In a message dated 7/22/02 8:47:09 AM Central Daylight Time, johnvm@battlecr.gannett.com writes:

snipped:

Dear Jim -

I appreciate you concern about the facility being affiliated with the Church[sic] of Scientology, but the local head of the church[sic] has said numerous times that Narconon Stonehawk has no affiliation with the church[sic].

I emailed this response back to John Vander Meer.

John, thank you for responding to me. The 'local head of the church' is lying to you. This is what I tried to tell you and your paper. Scientology is very devious and manipulative. Narconon is Scientology... everything in it and about it is Scientology and its true purpose is to lure new recruits into Scientology. You and your paper, John, have a duty to present the truth to your public. Writing this Narconon program up as a legitimate operation that has nothing to do with Scientology is reprehensible. You are leading desparate parents on who will find a worse hell with scientology.

I had a call from a woman in California who enrolled her son in Narconon out there. After spending $20,000 she finds her son being recruited for Scientology courses.

This isn't just a brazen scam: it is a dangerous one. It uses an uncertified, unsupervised program of extreme saunas and vitamins. Many have suffered severe liver damage from this but even worse, the program does not work and persons with serious drug problems wind up believing that nothing works and they drift off into addiction

There are two things to remember when dealing with Scientology:

1: Everything Scientology does is devious.

2: Everything Scientology says about L. Ron Hubbard and Scientology are lies.

Wake up, John and start serving your public.

respectfully, JIm Beebe