because they had been abused!

I also think it’s odd that it’s so hard to believe that Ricky could have had such a radical change in his feelings and behavior toward his mother and other members of the group. I’m sure this change of heart from love to deep and un-harnessed hatred is not unknown to the world of psychology. I myself have had extreme changes in my feelings for someone, and although I soon realized that hatred is a debilitating disease that hurts mostly yourself, I imagine that had I let myself get carried away in the negative feelings there is no telling if or where it would have stopped.

In all this I speak from my heart and implore to your sense of justice and reason. Who are you going to believe? Well, it’s your prerogative to believe what you want, but you’ve got to at least give that same chance to the public, who base what they believe greatly on what they are told, by you!

Fiona Palumbo is a second-generation member of The Family International