LEO AWARD WINNER BEHAR ~ CAN CONFERENCE ~1992
Tigger
RICHARD BEHAR, 1992 LEO J. RYAN award recipient speaks at the 1992 CAN
Conference in Los Angeles
(Part 1 of 2 Parts)
To say that this was just another investigative assignment would be the
understatement of my career. (laughter)
This acceptance speech had to be reviewed by a team of TIME lawyers and
executives (laughter, applause)
That should give you some idea of the kind of group that Scientology is
and the environment of fear that this litigation happy cult has
instilled in the media. It also means I had better stick to my script.
(laughter)
Since the TIME story was published, I have turned down at least 90
percent of requests for interviews, speaking engagements, talk show
appearances. One big reason is that TIME magazine, while standing
solidly behind the story I wrote, did not want me to do or say anything
that could trigger an unnecessary lawsuit from the "church". (laughter)
which had us recognized for one for more than a year.
Despite my relative silence, the church sued anyway last spring. They
seek more than $400 million in a libel action, and understandably,
TIME's leadership has encouraged me not to comment while the suit is
pending. (laughter) So when do I get to talk? (laughter)
Don't get me wrong. I don't blame TIME magazine at all. Very few
publications had the guts to publish such a story. (applause) And
anything that my magazine can do to avoid or limit runaway legal costs
is to be appreciated.
But I raise this catch 22 just to show you how successful Scientology is
in chilling the Press and preventing discourse on subjects that cry out
for publication. That deep and persistent fear of lawsuits prevents many
journalists and book publishers from touching the subject with a ten
foot pole.
As for myself, I was forced this year to curtail my full time reporting
career, in order to prepare for all the litigation. This, ladies and
gentlemen, is the impact of Scientology.
Scientology, as you know, calls itself a religion and hides behind the
First Amendment right to religious freedom. Yet, somehow they have taken
this to mean that they can exploit, terrorize and abuse members or
critics with relative impunity. In short, tread on the rights of others.
When the Press exercises its own First Amendment rights to draw
attention to the "church", Scientology responds in ways that should make
any American tremble.
How can they do it? How can they continue to get away it? When the LA
Times ran their excellent series on the cult in 1990, its reporters,
Joel Sappell and Robert Welkos claim that they were subjected to endless
harassment........from friends, to a lawsuit to subpoenas to gain access
to their research, even to the use of private eyes.
When Steve _______ of the St. Petersburg Times did his great series on
Scientology, he says he faced similar harassment. And nobody is a better
example of this abuse than Paulette Cooper, a pioneer reporter on the
subject of Scientology in the 1970's. who was the victim of a church
plot called, PC FREAKOUT. The purpose of the plot, which nearly
succeeded was to get Paulette incarcerated in jail or a mental
institution. They nearly succeeded.
Among other things, she was indited for making bomb threats against the
church
an inditement that was ultimately thrown out when an FBI raid revealed
that the whole plot and scheme was just a setup.
Fortunately I have not suffered that kind of harassment. But
Scientology's contacts with me have been relentless and very unpleasant.
In one incident, an investigator, working for the cult, used a sham
company in California to illegally obtain a copy of my personal credit
report.
Friends, former college classmates, and neighbors have been contacted by
Scientologists and other agents, inquiring about my relations with the
IRS, my health, and more recently,whether f I have ever used drugs.
Private eyes also telephone me as part of a sting operation, making
believe they are a friend or relative of a cult member, in order to
elicit and tape record negative statements from me regarding
Scientology.
Moreover it was not until last December, seven months after the story
was published, that Scientology's spooks stopped following me, on an
ordinary basis. Not surprisingly on several occasions, I felt the need
to hire a bodyguard.
Let me give you some additional examples of their tactics. As part of an
assertive campaign of harassment, Scientology had individuals make
telephone calls to me and other TIME
personnel working on the story posing as TIME employees and seeking
confidential
information of the publication of the article. Cute, huh?
Scientology operatives also obtained a copy of or access to the bill of
the hotel room I used in Los Angeles. The bill, of course, contained
telephone numbers of people who I had called during my stay. That's an
investigative reporter's worst nightmare. I also have information that
long after the story was published, Scientology entities have continued
to obtain copies or gain access to my telephone bills and TIME's
telephone bills.
I want you all to know that I am not standing still while Scientology
engages in such conduct. With TIME's backing and support, last month I
filed a countersuit against the church for harassment and for violating
the federal fair trade reporting act. (cheers, applause) We will
vigorously pursue these claims against the church. Their tactics can not
and will not be tolerated in a free society. (applause)
Can you imagine living through months at a time with teams of private
eyes following you from your home to your office and back again?
(laughter) I guess everybody can. (laughter) This is blatant and obscene
harassment and there's not terribly much you can do about it. Just try
and maintain your sanity and your humor.
For months prior to publication, Scientology would refuse to speak or
cooperate with me at all. After the story was published, they seem to
want every minute of my time. (laughter)
One day I was so fed up with these investigators, I charged after them
with a camera clicking and I yelled, "Smile, you bastards. How does it
feel? I have these great photographs of these spooks trying to shield
their faces. (laughter)
In addition, I don't think Scientology was aware that I am a great
roller skater. (laughter, applause) One day I dawned my skates and
zoomed up Second Avenue against the traffic (laughter) and there was no
way they could keep up with me.
(laughter, applause)
Still another time, I jumped into a taxi in midtown and asked the driver
if he could take me to the TIME and LIFE Building.....but to please go
up and down every side street in a zigzag pattern because I wanted to
know if I was being followed.
Well, this is New York, and this old crabby cab driver with a cigar
drooping from his mouth, turned around and gave me a New York look and
said, "I'm too old for this shit." (laughter, applause)
But then, his foot hit the gas pedal and we went whizzing down that
street as fast as we could and he was laughing and cackling the whole
way. (laughter, applause) Well being followed was never more fun, at
least at that moment.
At one point, we hired our own camera surveillance to try to find out
what detective agency these spooks worked for..........So now we had spy
vs spy. (laughter)
One Sunday I had to drive to a colleague's funeral and I had three cars
behind me. Two of them worked for Scientology and the THIRD, all the way
at the rear, was working for us. (laughter)
End of Part 1, Continued in Part 2
Tigger
Conference in Los Angeles
One Sunday I had to drive to a colleague's funeral and I had three cars
behind me. Two of them worked for Scientology and the THIRD, all the way
at the rear, was working for us. (laughter)
And then I got this craving for a bagel with cream cheese, (laughter) so
I made a sharp right turn and almost caused a major pileup, just like
the Keystone Kops. (laughter) Well that is what happens to your life
when you report about Scientology.
Scientology certainly is business. They spend millions and millions in
litigation every year against critics and perceived enemies. They spent
more than $3 million attacking us in ads in USA TODAY with advertising
copy that was so far removed reality that many people were shocked that
the newspaper would even accept their money.
The cult has accused me publicly of kidnapping....of course and of being
linked to the IRS and to drugmaker, Eli Lily. All of it pure science
fiction. (laughter).
The cult has also had teams of private eyes visit or contact most of the
sources named in my story and many of these people have been sued. I
cannot begin to tell you how much this upsets me.........I have the
resources of a wealthy corporation behind me, but where cam these people
turn who are sued.
So why did I write this story? Why do I need the aggravation? Reporters
and others have asked me that question a lot. Well, after investigating
Scientology and examining its forty year history, I wondered. "How can
reporters NOT cover it?" (applause)
How can we allow a situation like this in our country not to receive
constant attention? Why isn't the doings of Scientology in newspapers
every single week? The TIME story was one of the biggest selling issues
of 1991 for us and was No. 2 in terms of total letters received. Despite
campaigns by Scientology to stop them, I have been recognized by my
peers with several important honors..........one of which got me a
handshake from the President of the United States last May.
Obviously people want and need to know about this subject and yet most
of the media continue to keep their heads buried in the sand......they
are afraid......and they don't need the aggravation.
I have read and reread hundreds upon hundreds of letters that TIME has
received from victims or families of victims. These letters also remind
me of why I wrote the story. So many of these people are too afraid or
ashamed to come forward or even have their names used. Let me share some
excerpts from a few letters.
This is from a woman in New York City:
"Most Scientologists have the fantasy that life with Hubbard would be
the most ecstatic experience anyone could ever have. Well I can tell you
that it's anything but.
"Discipline was very harsh and anyone objecting in any way was punished
by being put on the Rehabilitative Project Force which was essentially a
prison where members were subjected to confessionals and having to do
the dirtiest jobs and other humiliations, such as not being allowed to
speak and having to eat scraps. I know because I was put in RPF twice.
"Of course, celebrities, such as Kirstie Alley and John Travolta are
NEVER subjected to such treatment. It's time the celebrities in
Scientology start facing up to how the other half lives." (applause)
Another letter is from a former member in Colorado: "The pressure
increases with the prices. Your article might seem biased to newcomers
who only see friendly and sincere people.
"The runway into this trap is a social millau which gradually seduces
good people into believing, among themselves, on self deceptions. So
they come to believe themselves an elite, in unique possession of all
the right answers. The deeper a person goes.....the more he participates
in his own exploitation and that of others.
"If those of us, who have been there, would speak out in spite of shame
and fear, people might be spared enormous pain and waste."
Here's what a Brooklyn man writes: "I hope the article saves some people
from the suffering I went through. I spent all my savings. I worked
morning until midnight for Scientology, SEVEN days a week. If you didn't
show up for work on time, they sent guards to your room to get you.
"I escaped and had to change my phone number at home. I had a complete
nervous breakdown by the time I got home."
Another from Michigan writes: "The church had brainwashed me into
turning over nearly every dollar I had and talked me into borrowing
$10,000 and still wanted more. I am currently out over $30,000 and I am
going through the court system to get this money back.
"If it were not for a persistent friend, who research the group and
showed me the facts behind this cult, that convinced me to leave, I
would very likely have ended up like Noah."
And that's a reference to Noah Lottick, who was featured in the TIME
story and committed suicide. And his parents, Ed and Sallly, are here
tonight. (applause)
Finally, here's my favorite letter. It has moved me the most. It's from
a young man in Utah: "While reading about Behar's award, a chill came
all over my body. I thought to myself, 'This man helped save my life'.
"I had gotten out of Scientology physically in November of 1990. The
TIME story made it possible for me to get the kind of help I needed
mentally. If I hadn't found the information about CAN and from CAN, it
most likely have ended in suicide." (applause)
I tell you when I receive letters like these, it gives me the strength
and the power to
face a group like Scientology.
I want to thank the Cult Awareness Network for honoring me tonight with
the prestigious Leo J. Ryan award. I stand here before you in absolute
awe of the fact that Congressman Ryan, Patricia's father, gave his life
in an attempt to rescue victims from another dangerous cult. Looking at
the politicians who serve in our Congress today, should make everyone
realize what a rare man Leo Ryan was. I greatly admire him.
I also greatly admire CAN and the work that this organization does to
help victims despite RELENTLESS ATTEMPTS by Scientology to destroy it.
The people at CAN are truly the unsung heroes. I often wonder if CAN
were to ever go out of business, where would the victims go for help.
In closing, I would like to accept this award on behalf of those
victims, as well as the other journalists who have been harassed by this
GLOBAL MENACE.
My thanks also to my family and especially my wife, Sarah, for
encouraging me and for helping me to keep my sense of humor alive at
those times when things got very, very bizarre. She is a remarkable
woman to put up with all this abuse.
Finally I want to thank my editors and lawyers at TIME, who firmly
believed in the importance of this story and who stand SOLIDLY behind it
today despite all efforts by the L. Ron Hubbard disinformation machine.
My story was accurate and we will prove it in court, if that day ever
comes. (applause, standing ovation)
Tilman Hausherr
(Tigger) wrote in
<18807-3C...@storefull-2276.public.lawson.webtv.net>:
>From: boobook...@webtv.net (Tigger)
>Newsgroups: alt.religion.scientology
>Subject: LEO AWARD WINNER BEHAR ~ CAN CONFERENCE ~1992
Wow I didn't read this before. Is this on the web?
I suggest you use two e-mail addresses, one for useful posts (like this)
and one for the crap you usually post :-) My problem is that I have
killfiled you, it is purely a coincidence that I saw these two postings.
--
Tilman Hausherr [KoX, SP5.55] Entheta * Enturbulation * Entertainment
til...@berlin.snafu.de http://www.xenu.de
Resistance is futile. You will be enturbulated. Xenu always prevails.
Find broken links on your web site: http://home.snafu.de/tilman/xenulink.html
The Xenu bookstore: http://home.snafu.de/tilman/bookstore.html
Garry
>
>>From: boobook...@webtv.net (Tigger)
>>Newsgroups: alt.religion.scientology
>>Subject: LEO AWARD WINNER BEHAR ~ CAN CONFERENCE ~1992
>
>Wow I didn't read this before. Is this on the web?
>
>I suggest you use two e-mail addresses, one for useful posts (like this)
>and one for the crap you usually post :-) My problem is that I have
>killfiled you, it is purely a coincidence that I saw these two postings.
Yeah, right. Run out of Preparation H again, Tilman?