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Liberty Belle

The price of MK-Ultra



Last week, this column introduced you to MK-Ultra (also known as MKULTRA and MK-ULTRA), a secret plan by the Central Intelligence Agency of the United States to study mind control via the use of a number of drugs, including but not limited to, LSD. This column will focus on what happened to some of the willing and unwilling subjects of this program.



The first death attributed to MK-Ultra was Frank Olson, a chemist with the Army Chemical Corps. Someone in the CIA gave Dr. Olson LSD without his knowledge; he later committed suicide by jumping out a window.



Ken Kesey, author of "One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest" was first introduced to LSD and other psychedelic drugs while he was a graduate student at Stanford University. Kesey was an outstanding athlete and a wrestler training for the 1960 Olympics and up to that point had never even drunk alcohol. As a willing participant in the program, Kesey held that it was a positive experience for him, and became a tool of enlightenment. For certain, it altered his life.



Another unlikely participant was the gangster, Whitey Bulger. In exchange for a lighter sentence at an Atlanta federal prison, Bulger and other inmates were subjects of drug testing, including LSD. Bulger wrote he had "horrible LSD experiences followed by thoughts of suicide and depression." He even casually talked about tracking down the pharmacologist in charge of the program and assassinating him.



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2018-May-07 More... James Stanley, an Army Master Sergeant, volunteered to be involved in the testing of gas masks. Unbeknownst to him, he was receiving LSD in his drinking water, leading to feelings of confusion and depression. When he was notified in 1975 about his part in the program, he sued and lost because the Supreme Court stated he lacked standing as he was a member of the military. That was eventually overruled by Congress and Stanley received an award of over $400,000.



Wayne Ritchie, a US marshal, and Marine vet, claims he was unknowingly dosed with LSD at a party. His erratic behavior led him to commit a robbery, landing him in jail. He was dismissed from the marshal service and ended up painting houses for a living. Some 40 years later he found out about the incident involving the CIA and attempted to sue. Through a series of events, he lost the suit, but his life was irrevocably changed.



Ted Kaczynski, the "Unabomber", was another famous individual who underwent experimentation at Harvard. He was told he was agreeing to be involved in a research project involving academic criticism. Instead he was subjected to experiments where subjects were harassed and denigrated for hours a day by other students and professors. Apparently MK-Ultra had a number of sub-projects involving sensory deprivation, sexual abuse, and other forms of psychological manipulation.



Not all of those involved with MK-Ultra were famous. In fact, many were on the periphery of society, including prostitutes and drug dealers. For example, according to the Senate hearing, heroin addicts were enticed into participating in LSD experiments in order to get a reward  heroin. Others were like Ruth Kelley, a singer and waitress at a San Francisco bar. She was slipped LSD by a CIA agent and ended up in the hospital. Apparently the agent was romantically interested in Kelley, and was angry with her when she rebuffed his advances.



The consequences of MK-Ultra are too large to adequately comprehend. One could question if the actions of the government through the CIA led to the drug culture of the 1960s that was so prevalent at institutions of higher learning all over the country. There is little doubt that it certainly played a significant part as LSD had not been available before that time. The cost to individual lives is immeasurable, and the cases listed above are only the tip of the iceberg. Some people may have never known how they were used as guinea pigs by the government and medical professionals.



The bottom line is the government did what if were done by a private individual or a company would have led to serious consequences, including fines, prison time or the death penalty. Serious crimes were committed and no one was ever held responsible. They violated the trust of the American people when they used human experimentation in the 1950s and 1960s, and they violated it again when they destroyed the majority of the records involving MK-Ultra in 1973. The monetary cost to the American taxpayer is another unknown; these costs involved running the program and the paying of untold number of lawsuits.



Legislation was introduced and passed to minimize the potential for any similar abuses in the future, according to the government. Needless to say, many American citizens are reluctant to be comforted by that promise. A government with the power to use its people for nefarious programs and not be held accountable is not a government of, by, or for the people. Last week, this column introduced you to MK-Ultra (also known as MKULTRA and MK-ULTRA), a secret plan by the Central Intelligence Agency of the United States to study mind control via the use of a number of drugs, including but not limited to, LSD. This column will focus on what happened to some of the willing and unwilling subjects of this program.The first death attributed to MK-Ultra was Frank Olson, a chemist with the Army Chemical Corps. Someone in the CIA gave Dr. Olson LSD without his knowledge; he later committed suicide by jumping out a window.Ken Kesey, author of "One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest" was first introduced to LSD and other psychedelic drugs while he was a graduate student at Stanford University. Kesey was an outstanding athlete and a wrestler training for the 1960 Olympics and up to that point had never even drunk alcohol. As a willing participant in the program, Kesey held that it was a positive experience for him, and became a tool of enlightenment. For certain, it altered his life.Another unlikely participant was the gangster, Whitey Bulger. In exchange for a lighter sentence at an Atlanta federal prison, Bulger and other inmates were subjects of drug testing, including LSD. Bulger wrote he had "horrible LSD experiences followed by thoughts of suicide and depression." He even casually talked about tracking down the pharmacologist in charge of the program and assassinating him.James Stanley, an Army Master Sergeant, volunteered to be involved in the testing of gas masks. Unbeknownst to him, he was receiving LSD in his drinking water, leading to feelings of confusion and depression. When he was notified in 1975 about his part in the program, he sued and lost because the Supreme Court stated he lacked standing as he was a member of the military. That was eventually overruled by Congress and Stanley received an award of over $400,000.Wayne Ritchie, a US marshal, and Marine vet, claims he was unknowingly dosed with LSD at a party. His erratic behavior led him to commit a robbery, landing him in jail. He was dismissed from the marshal service and ended up painting houses for a living. Some 40 years later he found out about the incident involving the CIA and attempted to sue. Through a series of events, he lost the suit, but his life was irrevocably changed.Ted Kaczynski, the "Unabomber", was another famous individual who underwent experimentation at Harvard. He was told he was agreeing to be involved in a research project involving academic criticism. Instead he was subjected to experiments where subjects were harassed and denigrated for hours a day by other students and professors. Apparently MK-Ultra had a number of sub-projects involving sensory deprivation, sexual abuse, and other forms of psychological manipulation.Not all of those involved with MK-Ultra were famous. In fact, many were on the periphery of society, including prostitutes and drug dealers. For example, according to the Senate hearing, heroin addicts were enticed into participating in LSD experiments in order to get a reward  heroin. Others were like Ruth Kelley, a singer and waitress at a San Francisco bar. She was slipped LSD by a CIA agent and ended up in the hospital. Apparently the agent was romantically interested in Kelley, and was angry with her when she rebuffed his advances.The consequences of MK-Ultra are too large to adequately comprehend. One could question if the actions of the government through the CIA led to the drug culture of the 1960s that was so prevalent at institutions of higher learning all over the country. There is little doubt that it certainly played a significant part as LSD had not been available before that time. The cost to individual lives is immeasurable, and the cases listed above are only the tip of the iceberg. Some people may have never known how they were used as guinea pigs by the government and medical professionals.The bottom line is the government did what if were done by a private individual or a company would have led to serious consequences, including fines, prison time or the death penalty. Serious crimes were committed and no one was ever held responsible. They violated the trust of the American people when they used human experimentation in the 1950s and 1960s, and they violated it again when they destroyed the majority of the records involving MK-Ultra in 1973. The monetary cost to the American taxpayer is another unknown; these costs involved running the program and the paying of untold number of lawsuits.Legislation was introduced and passed to minimize the potential for any similar abuses in the future, according to the government. Needless to say, many American citizens are reluctant to be comforted by that promise. A government with the power to use its people for nefarious programs and not be held accountable is not a government of, by, or for the people.

Nancy Murdoch is a native North Carolinian, born and raised in the western part of this great state. After marrying the Marine she met at Brevard College, they traveled from one coast to the other, with a stopover in Japan. After retirement, they opened a custom picture framing shop in Havelock which they operated for over 25 years. Over the years, she has been a wife, golfer, a watercolorist, a gardener, a mom and a grandmother, and an avid reader. After serving as the chair of Coastal Carolina Taxpayers Association, she now serves as the Education Chair. Saturday mornings find her facilitating classes about our Founding Principles and related topics or leading a book study. She also serves on the Legislative Action Committee, which often entails trips to Raleigh to talk to our elected officials. Print Email Comment Share