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Harold's Journal
Editorial Opinion By R. W. Lobsinger
The Newkirk Herald Journal,
25 June 1992
Henry David Thoreau, of Walden's Pond fame, intrudes into my life from time to time.
He is not my favorite author, nor my favorite philosopher. I'm not an avid naturalist as was he. I don't even have a pond.
But Thoreau taught me that one of the most important lessons a man can learn in this life is to do what he has to do, when it has to be done, whether he likes it or not.
Thoreau believed strongly in the independence of man. Of his right to think for himself and determine his own destiny free of coercive authoritarianism.
The smart alec old writer landed in jail on account of that kind of thinking. But from all accounts he could sleep with a clear conscience. Now some judge in Oklahoma City has decided that I'm to pay $2,150.00 for not giving a coercive authoritarian cult free access to my notes and sources.
Like Thoreau, I'm not disposed to paying anyone for the right to keep what is mine. Which means I'm probably looking at a new orange jump suit in Glenn Guinn's Concrete Hilton next to the court house.
It is time, maybe, to quit being a taxpayer and allow the system to feed, clothe, and house me for awhile instead of the other way around.
I could appeal to the Supreme Court, of course, for another $6 to $10 thousand, but it would be imprudent to sell one of my children. Scientology's sharks know that.
One can obviously get all the "due process" one can purchase. Scientology can buy more of it than I can... and probably will. They are now suing practically the rest of the world including the University of California, Time Magazine, Eli Lilly, and Reader's Digest. It's the old "Everybody else is out of step but my Ronnie" syndrome.
We broke the story of Narconon's connection with the cult of Scientology nearly 3 years ago. Since then they have proven by their actions to be equal to the sordid reputation which preceded them to our area. They are masters of deception, magicians of manipulation, and proliferators of propaganda designed to entrap the unwary.
They have pervaded every worthy cause from environmental awareness and tax reform to drug rehabilitation in order to further their own growth.
Narconon is but one tentacle.
When Blind Justice cannot see this, ignorant justice is the result, and the legal system fails. Consumers must beware, because they will most certainly be alone.
Those of you who can read, must read! Those of you who can hear, must hear! Those of you who can question, must question! Otherwise, the lure of the cult, with it's ready-made answers to all of life's problems, will be the totalitarianism of the next century. The L. Ron Hubbards of the world will be your dictators.
If this newspaper has provided the information necessary to keep our readers from succumbing to this threat, no matter what the consequences, it has been worth the risk.
Except for paying those consequences, my job is mostly complete. I did what I had to do, when I had to do it, whether I liked it or not.
I would like to believe that truth is mighty and will prevail. But as Mark Twain once noted, "There is nothing the matter with this except it ain't so."
I sleep well at night, however. Something sharks and dictators have trouble doing.