# Gary Now Claims Official Title "Portal to Hell" **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [February 1, 2014, 2:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gary-now-claims-official-title-portal-to-hell/680254 "2014-02-01T02:49:22Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Sateryn76](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a88e4f/32.png) [@Sateryn76](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sateryn76)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2014, 2:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gary-now-claims-official-title-portal-to-hell/680254/1 "2014-02-01T02:49:22Z")
So, if you haven’t heard, there’s a big hullabaloo about some house in Gary, Indiana, that supposedly possessed by demons… [Huff Post](http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/01/28/latoya-ammons-demon-possession_n_4681127.html) [Much more entertaining story at Daily Mail](http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2547224/EXCLUSIVE-A-portal-hell-Police-chief-priest-examined-possessed-children-haunted-Indiana-home-official-reports-saying-no-hoax.html) I live just south of Gary, and I first saw this on Facebook. I ignored it, because I’m not stupid enough to get “news” from Facebook friends. And then I saw a report on one of the news channels, just prior to the State of the Union speech, and I was shocked and appalled that anyone would cover this nationally, and on such an important evening. So I ran across it again today, and read the story - not only is the family reporting this possession, but a police captain who investigated it called it a “portal to hell” and a CPS worker and a nurse apparently saw this kid walk up a wall or something. Now, I don’t believe in demons or possession or anything like that, and if it was just the family, I’d say who cares. But what’s the angle for the professionals to get involved with this? I guess it’s easy to fool people, but you’d think that at some point, someone would call bullshit on this. ---
**Author:** ![Ferret\_Herder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/e47774/32.png) [@Ferret\_Herder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ferret_Herder)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2014, 2:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gary-now-claims-official-title-portal-to-hell/680254/2 "2014-02-01T02:59:30Z")
I was pretty good at walking a few feet up walls as a kid. And professionals are involved because [someone reported the mom to DCFS](https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/1004899-intake-officers-report.html), and said reporter thinks the kids are acting out at their mom’s encouragement. ---
**Author:** ![running\_coach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/running_coach/32/15836_2.png) [@running\_coach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/running_coach)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2014, 3:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gary-now-claims-official-title-portal-to-hell/680254/3 "2014-02-01T03:02:57Z")
Gary, Indiana. What a wonderful name. Named for Elbert Gary, of judiciary fame. ---
**Author:** ![DMark](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e68b1a/32.png) [@DMark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DMark)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2014, 3:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gary-now-claims-official-title-portal-to-hell/680254/4 "2014-02-01T03:05:45Z")
For anyone who has ever had the misfortune of passing through Gary, Indiana - this will come as absolutely no surprise. ---
**Author:** ![Merneith](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/57b2e6/32.png) [@Merneith](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Merneith)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2014, 3:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gary-now-claims-official-title-portal-to-hell/680254/5 "2014-02-01T03:21:51Z")
That douchebag from the Ghost Taunters show bought the “demon house” today. He’s going to live there and film all the scary spooky demon activities. So you have that, to look forward to. ---
**Author:** ![74westy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/74westy/32/3950_2.png) [@74westy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/74westy)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2014, 4:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gary-now-claims-official-title-portal-to-hell/680254/6 "2014-02-01T04:55:33Z")
Not Louisiana, Paris, France, New York, or Rome, but– Portal into hell. Portal into hell. Portal into hell my home sweet home. ---
**Author:** ![Broomstick](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/broomstick/32/246_2.png) [@Broomstick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Broomstick)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2014, 6:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gary-now-claims-official-title-portal-to-hell/680254/7 "2014-02-01T06:19:37Z")
Well, that _might_ explain the Jackson family… Gary is a weird place. I say that as someone who lives on the fringes of the city. ---
**Author:** ![zoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zoid/32/336_2.png) [@zoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zoid)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2014, 6:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gary-now-claims-official-title-portal-to-hell/680254/8 "2014-02-01T06:21:47Z")
My girlfriend said “kiss me where it smells”, so I drove her to Gary _Ba-Dum-Bum-CRASH!_ ---
**Author:** ![FightMyIgnorance](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/71e660/32.png) [@FightMyIgnorance](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FightMyIgnorance)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2014, 6:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gary-now-claims-official-title-portal-to-hell/680254/9 "2014-02-01T06:26:08Z")
**GARY, INDIANA** doesn’t really have the demonic vibe it needs, even when you put it in all caps and bold! ---
**Author:** ![Senegoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/senegoid/32/6606_2.png) [@Senegoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Senegoid)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2014, 7:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gary-now-claims-official-title-portal-to-hell/680254/10 "2014-02-01T07:35:11Z")
> [@Sateryn76](#): > > Now, I don’t believe in demons or possession or anything like that, and if it was just the family, I’d say who cares. But what’s the angle for the professionals to get involved with this? I guess it’s easy to fool people, but you’d think that at some point, someone would call bullshit on this. See, this just makes you another one of those closed-minded people who refuses to accept the facts, even in the face of, you know, _actual evidence!_😃 ---
**Author:** ![Penfeather](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/penfeather/32/384_2.png) [@Penfeather](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Penfeather)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2014, 7:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gary-now-claims-official-title-portal-to-hell/680254/11 "2014-02-01T07:53:04Z")
> [@Ferret\_Herder](#): > > I was pretty good at walking a few feet up walls as a kid. And professionals are involved because [someone reported the mom to DCFS](https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/1004899-intake-officers-report.html), and said reporter thinks the kids are acting out at their mom’s encouragement. > [@](#): > > Ammons’ two sons exhibited violent behavior, as well, that involved “growling,” choking one another and head-butting their grandmother. The report noted that the boys had acted out violently in public, “but especially with the mother present”. A-yup. ---
**Author:** ![Sailboat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sailboat/32/461_2.png) [@Sailboat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sailboat)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2014, 5:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gary-now-claims-official-title-portal-to-hell/680254/12 "2014-02-01T17:18:02Z")
At least the children are well-grounded in modern literature: > [@](#): > > the household’s three children convulsing and chanting Satanic verses. Salman Rushdie would pleased! ---
**Author:** ![GrandWino](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/grandwino/32/67_2.png) [@GrandWino](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GrandWino)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2014, 6:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gary-now-claims-official-title-portal-to-hell/680254/13 "2014-02-01T18:20:03Z")
I once saw a guy wearing a t-shirt that said “SOMEBODY STABBED ME IN GARY.” ---
**Author:** ![johnpost](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f17d59/32.png) [@johnpost](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/johnpost)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2014, 6:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gary-now-claims-official-title-portal-to-hell/680254/14 "2014-02-01T18:46:23Z")
someone should write a song about the place. ---
**Author:** ![Jackmannii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jackmannii/32/311_2.png) [@Jackmannii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jackmannii)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2014, 7:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gary-now-claims-official-title-portal-to-hell/680254/15 "2014-02-01T19:13:41Z")
> [@runner pat](#): > > Gary, Indiana. What a wonderful name. > > Named for Elbert Gary, of judiciary fame. And playground for Donald Merwin Elbert, the [Trashcan Man](http://infinitecoolness.com/galleries/stand/thestand02-031.jpg). ---
**Author:** ![Ferret\_Herder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/e47774/32.png) [@Ferret\_Herder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ferret_Herder)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2014, 7:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gary-now-claims-official-title-portal-to-hell/680254/16 "2014-02-01T19:52:09Z")
> [@Bob Ducca](#): > > I once saw a guy wearing a t-shirt that said “SOMEBODY STABBED ME IN GARY.” I had a friend who lived in Gary. Huge guy, around 6’5"+, barrel-chested, broad shoulders, overweight but still gave off the impression of someone not to be fucked with; think a shorter Andre the Giant type. He even wrestled in an amateur league for a while. You might have heard of “[bitchy resting face](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3v98CPXNiSk)”; he had “planning your murder resting face”. Well, once he complained about his beard (which extended well under the chin and down the neck a bit) making him accidentally look even meaner, but ‘it covers up the scar.’ Scar? What scar, I asked. The scar from when some dude attacked him and slit his throat. :eek: Someone, in Gary, was drugged or desperate or stupid enough to try to attack him. ---
**Author:** ![BrotherCadfael](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/977dab/32.png) [@BrotherCadfael](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrotherCadfael)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2014, 7:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gary-now-claims-official-title-portal-to-hell/680254/17 "2014-02-01T19:52:31Z")
I thought the other Hellmouth was in Cleveland? ---
**Author:** ![Chimera](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/8e8cbc/32.png) [@Chimera](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chimera)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2014, 10:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gary-now-claims-official-title-portal-to-hell/680254/18 "2014-02-01T22:01:04Z")
Lotsa Hellmouths. Can’t throw a sinner without hitting one. ---
**Author:** ![kambuckta](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/53a042/32.png) [@kambuckta](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kambuckta)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2014, 10:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gary-now-claims-official-title-portal-to-hell/680254/19 "2014-02-01T22:56:10Z")
From the linked PDF in **Ferret Herders** post, it seems that the family have been given a pretty rough deal. The mother herself sought help for her children, and after observing, the doctors themselves recommended that one child in particular needed a residential psychiatric evaluation, but none of the facilities approached would admit him. There are obviously some pretty heavy behavioural issues at play here, but I think breaking up the family and stating the mother is a danger to her children is right out of line. :rolleyes: ---
**Author:** ![Tapioca\_Dextrin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Tapioca\_Dextrin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tapioca_Dextrin)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2014, 11:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gary-now-claims-official-title-portal-to-hell/680254/20 "2014-02-01T23:04:08Z")
> [@FightMyIgnorance](#): > > **GARY, INDIANA** doesn’t really have the demonic vibe it needs, even when you put it in all caps and bold! Gary, Indiana [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gary-now-claims-official-title-portal-to-hell/680254.md?page=2)