From Garry_member@newsguy.com Fri Jul 20 21:46:37 2001
Path: sn-us!sn-xit-01!supernews.com!newsfeed.stanford.edu!pln-w!spln!dex!extra.newsguy.com!newsp.newsguy.com!drn
From: Garry <Garry_member@newsguy.com>
Newsgroups: alt.religion.scientology
Subject: LA Weekly, July 20:  Letters to Editor, re: Henson & Scientology
Date: 20 Jul 2001 18:46:37 -0700
Organization: Newsguy News Service [http://newsguy.com]
Lines: 90
Message-ID: <9jamtt02flv@drn.newsguy.com>
NNTP-Posting-Host: p-214.newsdawg.com
X-Newsreader: Direct Read News v2.80
Xref: sn-us alt.religion.scientology:950576


LA WEEKLY
July 20, 2001

http://www.laweekly.com/letters/

TRAVAILS OF SCIENTOLOGY

DEAR EDITOR:

Re: Gale Holland’s “Unfair Game” [June 22–28]. Thanks for outlining the travails
of Scientology critic Keith Henson. It’s rare, these days, to see journalists
take the time to cut through “spin” and lies, and hit a nail so squarely on the
head. At some point, I am hoping that law enforcement and the legal system will
wake up and begin to see — and investigate — Scientology’s constant legal
proceedings as criminal harassments by an organized-crime syndicate. Because
that’s exactly what they are.

—Michael Reuss
Fort Collins, Colorado

  

DEAR EDITOR:

Thanks to Gale Holland for the piece on Scientology and Keith Henson. She
covered material that can be a minefield for the uninitiated. Sadly, active
Scientologists will be prohibited by their “church” from reading this excellent
article.

—Chip Gallo
Washington, D.C.

  

DEAR EDITOR:

Nice article on Keith Henson. However, I would like you to clarify that I was
not arrested for cultivating marijuana, “as was former Scientologist Jessie
Prince.” I wasn’t even arrested. I was ordered to see the judge for violation of
an injunction Scientology had set up — having to do with sitting in a red
Santa’s chair and walking down the street with two picket signs in Clearwater,
Florida.

—Tory Bezazian
Burbank

  

DEAR EDITOR:

Gale Holland’s piece ridicules the Church of Scientology for taking seriously a
bomb threat made by Keith Henson. In the same article, Holland writes, “Henson
worked in the 1970s for an explosives company in Arizona, and arranged
pyrotechnic parties in the desert ‘similar to Burning Man.’” This reader is
mystified why anyone should not take such a threat very seriously. Is Holland
brimming with Panglossian naiveté, or is she just not being objective?

—Jeff Farrow
Tujunga

  

DEAR EDITOR:

Keith Henson does not have to like Scientology, but he made violent threats, was
convicted of a hate crime by a jury of his peers, then fled to Canada to escape
punishment. He is a convicted criminal and fugitive from the law. Why are you
defending him? Your credibility suffers.

—Bill Zalin
Los Angeles

  

DEAR EDITOR:

Your recent article on Keith Henson really misses the point. A jury unanimously
convicted him of interfering with a religion. His interference consisted of
following Scientology religious workers, taking down their license numbers and
stalking them at their homes. This is not the expression of opinion; it is
harassment of individual Scientologists solely because of their faith. If the
victims of Henson’s obsession had been members of a Catholic or Jewish
congregation, I’m sure that even the L.A. Weekly would not be so cavalier about
the rights of the church members involved.

—Pam Shannon
Church of Scientology
Los Angeles