Mr. Scary Productions would like to announce that the response to our press release about the 1st Annual Benefit Concert for the Lisa McPherson Trust has been truly incredible. We have been hearing from bands and artists across the country that have expressed support and an interest in performing at this event, or at future events. Many interviews with local and national media are planned in the near future.

We also would like to clarify some issues raised in a recent attack letter sent out to area media and residents by the Scientology front group, the Foundation for Religious Tolerance (FRT). In this letter, the "chairman" of the area chapter of this group attacked various aspects of the benefit concert and the Lisa McPherson Trust.

Mr. Scary Productions is not being paid by any person or organization to put on this event. It is staffed ENTIRELY by volunteers, and all bands are performing free of charge. All proceeds will be donated to the Lisa McPherson Trust.

We are free to hold a benefit concert for any entity we please. The fact that the Lisa McPherson Trust is not non-profit is actually a reflection on the harassing and litigious nature of Scientology. A non-profit organization must make public the names of its donors. Based on the track record of Scientology utilizing public records to harass critics, the Lisa McPherson Trust has chosen to protect the identity of its supporters by not taking this tax-exempt status. We are certain that the public can decide whether this is an event worthy of their dollar.

The simple fact that a BENEFIT concert would be attacked in the first place is worthy of notice...but the letter from the FRT went on to personally attack one volunteer in particular, as well as several bands appearing at the event. Apparrently, the names of the bands were not adequate to sufficiently "inspire good works and charity" in the mind of FRT "chariman" Mary DeMoss. And we can only suppose that the naming in this letter one volunteer's line of work was intended as some form of intimidation, as was the entire letter from the FRT. We would suggest that Ms. DeMoss look up the definition of the word "tolerance" and apply same to future public comments.

This event is about EDUCATION. We in the area music and artist community feel that the Lisa McPherson Trust has been unfairly depicted by Scientology and its front groups as something it is not. We welcome everyone, including Scientologists, to attend this event. The intent is to show everyone what the Lisa McPherson Trust really stands for, and to provide the community with an alternative to the negative propaganda that has been spewing about lately. A flier with a mug shot is not proof of a criminal record! Its appearance has an intentional shock value but it proves nothing.

We feel that this event will PROVE to the community that the Lisa McPherson Trust is exactly that which it states in its mission statement; a group that is dedicated to exposing the abusive and deceptive practices of the Church of Scientology and to help those who have been vicitimized by it.

Mr. Scary

On Mon, 23 Oct 2000 13:34:47 -0400, <sleddog@No-spam-cotse.com> wrote:

>It is a nationally labeled hate-group. Every one of its employees are criminals
>and under investigation by local, state and federal authorities.

Hi Sleddoggie!

Here's some good advice you probably don't want. But I will give it anyway. If you really think what you're saying is right and has some basis in fact and you really want other people to buy this stuff instead of just being mildly annoyed, you have to do better than just posting a line of uncheckable accusations.

You want us to believe LMT is a 'nationally labeled hate-group'. Okay, please name a federal or state agency investigating or listing LMT as such and give a reference where to check this.

You want us to believe 'every one of its employees are criminals'. Please list the criminal convictions (first instance will suffice) of each of them and give references to the court files with the verdicts. And sorry, investigations without verdicts do not count, as those do not make one a criminal in any legal sense of the word. But I would like to have a some data on the alleged case against Minton in Switzerland. You do have an official source on that, don't you? And, in which country is being a deprogrammer a crime in itself?

Well, then again, possibly you do not mean 'criminals' in the legal sense, but in the LRH sense: somebody hurting the Co$. If this is the case, please say so and elaborate a bit why on earth this should be of any importance to us silly wogs.

If you had any material backing up your claims , this would be quite interesting, if rather unexpected, given the usual behaviour of people raising similar claims.

If not, please think about the implications of this fact. Posting accusations that can not stand up to scrutiny can definitely not be considered intelligent, sane or ethical. Living in a dreamworld ignoring outside reality may be fine and tempting for a while, but someday you will be forced to wake up and face the facts. If you can find the courage, you will be able to leave your mental prison on your own terms and there will be people willing to help you.

We are not the enemy! Keep this in mind.

---
'You have to follow the light, as light is life.'
- Lisa McPherson, two weeks before her death

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