Recently, the affidavit of Mary Tabayoyon was posted to the two newsgroups, a.c.t. and a.r.s. Mary's affidavit touched the hearts of many, as her experience was heart-wrenching and so degrading.
When I first saw Mary's affidavit a few weeks prior to it being posted, I cried. Its effect on me was of anger and frustration. It hurt my heart to read it. It was after reading Mary's affidavit, that I posted a note stating that David Miscavige is a cancer that needs to be cut out.
Part of the effect I felt concerning Mary's affidavit was knowing Mary and Andre personally. The story Mary tells would have had an effect on me even if written by someone I didn't know, but the fact of knowing Mary made it even more difficult for me.
Recently, and not so recently, blame for experiences such as Mary's have been placed on the head of L. Ron Hubbard and his policies. In what follows, I shall relate a personal experience concerning LRH, and his and Mary Sue's actions concerning the Cadet Org in the early seventies.
The purpose is to give another point "to" view.
It was sometime in 1973, I believe (please forgive my lack of exact time, as I no longer have my files), that I was called into a meeting with LRH. LRH had been getting mail on the SO 1 line (Standing Order number one, all mail sent to LRH was received by him) from parents concerning their children in the Cadet Org. As I recall, the letters made statements of lack of cleanliness, lack of good meals for the children, lack of medical attention and that rats had been seen in and around the building the children lived in.
LRH sent me on a fact-finding mission to LA to find out "exactly" what was going on and what was the cause for this situation. I went to LA and did the investigation as requested. Upon my return, and after writing up my findings in a debrief, I was called back into a meeting with LRH.
Mary Sue was also present. To say that LRH was angry would be an understatement . . . he was furious! What I had found not only supported the claims of the parents, it was much worse than that.
The building the children lived in was condemned by the city and was to be torn down. In essence, the children were living there without knowledge of the city. Some nearby neighbor had reported the children living on the premises to the Department of Social Services and action was in progress to possibly make the children wards of the court.
So many years later, I do not recall how many children were at the Cadet Org at the time, nor do I recall exactly how many staff members there were. I do remember, however, it being very under-staffed. The children and staff were eating oatmeal for most of their meals with powdered milk.
Very few parents came to see their children during daily parent time, nor did they spend time with their children during liberty (their day off). This was the parents choice..not policy.
The Cadet Org was not an income-making organization. It was supported by the PAC AREA ORGS; ASHO D/ASHO FOUNDATION, CC, FOLO and AOLA (I may be in error concerning FOLO). These Orgs were to allocate so much money each week for the support of the Cadet Org. This they did not do.
They paid in much less than the allocation they were to pay and many times, did not pay at all. In some cases, parents of the children were in positions to insure the financial support of the Cadet Org and they did not do it.
As I already stated, LRH was furious. He sent "burning" telexes to the LRH Comm US and a project was written immediately. LRH wrote the project and he placed the LRH Comm US in charge of it being carried out.
Anyone found putting stops on any step of the project would be, well, let's just say, it would not have been wise to try and stop the project.
Missionaires were sent to find and purchase a new building for the Cadet Org. I believe it was on Melrose Ave., and was an apartment building. Parents were to live in the same building as their children.
All new beds and mattresses were purchased; along with new clothes, etc.
This was paid for by the PAC AREA ORGS. The children were seen by a Scientologist on lines at AOLA, who was a doctor.
The new Cadet Org met all the state requirements and became licensed as a day care center. Staff of the Cadet Org went to school and obtained licenses to work in a day care center. This was done by the Guardians Office headed by Mary Sue. Ron and Mary Sue would not allow any substandards on this cycle. At least one of the parents were to be with their children at the close of the day care center daily. Family time was enforced.
There is more on this cycle I could tell about, however, I think you get the idea. The question I hope you are asking is: Why LRH and Mary Sue had to step in "before" anything was done? As that certainly was the question LRH asked - no, that's not right, he didn't ask - he demanded an answer.
LRH was not above having an ARC break, this was just one of them.
He felt he had written policies on how to run an org and, yet, his policy would be misinterpreted, not followed or some "know best" would come along and say, "This is what LRH really meant" and just mess things up. You have no idea how many times LRH would be drawn into cycles, such as I have described above, to handle because the "know best" didn't do their job.
In looking back over the years, I guess my feelings at this point are that LRH made one very large error in his empire, and that error was to allow the church to grow to such a large extent, and to so many countries, that he "personally" could not handle it. He had some very good people working with him and yet, on the other hand, he had many more that just didn't do the job as written.
Well, the old man is dead, he isn't on the line anymore to handle what needs to be handled and/or correct what outnesses there were before he died. One thing I think we all can agree to, and that is...David Miscavige sure as hell isn't LRH.
Old Timer