In Memory of Susan Denise Atkins-Whitehouse
The Loving Supportive Family of a Teen
Definition of 'susceptible';
"Easily affected, influenced, or harmed by something"
Merriam-Webster.com
During Susan's 1993 parole hearing,
Susan was questioned by a commissioner
of the California Board of Prison Terms
regarding her lifestyle as a teen;
Definition of 'susceptible';
"Easily affected, influenced, or harmed by something"
Merriam-Webster.com
During Susan's 1993 parole hearing,
Susan was questioned by a commissioner
of the California Board of Prison Terms
regarding her lifestyle as a teen;
Commissioner: "Earlier in your comments, the first portion of this hearing,
you used the term 'susceptible to the times'. You were talking
about what was going on in your life.
What do you mean 'susceptible to the times'?"
Susan: "Because of my social history and the way I was raised.
And the things that I went through as a young girl.
I wanted out of the environment that I was living in and I went
directionless into society and at the time drugs were prevalent,
there were---the war in Vietnam was going on.
The country seemed to be split into two factions. You had the very
patriotic group of people and you had very rebellious people who
were dealing with what they considered, and myself included,
considered to be hypocrisy and drugs were everywhere.
Free love, free sex seemed to be the norm.
Pretty much in every generation I think that you have a
generation of adolescence that deal with identity crises
and during my time period when I was going through my
identity crises, my adolescence, I was inundated with drugs.
And I did get involved in drugs.
you used the term 'susceptible to the times'. You were talking
about what was going on in your life.
What do you mean 'susceptible to the times'?"
Susan: "Because of my social history and the way I was raised.
And the things that I went through as a young girl.
I wanted out of the environment that I was living in and I went
directionless into society and at the time drugs were prevalent,
there were---the war in Vietnam was going on.
The country seemed to be split into two factions. You had the very
patriotic group of people and you had very rebellious people who
were dealing with what they considered, and myself included,
considered to be hypocrisy and drugs were everywhere.
Free love, free sex seemed to be the norm.
Pretty much in every generation I think that you have a
generation of adolescence that deal with identity crises
and during my time period when I was going through my
identity crises, my adolescence, I was inundated with drugs.
And I did get involved in drugs.
I was susceptible because I felt that my family including my
older brother Michael, including my father, including my
grandparents, had termed me and deemed me as worthless,
as a whore, as a tramp, as no good. And pretty much abandoned
me to that, and that was pretty much my self image at the
time. So though I wasn't participating in those activities
that they accused me of, I might as well find out what
that's all about.
And I was literally, to put in a literal
translation, I was hell bent on doing what everybody said
I was doing before I was doing it.
And that's where I was susceptible"
older brother Michael, including my father, including my
grandparents, had termed me and deemed me as worthless,
as a whore, as a tramp, as no good. And pretty much abandoned
me to that, and that was pretty much my self image at the
time. So though I wasn't participating in those activities
that they accused me of, I might as well find out what
that's all about.
And I was literally, to put in a literal
translation, I was hell bent on doing what everybody said
I was doing before I was doing it.
And that's where I was susceptible"
The commissioner then asked Susan
on reflection, historically,
if she believed the society which she observed
and was susceptible to,
is to be considered the norm,
or the exception of those times.
Susan answered it was the exception.
Susan said it was way off on a radical exception...
home
on reflection, historically,
if she believed the society which she observed
and was susceptible to,
is to be considered the norm,
or the exception of those times.
Susan answered it was the exception.
Susan said it was way off on a radical exception...
home
