20 Aug 2000

cultxpt@primenet.com (Jeff Jacobsen)

Tonight 7 of us picketed the bank building in Clearwater. As usually happens now, about 10 minutes after we started our handlers appeared (where do they come from? The transporter room?).

The general tone was mild confrontation by the Scientologists (but then I'm jaded in my opinion of "mild" from the Mad Picket). The main points this time were that we are in tax trouble, that Jesse is a criminal and we should be doing something about that, and the ever present "how much do you make?"

Every time now I try to say that I'm willing to have a conversation but not willing to simply take hammering from abusive people. So one woman and I had a reasonably nice conversation. Doyle and I were doing ok when some short guy with a crew cut came and talked to Doyle, and Doyle simply left in mid-conversation! I saw the same guy go over to Hans so I told Hans "you're about to be told to leave" which he denied. But sure enough all the rest of our handlers then left too.

Ian Schillington was trying to argue that the Scientologists were perfectly within their rights to act like they did at the Mad Picket because they were upset at what we were doing. He wasn't impressed by my question of what Salvation Army members would do if they were picketed.

I'm hoping that the tide is turning and that we will actually be able to have conversations at these pickets instead of abuse. But maybe that's hoping for too much...

Oh, and as I was talking to Ian I saw "Bub" with his face in Mark's camera so I rushed over to video this. Ian, seeing my interest, stood between me and Bub to block my view. So when you see the video, that's why I'm holding the camera high up in the air. Yes Ian, you have a perfect right to act like an ass.

When a Scientology staffer used a syringe to force a mixture of aspirin, Benadryl and orange juice into McPherson's throat while others held her down, it was "spiritual sustenance," the church argues.