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Troy Tidwell Deposition Segments

(As it takes me about two and one half hours to do each ten minute segment-It will be a few days
(Maybe a week) before I have the entire deposition on the site (about 60 hours of work).

MY PERSONAL OPINION ONLY

For some reason, I have never had any hard feelings towards Troy Tidwell or R.W. Hatton for the beatings I received while incarcerated at the Florida School for Boys at Marianna. I have always held the State of Florida responsible for the atrocities that occurred at that facility. Never having had a family, that might be attributed to the fact that having lived my entire childhood in institutions; I looked upon the State of Florida as my guardian and protector. It is a shame that any grown man could possibly find it in his heart to beat a child in the manner that these two men did. But this is something they will have to live with for the remainder of their lives and it is an issue they will have to answer for when they meet their maker.

The important point now is to make sure this never happens again and that can only be accomplished is if the truth is known. Even then, nothing will change unless a very strong point is made to those in power.

Some say it is all about “the money” and I have to agree. I have always had a heavy foot when it comes to driving. When I had a few dollars to my name I could care less if I received a hundred dollar ticket. But now that I am on Social Security-a one hundred dollar fine would hurt the old pocket-book. Roger Dean Kiser having to pay a large speeding fine is what keeps me in control of my heavy foot while driving along the roadway. It is that large fine that now protects you (and your family) from speeding idiots (like me) out on the roadway. This is why it is important that the State of Florida pay a large fine, not only for the atrocities that it sanctioned and allowed to be committed but to make sure such things never happen again in that state.

Some seem to say “Why should we as citizens have to pay for what a few holding power did so many years ago?” Having to pay for our sins or wrongdoings has become the American Way of doing business and that is unfortunate. Having to pay not only ‘rights a wrong’ but it also assures that you as a citizen, your children or your grandchildren will not have to suffer such atrocities in the future.

Most in the White House Boys Organization do not want to put eight-four year old Troy Tidwell in poison over an issue which happened more than forty years ago. What is upsetting to most of the men is that he is lying about what actually happened at the school. Had he been honest and forthcoming at the deposition; most of the men he brutally beat would have looked the other way and would have just let the dead dog lay, as the saying goes.

Had I been Troy Tidwell’s attorney, I would have told him, “Look Troy, you go into the deposition and you tell the truth. If you beat those boys half to death you tell them that is what you did; that that was your assigned job as instructed to you by the director of that school.

I cannot speak for all the men who were abused by Troy Tidwell, but I feel that most will let the hard feelings about Tidwell somewhat dissipate if he will come forward and tell the truth. If I were Troy Tidwell; the important thing for me would be to feel secure in the darkness for the remainder of my life and to clear my conscience. The lies and not the acts of the past is what are infuriating many of the boys/men.

Roger Dean Kiser

TROY TIDWELL DEPOSITION