FOLLOW ME ON
Daily Notifications
Sign up for free emails to receive the feature story every morning in your inbox at tonyortega.substack.com

Categories

Scientologist anti-vaxx group fundraises on the idea its big California loss was a win

[Renee Bessone‎ and Jonathan Lockwood at a Ulan Nutritional Systems symposium]

The Scientologist-led Conscience Coalition is continuing its anti-vaxx agenda despite losing the battle in California over SB 276, which made it more difficult for doctors to lie about their patients’ condition to get a medical exemption from required school vaccinations. Other bills are being introduced to increase vaccination rates including the Vaccinate All Children Act (H.R. 2527).

One member of the coalition received a reply to his letter opposing the bill and it seems clear the congressman understands the importance of vaccines in preventing infections in children.

 

 

Advertisement
That battle is yet to come as the bill hasn’t been voted on in committee. In the meantime the coalition is devoting its efforts to fundraising and building alliances. Renee Bessone‎ and Jonathan Lockwood attended the annual Ulan Nutritional Systems symposium to enlist Scientologist Freddie Ulan and his group of chiropractors in the anti-vaxx cause. It was an easy sell as Scientologist chiropractors are against the use of any medicine, including vaccines.

 

 
Members are being urged to purchase protest signs from Joshua Coleman, a non-Scientologist anti-vaxx activist from California. In 2015 Coleman was charged with willful cruelty to a child following an incident in which he vandalized a car and hid from police in a garbage can.

A few of Coleman’s signs deserve examination as they are misleading and show a poor understanding of medical facts. “Vaccines are not placebo safety tested.” Placebo testing is the gold standard for all medicines but there are ethical concerns with using a control group in vaccine trials. Some vaccines do go through trials with a control group, particularly when developing new lower cost vaccine that can be made available to a larger percentage of the population in low income countries. But placebo controls are not always used. A World Health Organization panel concluded “Placebo use in vaccine trials is clearly unacceptable when (a) a highly efficacious and safe vaccine exists and is currently accessible in the public health system of the country in which the trial is planned and (b) the risks to participants of delaying or foregoing the available vaccine cannot be adequately minimized or mitigated.”

“Vaccines are made with aborted fetal tissue.” This is a reference to the Rubella vaccine developed in the 1960s by Dr. Stanley Plotkin of the Wistar Institute. His vaccine uses a cell line transformed from a fetus that was legally aborted. A pregnant woman had contracted Rubella and was advised that if carried to term the baby could suffer from congenital rubella syndrome which causes deafness, heart disease, encephalitis, mental retardation, pneumonia and many other conditions.

The cell line developed from lung tissue of this fetus is called WI-38 and can be propagated forever without the need for additional fetal tissue. The vaccine is considered superior to those developed with duck embryo and dog kidney cell lines because of increased effectiveness and fewer side effects. WI-38 has since been used to develop vaccines against shingles, hepatitis A, chickenpox, rabies and others. The National Catholic Bioethics Center issued a statement that “One is morally free to use the vaccine regardless of its historical association with abortion.”

“Vaccine makers are exempt from liability.” U.S. Code § 300aa–22 exempts vaccine makers from liability for properly prepared products. Vaccines do carry a risk to the patient which is less than the risk of an unchecked epidemic. The goal of the vaccine makers is to eliminate a disease entirely, as was done with smallpox, so that vaccination and unintended harm to healthy patients can be eliminated. To promote that Congress issued an exemption from liability in 1986. The cost of defense and awards from those few harmed by a vaccine makes research and marketing of the product less attractive for companies. By removing that threat development of new, safer and more effective vaccines is promoted.

 

 
In addition to recruiting allies the Conscience Coalition is ramping up its fundraising activities. They promise they will use the money to draft model legislation opposing vaccine requirements. In this video Jonathan Lockwood discusses that effort and how the SB 276 loss is not really a loss, it was a win for the coalition.

Advertisement

— Rod Keller

 
——————–

Tampa Bay Times reveals Scientology’s new takeover of Clearwater

Last November, we heard from Clay Irwin that some suspicious property takeovers were happening in Clearwater. The rumor he heard was that Scientologists like the Agami family were quietly buying up property on Cleveland Street downtown so that Tom Cruise could open some kind of “entertainment district” in the city.

Now, Tracey McManus at the Tampa Bay Times has come out with a major investigation showing that since church leader David Miscavige’s attempt to buy a downtown parcel was snubbed by the city council, various Scientologists have gone on a shopping spree in Clearwater, buying up properties and essentially doubling the control Scientology has over the town’s downtown parcels.

Maybe even worse than a Tom Cruise entertainment district is the prospect that Scientology is simply letting the properties sit idle after buying them up to spite the city and its attempts to revitalize the area.

 
——————–

Bonus items from our tipsters

Meanwhile, in Canada…

 

 
——————–

Source Code

“The whole theory of psychotherapy fell down and went boom the moment we discovered that we were not treating the first dynamic when we were running engrams. Psychotherapy went by the boards. It died. It turned up its heels, and it has now even ceased to give an odor.” — L. Ron Hubbard, October 20, 1954

 
——————–

Overheard in the FreeZone

“There is nothing better than Scientology, because through it the dynamics make sense, everything becomes clear and obvious. Yet amazingly, we run straight into counter-intention. There’s a lot of people who have staked an incredible amount on perpetuating and strengthening the grip of apparency on us.”

 
——————–

Random Howdy

“Hubbard was like 12 when he was in Asia. The only thing he was studying was jerking off.”

 
——————–

Scientology’s celebrities, ‘Ideal Orgs,’ and more!

[Catherine Bell, Chick Corea, and Nancy Cartwright]

We’ve been building landing pages about David Miscavige’s favorite playthings, including celebrities and ‘Ideal Orgs,’ and we’re hoping you’ll join in and help us gather as much information as we can about them. Head on over and help us with links and photos and comments.

Scientology’s celebrities, from A to Z! Find your favorite Hubbardite celeb at this index page — or suggest someone to add to the list!

Scientology’s ‘Ideal Orgs,’ from one end of the planet to the other! Help us build up pages about each these worldwide locations!

Scientology’s sneaky front groups, spreading the good news about L. Ron Hubbard while pretending to benefit society!

Scientology Lit: Books reviewed or excerpted in our weekly series. How many have you read?

 
——————–

THE WHOLE TRACK

[ONE year ago] Scientology’s astounding pre-history in a new book you really need to read
[TWO years ago] Scientology’s Flag Building brain injury: In Clearwater, it’s déjà vu all over again
[THREE years ago] Chris Shelton: What Louis Theroux missed about the Scientology experience in his film
[FOUR years ago] Two years after Scientology’s ‘Super Power’ debuted, it’s still a flop
[FIVE years ago] Scientology is turning Larry Hagman’s house into a drunk tank for celebs
[SIX years ago] Next in the Garcia Fraud Lawsuit: Scientology Is Asked to Explain Its Arbitration System
[SEVEN years ago] 35-Year Scientologist Steve Poore Says Church Leader David Miscavige is “Scared to His Core”

 
——————–

Scientology disconnection, a reminder

Bernie Headley has not seen his daughter Stephanie in 5,603 days.
Valerie Haney has not seen her mother Lynne in 1,732 days.
Katrina Reyes has not seen her mother Yelena in 2,236 days
Sylvia Wagner DeWall has not seen her brother Randy in 1,756 days.
Brian Sheen has not seen his grandson Leo in 776 days.
Geoff Levin has not seen his son Collin and daughter Savannah in 667 days.
Christie Collbran has not seen her mother Liz King in 3,974 days.
Clarissa Adams has not seen her parents Walter and Irmin Huber in 1,842 days.
Carol Nyburg has not seen her daughter Nancy in 2,616 days.
Jamie Sorrentini Lugli has not seen her father Irving in 3,390 days.
Quailynn McDaniel has not seen her brother Sean in 2,736 days.
Dylan Gill has not seen his father Russell in 11,302 days.
Melissa Paris has not seen her father Jean-Francois in 7,221 days.
Valeska Paris has not seen her brother Raphael in 3,389 days.
Mirriam Francis has not seen her brother Ben in 2,970 days.
Claudio and Renata Lugli have not seen their son Flavio in 3,231 days.
Sara Goldberg has not seen her daughter Ashley in 2,270 days.
Lori Hodgson has not seen her son Jeremy and daughter Jessica in 1,982 days.
Marie Bilheimer has not seen her mother June in 1,508 days.
Charley Updegrove has not seen his son Toby in 1,034 days.
Joe Reaiche has not seen his daughter Alanna Masterson in 5,597 days
Derek Bloch has not seen his father Darren in 2,737 days.
Cindy Plahuta has not seen her daughter Kara in 3,057 days.
Roger Weller has not seen his daughter Alyssa in 7,913 days.
Claire Headley has not seen her mother Gen in 3,032 days.
Ramana Dienes-Browning has not seen her mother Jancis in 1,387 days.
Mike Rinder has not seen his son Benjamin and daughter Taryn in 5,690 days.
Brian Sheen has not seen his daughter Spring in 1,796 days.
Skip Young has not seen his daughters Megan and Alexis in 2,198 days.
Mary Kahn has not seen her son Sammy in 2,070 days.
Lois Reisdorf has not seen her son Craig in 1,653 days.
Phil and Willie Jones have not seen their son Mike and daughter Emily in 2,148 days.
Mary Jane Barry has not seen her daughter Samantha in 2,402 days.
Kate Bornstein has not seen her daughter Jessica in 13,511 days.

——————–

Posted by Tony Ortega on October 20, 2019 at 07:00

E-mail tips to tonyo94 AT gmail DOT com or follow us on Twitter. We also post updates at our Facebook author page. After every new story we send out an alert to our e-mail list and our FB page.

Our new book with Paulette Cooper, Battlefield Scientology: Exposing L. Ron Hubbard’s dangerous ‘religion’ is now on sale at Amazon in paperback and Kindle formats. Our book about Paulette, The Unbreakable Miss Lovely: How the Church of Scientology tried to destroy Paulette Cooper, is on sale at Amazon in paperback, Kindle, and audiobook versions. We’ve posted photographs of Paulette and scenes from her life at a separate location. Reader Sookie put together a complete index. More information can also be found at the book’s dedicated page.

The Best of the Underground Bunker, 1995-2018 Just starting out here? We’ve picked out the most important stories we’ve covered here at the Underground Bunker (2012-2018), The Village Voice (2008-2012), New Times Los Angeles (1999-2002) and the Phoenix New Times (1995-1999)

Other links: BLOGGING DIANETICS: Reading Scientology’s founding text cover to cover | UP THE BRIDGE: Claire Headley and Bruce Hines train us as Scientologists | GETTING OUR ETHICS IN: Jefferson Hawkins explains Scientology’s system of justice | SCIENTOLOGY MYTHBUSTING: Historian Jon Atack discusses key Scientology concepts | Shelly Miscavige, 14 years gone | The Lisa McPherson story told in real time | The Cathriona White stories | The Leah Remini ‘Knowledge Reports’ | Hear audio of a Scientology excommunication | Scientology’s little day care of horrors | Whatever happened to Steve Fishman? | Felony charges for Scientology’s drug rehab scam | Why Scientology digs bomb-proof vaults in the desert | PZ Myers reads L. Ron Hubbard’s “A History of Man” | Scientology’s Master Spies | The mystery of the richest Scientologist and his wayward sons | Scientology’s shocking mistreatment of the mentally ill | The Underground Bunker’s Official Theme Song | The Underground Bunker FAQ

Watch our short videos that explain Scientology’s controversies in three minutes or less…

Check your whale level at our dedicated page for status updates, or join us at the Underground Bunker’s Facebook discussion group for more frivolity.

Our non-Scientology stories: Robert Burnham Jr., the man who inscribed the universe | Notorious alt-right inspiration Kevin MacDonald and his theories about Jewish DNA | The selling of the “Phoenix Lights” | Astronomer Harlow Shapley‘s FBI file | Sex, spies, and local TV news | Battling Babe-Hounds: Ross Jeffries v. R. Don Steele

 

Share Button
Print Friendly, PDF & Email
ADVERTISEMENT