A message of hope for the Sea Org of Scientology
Stacy Brooks
26 Dec 1999

Bob Minton wrote:

Just close your eyes and remember back to happier times. Those times will come again. We of the Lisa McPherson Trust, will open our doors to you on January 6, 2000 at 33 N. Fort Harrison Ave., Clearwater, Florida 33757, Telephone: (727) 467-9335. We will be there to help you make those happier times return again to your life.

Mr. Safe wrote:

Hi Bob,

Thanks for doing what you're doing. I know it has taken much courage and sometimes you've probably asked yourself if all the trouble is worth it. I give thanks that you and others have such tenacity.

Knowing scientologists very well myself, I'm sure it would be good to explain to them specifically what you're offering so they will feel safe coming forward to you. They will be the LAST people to come for help if they think LMT is "deprogramming" outfit which I'm sure CofS, Inc. is going to spin you as that.

Stacy Brooks wrote:

Hi Safe!

What Bob said in his message of hope is true -- We will be there to help all Scientologists make those happier times return again to their lives.

But of course Miscavige's Scientology has already begun spinning us as "violent deprogrammers" who are going to "grab Scientologists off the streets of Clearwater and hold them against their will." There is not a shred of truth to this at all.

The first time they accused me of being a "violent deprogrammer" was in the summer of 1998, right after I spoke to Lara Wessel in New Orleans, which resulted in Lara's deciding to get out of Scientology. (If anyone wants to know the whole story of that trip, do a search for a message I posted called "One less Scientologist in the world.") Sylvia Stannard, who was at the time the DSA DC, met me at the airport when I flew from New Orleans to DC. I hadn't seen Sylvia since before I left the Sea Org back in 1989. This was the first time an OSA person had ever met me at an airport (there have been many times since then) and I was stunned.

"Sylvia!" I exclaimed. "What are you doing here?"

Sylvia replied, to my utter amazement, "I'm here to keep you from forcibly deprogramming anyone in my city."

As much as I tried to explain to Sylvia that I had done nothing but have a 45-minute conversation with Lara about my own experiences at the highest levels of the Sea Org, particularly with David Miscavige, she resolutely refused to believe me. I even invited her to ride to my hotel with me in my taxi, which she did, and had her come up to my hotel room and speak to Lara on the phone about what had happened. It was all to no avail.

As Sylvia left my hotel room she said, "Just don't try any forcible deprogrammings in this town."

Sylvia knows me very well, but she seemed to be genuinely convinced that I had used force on Lara to convince her to leave Scientology. Nothing I said could change her mind about it.

So I think Miscavige's people have wrongly convinced a number of OSA operatives and maybe other Sea Org members and public that the Lisa McPherson Trust is a dangerous organization. But I also think that they have failed to convince many others.

And certainly there is not a shred of truth to their assertions. We are going to provide information about the abusive side of Scientology. We are going to help people who decide they want to escape the abuse. That's all.

Maybe I should give you and other Scientologists some background to set your minds at ease.

The four former Scientologists who will be part of the initial Trust staff -- myself, Jesse Prince, David Cecere and Kim Baker -- are all techies. I know Jesse, David and Kim pretty well by now, and we have had lengthy discussions about our personal philosophies with regard to this work we are about to embark upon. They all care tremendously about people and genuinely want to help Scientologists the way they wish someone had been there to help them. I will let them tell their own stories if they choose to do so, but I can tell you from my own experience with each of them that what I have just said is the entirety of their motivation for becoming part of the Trust.

I will tell you one thing about Jesse and the tech. When he was in the Sea Org he was hand-picked by LRH as the most competent tech terminal in Scientology to go to CMO Int and get senior management corrected and on-policy. As part of his duties, he was the auditor for all the highest-level executives, including Miscavige, Miscavige's wife Shelly, Ray Mithoff, Marty Rathbun, and many others. After LRH's death he was busted by Miscavige for refusing to go along with Miscavige's off-policy actions. Now that he is speaking out publicly against the abusive practices of Miscavige's Scientology, they have culled his pc folders and I have personally witnessed them using his pc folder information against him several times. But even though they have done this to Jesse, Jesse has never revealed anything he was ever told by Miscavige or any other pc in session, and he has told me that he never will. He has more respect for the tech than Miscavige or any of his lieutenants.

Speaking for myself, I joined the Sea Org because I wanted to become an auditor and help people through the tech. I audited thousands of hours and I also trained many auditors on the AOLA internship. I also supervised many up-and-coming executives at the International Training School (ITS). I also helped many staff members as an Establishment Officer and an Org Officer. That was what I was there to do -- help people with the tech.

Then I was promoted to Author Services, Inc., where Miscavige was Chairman of the Board (COB ASI), the head of all Scientology. He made me his Org Officer and I was very proud that I had been chosen. I thought that from that position I would be able to help many, many people.

Instead, I found that Miscavige had no respect for the tech at all. In fact, he gave me direct orders that totally violated the tech. To my horror, I found that he had nothing but contempt for the tech.

I saw him and other ASI executives giving a staff member who hadn't slept in days a "gang-bang sec check" in which several executives screamed obscenities and threats and terrified the person to a point where he was reduced to shaking uncontrollably and sobbing. Miscavige ordered me to "go in there and finish the job and don't let him go until you get him to confess who he's working for." Instead of doing what he had ordered me to do, I went in and took the person's hand and held it till he stopped shaking. Then I indicated to the person that what had just happened was gross out-tech and should never have happened. Then I told him to go home and get some sleep. I peeked out the conference room door to make sure the coast was clear and when I was sure it was, I helped him sneak out of the org so he could go home and sleep. I was assigned Treason for doing this but nothing could have made me comply with the order I was given.

Another staff member had been up for four days handling publicity for Battlefield Earth. Miscavige was furious at this staff member because he didn't think he had gotten enough media. It was four in the morning but the entire staff of ASI was still at the org because Miscavige never allowed any of us to sleep from Tuesday until Friday every week. Miscavige called me into his office and ordered me to Method 9 the staff member on the entire PR Series and not let him go home until it was done.

I was appalled that he was ordering me to do such an out-tech thing. I told him I couldn't do it because it would be out-tech. He got beet red and blew up at me.

"What are you talking about? What tech am I violating?" he demanded to know.

I thought as fast as I could and replied, "Students' Guide to Acceptable Behavior."

Miscavige said to me, "It doesn't say anywhere in the Students' Guide that a student has to have any sleep to be word cleared. Now go do it!"

I still refused and told Miscavige the only way I could do it would be if I sent the staff member home to sleep and then started the word clearing once he was well rested. Miscavige became even more furious and screamed at me, "Who are you working for? Who is telling you to do this? You're in Treason!"

He assigned me many other lower conditions for refusing to comply with out tech orders. There was never any question in my mind that I would not do the things he was ordering me to do. I finally reported myself to Ethics and informed the Ethics Officer that I could no longer work with Miscavige because he was Suppressive. Shortly after that I was assigned to the RPF.

These are just a few examples of the kind of abuse I experienced when I was in the Sea Org. There are many more. Since I have left the Sea Org I have been subjected to the full force of Miscavige's Fair Game practices, which are terribly abusive and violate my right as an American citizen to free speech.

I feel very very strongly that Miscavige and his lieutenants have no right to abuse people this way. No one has the right to treat people the way they do. I don't think any Scientologist should be forced to endure this kind of abuse.

It is the deceptive and abusive practices of Miscavige's Scientology that the Lisa McPherson Trust is concerned about. I strongly believe that a Scientologist should be free to speak to the staff of the Trust or anyone else they choose to speak to without fear of being punished. Free Speech is one of our most basic rights as citizens. Miscavige has no right to take that freedom away. He has no right to practice the kind of blackmail he is perpetrating, where he can take away a Scientologist's Bridge if the Scientologist insists on his or her freedom of speech.

I hope this clarifies my own position on this for you and others who may read this.

Now, to respond to your specific questions:

For example are you offering?:

1) Temporary housing and food assistance for SO members who want to leave but feel trapped because they have no money or family.

If someone wants to leave the Sea Org and has no resources, I think the Trust will find a way to help that person in whatever way we can. I know that when Vaughn and I escaped from the Sea Org we had no money and no one to turn to, and it was a terrifying experience. I would not want anyone to have to go through what we had to endure to regain our freedom.

2) Contacts for an alternative "bridge" so scientologist don't believe they're sacrificing the eternity by leaving the Church of Scientology, Inc.

I can tell you that the staff of the Trust believe that people have the right to follow whatever path they choose and we will not try to set any boundaries on who or what a person can learn from.

3) Counseling sessions for those who are working out their "doubt formula."

I would certainly be willing to sit down and talk to someone who was searching for information to complete a Doubt formula. How else can someone make an informed decision if they are not allowed to learn about all sides of an issue?

4) Educating scientologists about the truth. (Give out copys of the Criminal Time Track, examples of CofS, Inc. squirreling, etc.)

Certainly the Trust will have literature available for Scientologists and non-Scientologists alike. Our first and foremost responsibility is going to be educating not only Scientologists who ask for information but also the community, the media, families, and anyone else who is interested in learning the truth.

5) Assurance of anonyminity, and that LMT is NOT a "deprogramming" group. (Scientologists are SCARED of these.)

Of course we are not a "deprogramming" group. We are former Scientologists and people who have never been in Scientology who want to let Scientologists know they do not have to subject themselves to any kind of abuse. We have no other agenda, although MIscavige's Scientology insists that we do. We are not a "hate group," as Miscavige's Scientology insists that we are. We are just people who care and want to help provide alternatives.

It would also behoove LMT to post their stats at least every month here to see the progress being made. For example;

a) # of scientologists inquiring for more information
b) # of scientologists directed to freezone sources
c) # of scientologists counseled
d) # of Sea Org members helped

By knowing what these stats are, it will help us judge the effectiveness of LMT's and friends actions.

I'm sure our actions will be widely known and everyone will have a chance to find out about what we are doing.

Am I correct in that LMT has the above in mind? It would behoove LMT to spell out what their intentions are and what they're doing to help scientologists (like above.)

I hope this helps fill the vacuum for everybody. Our doors will open January 6 at 9 am. Until then if anyone wants to call us you can call 727-467-9335. Until our office is open that number is being routed to my house in Belleair Beach, which is right down the street from Clearwater Beach. I'll return your call myself or direct it elsewhere if that is your request.

Thanks and Happy Holidays to you and all!, Safe

And Happy New Year to you!

Take care,
Stacy