Keith Henson's defense wasn't allowed to introduce any evidence of:
Who he was protesting against
Why he was protesting
The context of the usenet replies he made
The history of Scientology legal manipulation
The history of Scientology crimes and abuses
The 'Church' dogma requiring such abuses
Certainly, the fact that even the mention of Scientology® was forbidden, says much about what any reasonable juror, with all the facts, would have decided.
Strangely, for such a loyal slashdotter, these 2 posts seem to be your only ones.
He wasn't prosecuted for 'hanging around the org', it was for picketing the 'sekrit' Hemet base of the 'Billion Year Contract' paramilitary Sea Org.(They of the phony sailor suits)
Your lies and distortions would be amazing if they were'nt a recognized Scientology® sacrament.
Where did Henson ever 'threaten' to kill anyone, much less you or your family?
The only desire Scientology® has demonstrated since their original attempt to stifle discussion of Scientology at alt.religion.scientology dragged free-speech advocate Henson (and others) into the fray has been to stifle *all* discussion or criticism of Scientology®.
By *any* means necessary, legal or not. That the Cult has enough scammed money to succeed in the courts is no measure of their morality or ethics, unless you use Hubbard's definition of 'ethics' which is 'whatever's good for Scientology'.
It's hard to say what's the most outrageous and insane part of the persecution of Keith Henson.
The core of this conviction is that the 'fear' expressed by a 'religion' requires no basis in reality whatsoever. Only the subjective claim of fear of cruise missles and notoriously diminutive Cult fuehrer David Miscavige's abduction by eagles was necessary.
That and a paraphrase from Cult 'Source', Hubbard himself, to 'destroy them utterly'.
"The purpose of the suit is to harass and discourage rather than to win. The law can be used very easily to harass, and enough harassment on somebody who is simply on the thin edge anyway, well knowing that he is not authorized, will generally be sufficient to cause his professional decease. If possible, of course, ruin him utterly."
- L. Ron Hubbard, A Manual on the Dissemination of Material, 1955
If the law were applied evenly, the Riverside DA would have to criminally prosecute his own City Planning Commission if an obsessive-compulsive claimed to be in fear of sidewalk cracks.
Certainly, all non-scientologists have a more reasonable fear of the intentions of the Scientology Cult, based on their own dogma, after all, even the FBI Threat Assessment Designation for the Cult of Scientology ranges from 'Organized Crime' to 'Paramilitary'.
"You want to know what happens when you clear everybody in that neighbourhood, the only thing that [Scientology] center can become used for is a political center. Because by the time you've done all this, you are the government..."
-- L. Ron Hubbard, lecture 9 January 1962, "Future Org Trends"
"Once the world is Clear - a nation, a state, a city or a village - the Scientology-organization in the area becomes its government! And once this has taken place the only policy accepted as valid is Scientology policy."
-- L. Ron Hubbard, taped lecture 9 January 1962, "Future Org Trends"
"There are men dead because they attacked us." - L. Ron Hubbard
"Somebody some day will say 'this is illegal'. By then be sure the orgs say what is legal or not."
- L. Ron Hubbard, HCOPL 4 January 1966
"This is the correct procedure:
1.Spot who is attacking us.
2.Start investigating them promptly for felonies or worse using our own professionals, not outside agencies.
3.Double curve our reply by saying we welcome an investigation of them.
4.Start feeding lurid, blood sex crime actual evidence on the attackers to the press.
Don't ever tamely submit to an investigation of us. Make it rough, rough on attackers all the way."
- L. Ron Hubbard, HCOPL 25 February 1966
In the few years I've known Keith Henson personally, he's been:
Physically assaulted by members of Scientology's OSA (Office of Special Affairs - the secret police)
Sued into bankruptcy for revealing 'secret' Cult doctrine that proposes removing space cooties to treat medical
problems, and trying to send that same information to the FDA.
Been himself, his wife and children, harasssed, stalked and threatened by officers of the cult.
Certainly Keith should have more fear of a multi-billion dollar UFO Cult than they of him.
Fortunately for society in general, and the freedom of speech we enjoy and want to continue to enjoy, Keith has been consistently brave enough to exercise his own constitutionally protected right to speak and protest the outrages of Scientology.
My level of respect for him is only matched by my level of disgust for the Cult of Scientology, its megalomanic leader, David Miscavige, and his henchmen, not to mention the Riverside district attorney who so cravenly allowed himself to be used as a stooge by an organization that despises everything democracy and justice stand for.
Slashdot Mirror
Keith Henson's defense wasn't allowed to introduce any evidence of:
Who he was protesting against
Why he was protesting
The context of the usenet replies he made
The history of Scientology legal manipulation
The history of Scientology crimes and abuses
The 'Church' dogma requiring such abuses
Certainly, the fact that even the mention of Scientology® was forbidden, says much about what any reasonable juror, with all the facts, would have decided.
Zinj
Strangely, for such a loyal slashdotter, these 2 posts seem to be your only ones.
He wasn't prosecuted for 'hanging around the org', it was for picketing the 'sekrit' Hemet base of the 'Billion Year Contract' paramilitary Sea Org.(They of the phony sailor suits)
Your lies and distortions would be amazing if they were'nt a recognized Scientology® sacrament.
Where did Henson ever 'threaten' to kill anyone, much less you or your family?
The only desire Scientology® has demonstrated since their original attempt to stifle discussion of Scientology at alt.religion.scientology dragged free-speech advocate Henson (and others) into the fray has been to stifle *all* discussion or criticism of Scientology®.
By *any* means necessary, legal or not. That the Cult has enough scammed money to succeed in the courts is no measure of their morality or ethics, unless you use Hubbard's definition of 'ethics' which is 'whatever's good for Scientology'.
Zinj
It's hard to say what's the most outrageous and insane part of the persecution of Keith Henson.
The core of this conviction is that the 'fear' expressed by a 'religion' requires no basis in reality whatsoever. Only the subjective claim of fear of cruise missles and notoriously diminutive Cult fuehrer David Miscavige's abduction by eagles was necessary.
That and a paraphrase from Cult 'Source', Hubbard himself, to 'destroy them utterly'.
"The purpose of the suit is to harass and discourage rather than to win. The law can be used very easily to harass, and enough harassment on somebody who is simply on the thin edge anyway, well knowing that he is not authorized, will generally be sufficient to cause his professional decease. If possible, of course, ruin him utterly."
- L. Ron Hubbard, A Manual on the Dissemination of Material, 1955
If the law were applied evenly, the Riverside DA would have to criminally prosecute his own City Planning Commission if an obsessive-compulsive claimed to be in fear of sidewalk cracks.
Certainly, all non-scientologists have a more reasonable fear of the intentions of the Scientology Cult, based on their own dogma, after all, even the FBI Threat Assessment Designation for the Cult of Scientology ranges from 'Organized Crime' to 'Paramilitary'.
"You want to know what happens when you clear everybody in that neighbourhood, the only thing that [Scientology] center can become used for is a political center. Because by the time you've done all this, you are the government..."
-- L. Ron Hubbard, lecture 9 January 1962, "Future Org Trends"
"Once the world is Clear - a nation, a state, a city or a village - the Scientology-organization in the area becomes its government! And once this has taken place the only policy accepted as valid is Scientology policy."
-- L. Ron Hubbard, taped lecture 9 January 1962, "Future Org Trends"
"There are men dead because they attacked us." - L. Ron Hubbard
"Somebody some day will say 'this is illegal'. By then be sure the orgs say what is legal or not."
- L. Ron Hubbard, HCOPL 4 January 1966
"This is the correct procedure:
1.Spot who is attacking us.
2.Start investigating them promptly for felonies or worse using our own professionals, not outside agencies.
3.Double curve our reply by saying we welcome an investigation of them.
4.Start feeding lurid, blood sex crime actual evidence on the attackers to the press.
Don't ever tamely submit to an investigation of us. Make it rough, rough on attackers all the way."
- L. Ron Hubbard, HCOPL 25 February 1966
In the few years I've known Keith Henson personally, he's been:
Physically assaulted by members of Scientology's OSA (Office of Special Affairs - the secret police)
Sued into bankruptcy for revealing 'secret' Cult doctrine that proposes removing space cooties to treat medical
problems, and trying to send that same information to the FDA.
Been himself, his wife and children, harasssed, stalked and threatened by officers of the cult.
Certainly Keith should have more fear of a multi-billion dollar UFO Cult than they of him.
Fortunately for society in general, and the freedom of speech we enjoy and want to continue to enjoy, Keith has been consistently brave enough to exercise his own constitutionally protected right to speak and protest the outrages of Scientology.
My level of respect for him is only matched by my level of disgust for the Cult of Scientology, its megalomanic leader, David Miscavige, and his henchmen, not to mention the Riverside district attorney who so cravenly allowed himself to be used as a stooge by an organization that despises everything democracy and justice stand for.
Zinjifar