From: wake_up_sharky@my-deja.com Newsgroups: de.soc.weltanschauung.scientology Subject: Clearwater 2000 - Tag 4 und 5 Date: Wed, 13 Dec 2000 23:37:31 GMTClearwater 2000 - Days 4 and 5
On the fourth day Jeff had to return the van, which meant we had to meet him there at practically the crack of dawn to give his car back to him. Then we picked Tory up for breakfast. On the way there Jeff showed us where Lisa had an apartment. From there she had moved to a place on the beach, which was supposed to be an improvement. Not much after that, though, she moved again to a not so well-off area. We asked ourselves if there could have been a special reason for that ....
We had breakfast at Lenny's, a local place which Scientologists also liked. Then we were off to the LMT, where I could use my time to write the first part of my diary.
The court order for the LMT contained restrictions not only for critics, but also for the Scientologists, who were ordered not to harass the critics in any way. There was a discussion about it that morning and somebody had the idea that the surveillance cameras which filmed everybody who approached the doors of the LMT also constituted harassment. Which Bob responded "I'll get the ladder." :-)
In order to file a legal complaint against the camera, it was necessary to document that the camera hidden in the box was actually directed at the door of the LMT. Oh my, when the Scientologists noticed what was happening there, they really lost it. Right after the LMTers left the scene, one of Scientology's rent-a-cops was posted to guard the camera. Paul Kellerhals came out and loitered in front of the building. Then a young man came with a ladder, supposedly to clean the camera lens. Wow, it was the same one I saw marching in RPF clothes through Clearwater last year. He appeared to recognize me and I called out that I was happy to see he was well again. I didn't want to cause any problems (PK was there the whole time) so I didn't make any attempt to engage him in conversation.
Rod Keller had also appeared on the street and was taking a couple of pictures of the "purification operation." PK walked quite closely by him, then turned around and walked straight towards him with his finger pointed towards him yelling, "ten feet! ten feet! ten feet!" What an absurd action. A policeman who I couldn't tell if he was on duty or was rented by Scientology came around and wanted to tell us that we were blocking the large closed gate of the building. I asked him how it was possible that two pedestrians on the sidewalk could block a driveway, to which he asked who the building belonged to. An intelligent dialogue, don't you think? We shrugged our shoulders and he asked for ID. My purse was in the LMT so I couldn't show him anything, but apparently he didn't care and only took down info on Rod.
Supper together was planned later in the Clearwater Beach Hotel, but I didn't feel I was appropriately dressed for that. So Heather called a taxi to bring us back to the hotel where we could be picked up for supper.
The taxi didn't come and time was getting short. Finally Jeff was nice enough to bring us back to the hotel. A woman of my age needs some time to make herself respectable for a fine meal :-)))), but that evening I broke the world's record. I didn't want to make our driver late for part of supper. We got to the CW Beach Hotel practically on time, and it was a nice evening.
The next morning Jeff pick up the remaining critics from the hotel and we had a nice breakfast at Lenny's. Afterwards off to the LMT.
This was the anniversary of the day Lisa died, and Rod and I had decided to stay in Clearwater for it. Arriving at the LMT, we picked up picket signs in memory of Lisa and made our way to Fort Harrison.
We kept watch there for two hours. During that time the vans stopped right in front of the main entrance of the FH so passengers could debark and embark. We called to them, "Think about Lisa McPherson. She died five years ago in Fort Harrison" and "Who will be next? Leave, now" or "Christmas is getting close. Visit your families." Many, many people heard us, as showed by their reactions.
We didn't see any police that day. There was almost as much reaction from passersby as there had been that weekend. Many honked and waved. One family ran across the street to tell us that their little daughter was scared by these people were running around the streets like robots. So the mother wanted to find out more about Scientology. The little girl asked very intelligent questions, which Rod answered in detail.
Nobody in that family had ever fallen victim to the organization. And thanks to the many people all over the world who had the courage, in spite of Scientology's threats, to stand up and tell the truth, the number of these families is growing daily. Hard times, DM ......
The afternoon, which we spent on a downright cold but beautiful beach south of Clearwater, was topped off by a breathtaking sunset. (I wondered how many Scientologists in CW had never gotten to see the beach yet....)
Jeff brought us from the LMT back to the hotel, but not before he took us on a little detour to Hacienda Gardens. That is a rather large apartment building which Scientology owns. Trees have been planted all around it this year so that the view of the building will be blocked in the years to come.
After a nice supper with Jeff we packed our bags to leave Clearwater the next day with the rest of the critics who had arrived for the occasion.
We'll be back. As long as it's needed. Until the abuses stop. Until freedom is a right for Scientologists, too.
best wishes
Andrea