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From: kady@wwwaif.net (kady@wwwaif.net)
Subject: Re: Minton's children missing?
Message-ID: <a9ugc6$3a4_002@news1.sympatico.ca>
Date: Sun, 21 Apr 2002 13:55:18 GMT
Organization: Bell Sympatico
In article <gXsw8.3447$Aa7.179633338@newssvr16.news.prodigy.com>, "DIANNA WAGNER" <WAGNERDIANNA@prodigy.net> wrote:
>See my post just above yours . I'm sure $cientology is quite capable of
>instilling fear for the safety of Mr. Minton's children, but if $cientology
>actually had them bound and gagged somewhere, surely there would be an army
>of FBI agents and police on the case, and Minton wouldn't be testifying
>about anything.
>
That is correct.
In fact, during the years that Minton and his family have been harassed by Scientology, which is extensively documented on the now grotesquely ironic timeline that is available on the lisatrust.net website, every incident seemed to further strengthen his resolve to keep up the fight.
Sometime earlier this year, all that changed. He began to meet with church lawyers -- ten or twelve such rendez-vous, according to his own testimony, as reported in the press. He entered into a confidentiality agreement not to discuss the substance of the meetings; however, thanks to letters from his lawyer to Ken Dandar from earlier this month, we know that at least one of the demands was that the wrongful death case be stopped.
Soon after those letters were sent, Bob Minton went into a court of law, surrounded, aided and abetted by the same Scientology lawyers and OSA officials that he had lambasted in the past, and recanted just enough of his previous testimony to let Scientology use him as a blunt object to bludgeon Ken Dandar with a motion to disqualify him from representing the estate.
But that's not all.
If you read the excellent post by ptsc posted earlier this week, it's clear that not only did Minton's new version of events allege financial shenanigans on the part of Dandar, but the second, less-discussed claim that it was *Dandar* who made the decision to breech the agreement not to add David Miscavige as an individual defendent that was the real torpedo against the wrongful death suit itself. Minton gave Scientology the magic bullet it needed to claim an abuse of process by Dandar and the estate, and if believed, it could provide the impetus needed to have the entire case thrown out of court. This recant, then, and the new claims made by Minton, if genuine, would have represented a true blue miracle for OSA and the lawyers of Scientology.
I don't believe in miracles. Especially not when every shred of evidence and common sense suggests that the opposite is true; that it was Stacy Brooks who finally persuaded Dandar to add Miscavige to the defendent list. Stacy Brooks who has also now recanted part of her previous testimony - coincidentally enough, like Minton, just enough of it to blacken Dandar's reputation and help Scientology, its lawyers and the schemers that never rest at the Office of Special Affairs.
Another miracle for Scientology? Or the result of a secret agreement between Minton and the Church for him to lie at their behest to sink the wrongful death suit once and for all? Which is more likely? Which fits the pattern of Scientology's coercive legal strategy? Which would explain Minton's continual lies under oath, even on Friday, which drove some former friends from the courtroom due to the discomfort in watching a man who they had respected violate the principle of truth and justice over and over and over - for no apparent benefit, except to help his once sworn enemies at OSA?
What you are witnessing now on this newsgroup is a last-ditch desperate attempt by a dwindling coterie of deluded adherants to deny reality. Fred Rice comes up with bizarre conspiracy theories involving the kidnapping of innocent children to explain away what otherwise seems like an entirely logical, if despicable, decision by Minton to switch sides to protect himself. Arnie Lerma cheerfully takes up the "enemy line" by forwarding the OSA postulate that Ken Dandar will soon be disbarred. Others, not capable of the dizzying leaps of logic perpetuated by these two, merely comfort themselves by accusing those of fighting to keep the case alive of "doing OSA's work."
It is bizarre and unsettling to witness. I expect it is very similar to the rationalization gymnastics performed by cult members who are clinging to the belief that the reality is different than what it clearly is. Not a bad education for those of us who haven't had the chance to be "apostates" from a real cult, but all things considered, I'd rather not watch it play out any longer than necessary.
K
