Ms. Caitlin Caulder Wesley

Whatever Happened To Caitlin?
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Caitlin Caulder Wesley

Caitlin Caulder Wesley, 25, died October 5, in Millton, GA after a brief illness.Born in Creedmore, GA, Ms. Wesley earned a bachelor's degree in 1992 from Lionel State College in Hurst, GA.She received a master's degree in education from McLean University in 1994.

Ms. Wesley held a position with the Perkins County School System from 1993 until April 1996.A Perkins County resident, she was a member of the American Association of University Women, the National Education Association, and the Arts Council.She was on the board of the Perkins County Family Planning Council.

Ms. Wesley is survived by her mother, Katherine Caulder Johnsey, Creedmore, GA; two brothers, Dr. Robert V. Wesley of Galen, VA, and Jonathan C. Wesley of Arrington, TX; four nieces and one nephew.
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Caitlin Wesley may be a stranger to you, but you probably know someone like her.

Only 25 . . . Who would have thought life could be so short?Certainly not Caitlin Wesley, her parents, or her friends.She had experienced such a glorious beginning!

New Year's Baby Arrives

Caitlin Caulder Wesley-weighing in at 7 lbs.8 oz. and measuring 21 in.-arrived on January 1, 1972 at two minutes after midnight.
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As the first baby born in Creedmore General Hospital in the new year, Caitlin will receive various gifts and a $1,000 savings bond from area merchants.
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And Caitlin was entering kindergarten.

Caitlin's Adventure

Caitlin skipped into school that first day, and Katy went in to meet her teacher.
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Caitlin remembered the day Teacher showed them the pictures."This is our secret," she said."Today we're going to learn the names of the parts of your body."She began with the picture of a naked man. As Ms. Sampson pointed to various body parts, she labeled each one-and waited for the children to repeat the name.Caitlin thought she would throw up.

"We don't talk about things like that at home," she thought.Caitlin sat very still.As little boys around her began to giggle, she wanted to go home.But she was trapped.Caitlin never told Mommy and Daddy . . . School was no fun anymore.

Middle School Madness

By age 11, Caitlin learned in science class that humans had evolved from a lower lifeform.Moreover, trees have the same right to life as humans.Caitlin had learned that it is okay to have two mommies and no daddy.She became adept at using a calculator, but had no concept of multiplication or division.This A-student could not make change but scored high in self-esteem.She learned in physical education classes to unashamedly strip in front of others.And her reading teacher suggested that Caitlin read everything-nothing in the library was off-limits.At first, some of the books she read confused her and gave her funny feelings.

Last year in fifth grade, her class had played the lifeboat game.Each student was assigned a role-priest, pregnant woman, etc.The lifeboat would only hold seven people.The class had to decide who would be allowed to live-and why.Caitlin tried to give up her place.She didn't want to put someone to death-even in a game.

Although Caitlin attended church only at Christmas and Easter, she knew deep down that murder was wrong.By that time, prayer had been taken out of the schools, and most Christian children kept their faith to themselves.In Caitlin's school, it was not "cool" to read the Bible or talk about church.With no anchor of faith or family, she was easy prey for a Kinseyan education.

Seduced by the System

When Caitlin was 15, the nurse at the clinic next door demonstrated how to use a condom.When she drew a banana out of her bag, the room erupted into raucous laughter.By this time, however, the tenth-grader had learned to joke about uncomfortable situations.She just laughed with the rest.Her formerly tender heart was being seared.

Caitlin's English teacher suggested that she keep a journal.In it, she was to write everything she was thinking and doing.Nobody but the teacher would ever see it.

At first she was skeptical.But when she decided she really could "trust" the teacher, Caitlin began to write from her heart.Her parents had lives of their own.If they had only known . . . they would have realized that their "good little girl" was being seduced by the system.

Caitlin Loses Out

If they had only known . . . the twins' good friend Brian-age 25-had taken liberties with Caitlin.Perhaps they would have intervened.Or they may have put her on birth control pills because they considered her an adult-capable of making sexual decisions.They, too, had been seduced by the system.As she wrote in her journal, "He's cute and older.Besides, he loves me." Brian, she said, had also introduced her to pornography and pills.

Brian knew Caitlin was "jail bait," but nobody paid any attention to that anymore.A product of the Playboy philosophy, Brian had no intention of committing to one girl.He had slept with several girls-some as young as 12.

Then Caitlin ended up pregnant."It's not my fault," Brian convinced himself."She should have been on the pill . . . Well, too bad.She will just have to get an abortion-and fast."

A baby at 15 was out of the question.Besides, Caitlin had been taught that abortion was safer than having a baby.So she agreed.A long time after that, she wondered why she hurt so much and why she kept thinking about it.Pills helped to ease the pain.But when the sedatives wore off, Caitlin had to face it again.And Brian was no help.In two months he had split.

And Now Dad

About the same time, Caitlin's father had a mid-life crisis.
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Caitlin, a "daddy's girl," felt really alone.Now Mom's new friend Jake was acting "very friendly."And rather than trying to fend him off, she started spending more time with her friends-often overnight.

She saw her Dad only once after he left.Caitlin showed up in his office one day.
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Caitlin just wanted him to hold her and assure her that he still loved his "little girl."

Just then the door opened and a young woman rushed in."Ready?"she asked.R.J. turned to Caitlin, "I'm sorry, but I have an appointment.
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Caitlin knew he wouldn't; he hadn't even introduced her to his "friend."

Teacher in Training

After Brian's departure and Dad's "breakdown"-as Mom called it-Caitlin vowed never to trust a man again.She had many one-night stands after that, but she never, ever, considered committing to anybody.

"Hey," she thought, "maybe I'm gay-one of those 10 percent they talk about."
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Caitlin joined SMYAL (Sexual Minority Youth Assistance League) and marched for their rights.

Caitlin always needed a "cause."As a freshman in college, she heard about Stanford University's student rallying cry: "Hey, hey, ho, ho, Western Culture's got to go!"Its prestigious faculty had chucked the Western Culture program and replaced it with multiculturalism and diversity.Lionel State followed suit.And Caitlin jumped on the politically correct bandwagon.

In her teacher-training classes, Caitlin learned about outcome-based education, Goals 2000, whole language, whole math, self-esteem, sex education, and meditation.She learned to beware of "homophobes" and the "religious right."She debated for more government involvement in education and supported the National Education Association.By the time she earned her master's degree, Caitlin was a certified "change agent."
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So Caitlin accepted the challenge.She raised her students' self-esteem by inflating their English grades.She used her classes as a soapbox for the politically correct; she referred them to the school-based clinic for condoms; sponsored their clubs; and joined them in protest marches.

Caitlin was delighted when the NEA suggested a "gay and lesbian history month."She had already displayed famous homosexual authors on her bulletin board.

Only one student had come to her for counsel."I'm pregnant," she confided."What should I do?"Caitlin knew exactly what to do.The following week she drove the girl