PO Box 1980

I have found the Grapevine's introspective series, "Is AA Changing?" timely and refreshing. I left AA after nearly eight years because I could no longer tolerate the rigidity and harsh criticism I heard at meeting after meeting, and not necessarily directed at me. Though this berating, subtle or not-so-subtle form of control--so at variance with the degree of openness advocated by Bill W.! --typically was instigated only by a few, I was often surprised that the rest of the group usually sat in silence, effectively condoning one or more members being openly castigated by another member. (Even if the accuser spoke in the "I," it was usually quite clear that "I" meant "you.")