Shaking Off the Shudders - Clearwater 1998
gerry armstrong
rights who have expressed a fear of communicating with me because they
might be sued by the cult for "violating an injunction" (Marin County,
CA) or "acting in concert" with me to "violate" such an order. It
isn't important who these people are. They are being needlessly
shuddered into silence.
What is important is to know that *no one* with whom I have
communicated has been sued. And because no one with whom I have
communicated has been sued, no one will be sued; or rather, no
$cientology suit against anyone for communicating with me can be
legally maintained.
It is true that cult lawyers and agents have threatened a number of
individuals and media entities with legal action to prevent their
communicating with me. Cult lawyers sent such threats to at least
Arnie Lerma, Jeff Jacobsen, Lawrence Wollersheim, Robert Vaughn Young
and Stacy Brooks Young. The cult sent such a threat to Channel 4 TV in
the UK to try to prevent the broadcast of the "Secret Life of L. Ron
Hubbard" last year, a program for which I had been interviewed.
Channel 4 lawyers prepared a list of all the other media I had spoken
to after $cientology obtained its various court orders. None of these
media were sued; and because none were sued, Channel 4 had better than
good reason to believe it would not be sued. Consequently it went
ahead, included parts of my interview in its program, and *was not
sued.*
Since then I have communicated with several more media entities and
individuals, and none of them have been sued. The more people I
communicate with about $cientology and my experiences with the cult,
the weaker grows the cult's threat of legal action against them. By
communicating freely with everyone I have eliminated the threat to
everyone.
The answer to $cientology's legal threats and other efforts to shudder
someone into silence is to communicate. And if there's any doubt,
communicate. When everyone communicates freely and without threat
about $cientology the reason for the opposition to it will no longer
exist.
I mention this now because I will be in Clearwater this year for the
annual protest of $cientology's abuse and horrific silencing of Lisa
McPherson. $cientology knows I will be there, so everyone else might
as well know too. I look forward to meeting and communicating with
many old friends, and meeting and communicating with many new friends.
It's safe to talk to me.
Same for Scientologists. Don't be shuddered into not communicating
with all the protesters of good will. Talk to us; and if your seniors
tell you not to communicate, tell them you are no longer their junior.
When in doubt, communicate.
And remember, remember the 5th of December!
(c) Gerry Armstrong