Oh, what’s the point?

1. When Ethics Alarms Don’t Ring Dept. Frannie Skardon of the University of Virginia Law School Class of 2022 serves in the New York National Guard.  When it  was called up by Governor Andrew Cuomo on March 17,  UVA was offering its course online courses and her unit allotted her six hours a day to commit to law school studies. But, as she explained in an online petition she has posted,

To my surprise, the [UVA] administration  stated that I am in violation of Academic Policy I.H., which deals with employment while attending Law School. This policy states that “students may not engage in employment in excess of what is compatible with a full-time commitment to the study of law.” As a result of my unit’s activation, the administration has determined that I cannot complete the remainder of the semester.

The school refused to  issue a waiver because Skardon is being paid by the Army while activated, and said she would have to retake all of her classes in Spring 2021. Not only was this spectacularly dumb from a public relations perspective, it was also contrary to what other law schools have done in similar situations. However, after Skardon’s petition was flooded with signatures, and various web sites and, of course, social media excoriated the school, it reversed its decision.

Skardon informed the public in a letter to the editor of Virginia Law Weekly, saying:

“I would like to thank every person who signed my petition, wrote a letter, or shared my story. I am very moved at the outpouring of support and cannot thank each one of you enough. In less than a day, I received over 140 emails and 5,700 signatures.”

Unfortunately, there is a material difference between behaving ethically from the outset and only doing so after being metaphorically pummeled for a wrongful decision and reversing it out of self-interest.

2.  At least he tries...Glenn Kessler, the Washington Post Factchecker, is left-biased like 98% of his colleagues, and his columns often reflect that, but at least he tries to be fair when bias hasn’t completely crippled his judgment.

Infectious-disease specialist Rishi Desai said on Fox News that President Donald Trump should have acted sooner based on what was publicly known about the Wuhan virus in December. The video from Martha MacCallum’s show  garnered more than 17 million views  thanks to the kinds of people like so many of my once rational Facebook friends, who literally scour the web every day, multiple times, to find some story critical of the President that they can post to an avalanche of “likes.” (This is pathological behavior.)

Kessler retweeted the video in a tweet along with a tweet from former journalist Ron Fournier (who used to try), snarking, “Sometimes the truth sneaks up on you.” Then Kessler did some research, and discovered that the Dr. was full of the Baloney Virus. Kessler tweeted,

When I retweeted this I focused on his comment on testing vis a vis South Korea. But the first part of his statement is wrong — while some doctors suspected human-to human transmission in Dec, that was covered up by China for weeks and falsely broadcast by the WHO as no problem.

Not to be overly cynical, but the facts will not diminish the number of partisans and Trump-Haters circulating the video. Any critic of the administration is presumed to be unbiased and accurate, and any defense of the administration is presumed to be a lie.

But at least Glenn Kessler tried to get the facts straight.

3. Res Ipsa Loquitur. Ethics Alarms proudly presents  the official pronouncement of the leader of the Church of Scientology regarding the pandemic, which he refers to as “Planetary bullbait.” The sister of a friend of mine was once held as a virtual prisoner on  board the “Church’s” ship; I would spend more time writing about what a cult/scam/criminal enterprise I think it is (that’s just my opinion, now; these people sue at the drop of a hat), but frankly, anyone who can’t figure that out on their own—this is, after all, a religion created by a science fiction writer—is beyond any help Ethics Alarms could provide. In addition to that, there are so many debunking documentaries and other documentation that my contributions are hardly necessary.

Still, for our ongoing examination of self-signalling untrustworthiness, this is worth publishing in its entirety. Two points before giving David Miscavige the floor:

1. The message claims  that Church of Scientology Founder L. Ron Hubbard said, “An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.” That’s false. It is actually one of Benjamin Franklin’s more famous maxims, and he didn’t just say it, he wrote it down.

2. What do you say about the head of a church who uses this as a publicity shot?

Yeesh. Would you buy a used car from this man? Would you walk into an elevator with this man in it? Would you let this man date your sister?

Here’s the statement. Buckle up.

13 March 2020

TO: Staff and public
From: Chairman of the Board, Religious Technology Center

CURRENT SCENE
(And Weekend of Events)

We are creating a safe environment in our Orgs for the most vital of all activities — Training and Processing — so you can go up the Bridge.

Due to the current hysteria, whether you believe in it or not (and the only thing you can be certain of is that it is hysteria), our weekend celebrations have had to be cancelled.

As you may or may not have heard, owing to the current “pandemic,” all types of events comprising large gatherings have been systematically either suspended or cancelled, including professional sporting events (NBA, NHL, MLB, NASCAR, PGA), Broadway shows, etc. This has now extended to an admonition or outright ban of large assemblies of people.

By way of example, in California, no public events or social gatherings may exceed 250 people.

By way of a more immediate example, our event hall in Clearwater has cancelled all public events until at least April.

Beyond US borders, prohibitions on Europeans traveling to the US, not to mention quarantines of entire nations (Italy), would prevent Scientologists in those countries from participating in our celebration.

Albeit I, like you, have been eagerly anticipating our annual Weekend of all Weekends (and, indeed, had prepared a celebration of mind-blowing proportions), the fact is, even if no prohibitions were issued by others, standard LRH Sea Org protocol mandates against a mass gathering in times of illness and disease. It is prohibited.

 
SAFE ENVIRONMENT

There is a way to at cause: BE TOTALLY PREPARED.

Or, as LRH said:

“An ounce of prevention is worth a ton of cure…” — LRH

Well, how about a ton of prevention so as not to require an ounce of cure?

That is what we work to accomplish at Flag, Sea Org bases and in all our Orgs and Missions.

Factually, we have already been doing far more and taking greater preventive action than anybody else, anywhere on Earth — and by a long way.

1. First, real information for you and your immediate environment. Booklets containing this information have been provided for all staff and public — and in any quantity (free of charge) for dissemination to friends, family and associates.

2. Second, preventing and/or killing whatever this virus is. We have researched and are utilizing the most effective products and applications for eradicating this virus and any virus, bacteria or germ infestation.

This includes massive infusions of airborne ozone, as well as nebulized peroxide and Decon7. (If you haven’t seen these applications, that’s because the operation occurs in unoccupied spaces before you arrive.)

3. Third, medical checks and isolation. It has been longstanding LRH Sea Org policy that ill persons are isolated (segregated in separate quarters and not in contact with the general population). This IS how to prevent the spread of illness. Therefore, as a preventative measure, all staff and public have their temperature taken each day before services. This extends to the requirement that all staff and public report any feeling of illness before entering Org spaces.

4. Finally, masks and gloves are available for all public when they are out and about (gas station, supermarket, etc. and wish to insulate themselves.

(Further tactical details have been issued in comprehensive International Programs for all Orgs and Missions.)

 
“ALMOST” PLANET

“This planet is an ‘almost’ planet.

“This almost factor is visible on every hand.” — LRH

Unfortunately, as but the latest example of this almost planet is “almost” medicine and science that you can’t yet prevent whatever the latest “outbreak” happens to be.

BUT there is nothing “almost” about Dianetics and Scientology.

And, in that regard, this latest planetary bullbait is but a blip in an epic Whole Track drama. Whereas what we possess has never existed before. So remember these words from Ron’s Journal 35 — FROM CLEAR TO ETERNITY:

“In this time and in this place — for possibly just a little while — we have this chance. To go free and to make it. Planets and cultures are frail things. They do not endure.” — LRH

And, on this day, in celebration of his birthday, also remember his wish for you:

“I strongly advise you to work hard at it — don’t waste this brief breath in eternity.

“For that is your future — ETERNITY.” — LRH

SUMMARY

Have no doubt, there is no slowing down for us.

In fact, right now there are no less than three new Ideal Orgs just weeks away from completion. And that’s not to mention the volume of new releases that will practically require a new phrase. (Golden Age Expanded?)

So once this current situation passes — and it will pass — you are going to need a seatbelt for when the rocket boosters fire for liftoff.

Captain David Miscavige
Chairman of the Board
Religious Technology Center