An Open Letter to the People of Clearwater Florida

Shawn Lonsdale died this week. The offical report will say suicide but the report should also list the Church of Scientology as a side cause of this young mans death. At the young age of 36 this man had been harrashed by scientology to the breaking point. Shawn was not a critic of the faith of anyone, he did however stand tall against the actions of scientology which many see as a business as best and a cult at worse.

For 14 days last year Shawn Lonsdale flimed a documentary on the streets of Clearwater about scientology. This was not someone from out of town trying to cause trouble. This was someone who lived there fliming something for a local station. For 14 days Shawn was harrashed by the scientology cops, the members and even PI's that scientology hired. Toward the end of the fliming Shawn was attacked by a member of scientology who never saw a day in court and is still walking Clearwater's streets a free man.

Shawn did all this because he cared about the city he lived in. He made no money speaking out, if anything it made it harder for him to provide for himself day to day. He was never a member of scientololgy and had not been hurt by them. He did see the evil actions of this group in your city and other cities across the world. Shawn was out there because he cared.

Where were you?

Business owners, where were you when scientology put up hundreds of flyers with Shawns picture, home info, and even his SSN? Were you one of the many who let them tape this sick paper to your shop window? Are you ready to be next when they get upset with you?

Clearwater Police and DA, The attact on Shawn was not in dispute. It was on flim. Yet the member of scientology walks free today. Are there two sets of laws in Clearwater? Or is scientology just above the law because they rent your officers out when off duty. When you alow a group to pay your officers to recive pay from a group don't be surprised when they do that groups bidding.

To the Courts, When are you going to stop letting scientology use a court order that applied to a group that disbanded well over 10 years ago? Why don't I as an American have the right to voice how I feel, when I feel, and WHERE i feel as long as I obey the laws when I do so. When is a judge going to stand up to scientology and remind them civil rights are for all of us, not just those members of scientology.

To the elected officals of Clearwater, Pinellas County and the State of Florida, how long are you going to quietly take this groups money knowing its very dark history? When raided by the FBI many years ago plans were found for the compleat takeover of Clearwater.

To other religions in the area, how long are you going to let this group call its self a church and commit the acts it does? How many of you have spoken out against the actions of the Westboro Baptist Church and its actions against those who had died in the service of our nation and yet alow scientology to hurt those who dare to speak out against them?

To the Gay Community, Did you not care that scientology used the fact Shawn was gay in the flyers and warned people in video's to watch their children around him? Would you let any other group say or do the same? Yes Shawn had some trouble with the law in his youth but also how many of you can't remember a time when being gay all by itself was reason enought to be harrashed or arrested?

To the people of Clearwater, when are you going to say enough is enough to this group? Piece by piece they are taking over your downtown with the long term plan of owning Clearwater. Are you willing to watch your downtown die and your tax base disapare? How many business's have gone to Tampa or St. Pete because your downtown has no real base.

To the members of scientology, I respect your faith and I respect your right to belive in whatever makes you happy and brings you peace. But your church is involed in evil acts and has been since the start. No other religioin has had its leaders arrested and convicted for breaking into goverment offices to steal files and plant bugs. No other church has writings that give members premission to destory anyone who speaks against it.

( Posted under fair use laws)

"In any event, any person from 2.0 down on the Tone Scale should not have, in any thinking society, any civil rights of any kind, because by abusing those rights he brings into being arduous and strenuous laws which are oppressive to those who need no such restraints."

- L. Ron Hubbard, SCIENCE OF SURVIVAL, 1989 Ed., p. 145 [The "Tone Scale" is ScientologyEs measure of mental and spiritual health.]

"There are only two answers for the handling of people from 2.0 down on the Tone Scale, neither one of which has anything to do with reasoning with them or listening to their justification of their acts. The first is to raise them on the Tone Scale by un-enturbulating some of their theta by any one of the three valid processes. The other is to dispose of them quietly and without sorrow."

- L. Ron Hubbard, SCIENCE OF SURVIVAL, p. 170

To all of us, For fifty years this group has done things no other group could get away with. They have done so by calling themselves a religion and hiding behind Freedom of Religion Laws. Yet look around you. Find one soup kitchen, one homeless shelter, food bank or even one health clinic this group runs. Find one single thing that doesn't lead to them makeing money over the long run.

Read the quotes above, if you are not a member of scientology they feel you should have NO civil rights. If they can't convert you then they feel you should be disposed of quietly and without sorrow. Its time to stop hiding our heads in the sand and learn about this group before its too late.

Just google scientology and start reading. Read their stuff, read the critic stuff, but please read and learn. If you feel like me they must be stoped and forced to act right then act yourself. Write your paper, call your officals, take the time to join the next picket on the 15 th of March 2008. Just don't do like I did and wait for someone else to do it for me.

To me, how could I sit here and let Shawn stand out on that street alone? Knowing what he faced and how this group would react to him? It would have taken very little for me to get up and join him if only to stand next to him so he would have known he wasn't alone. Yes I feel shame for all the above people and groups for letting scientology get to this point. But the shame I feel for myself for not doing anything is much worse. The sense of loss I feel on this day brings me to tears.

A young man died this week at the age of 36. A life not yet really started in many ways. A young man who had the conviction to stand up for what he felt was right. We all lost this week.

Learn more about Shawn Lonsdale at.....

http://www.sptimes.com/2008/02/19/Northpinellas/Scourge_of_Scientolog.shtml

http://www.xenu-directory.net/critics/lonsdale1.html

http://www.scientomogy.com/scientologist_assaults_protester.php

http://www.scientomogy.com/warning.php

http://www.scientomogy.com/warning.php

Learn more about the dark side of scientology at...

xenu.net
xenutv.com
whyaretheydeadnow.net
http://lermanet.com/

No longer will I sit at home while others fight for our civil and human rights. Where Shawn fell I will stand. I hope others join me in whatever way they feel they can.

Shawn Lonsdale
1972-2008
A good man who cared.