Harold's Journal
Editorial Opinion By RWL - 13 September 1990

The State Health Department struck a temporary deal with the devil last Friday afternoon.
They agreed to allow the unlicensed and uncertified Scientology organization known as Narconon to continue in operation with its current 35 "patients."

But there are some important details in the fine print.

For one thing, Narconon, by agreeing to the settlement, has accepted the jurisdiction of the state, and will find it very difficult to bring up the matter of Indian sovereignty again in the future.

For another, Narconon is now tied to a time frame of about 30 days in which to get it's act together. It's been trying for 18 months or longer and hasn't been able to, so there is little reason to believe it will change its ways by the October meeting of the Mental Health Board.
In the meantime, Narconon can not accept any new patients until it complies with state law.
Had the court issued an injunction, chances are Narconon would have ignored it anyway until the appeals processes had been exhausted. That could have taken years.

The State Mental Health Department will send a two person audit team to Narconon this month to study their "treatment" program and make recommendations to the Mental health Board, which will decide whether or not to certify Narconon at it's October meeting.

The evaluation team report will be a public document. you can request a copy by writing Don Anderson, Chairman of the Department of Mental health, P.O. Box 53277 Capitol Station, Oklahoma City, OK 73152. They will send it as soon as it is available..
If necessary, once the evaluation report is complete - anyone can call for a public hearing in Newkirk on the matter. The City Commission already has.

If for some unimaginable reason the evaluation team is snowed into recommending certification there will be a public hearing called, and your comments will be attached to the report that goes before the Mental Health Board.

Scientology has characterized members of the Mental health profession as "barbarous criminals bent on creating insanity and madness with their tools of torture."

One of Scientology's avowed goals is the worldwide replacement of legitimate mental health care with the hocus-pocus of Dianetic processing.

Scientology echoes the shallow thinking of their founder, who made such obtuse and absurd pronouncements as "There is no such thing as a fat cell," and "Niacin runs out radiation." Statements, incidentally, which are indigenous to the Narconon treatment program. Others, equally foolish, abound.

Scientologists quote with reverence this man who claimed to be a nuclear physicist after taking and flunking one course in molecular phenomena at George Washington University... this phony who's doctorate degree came from a mail-order diploma mill.

It is difficult to believe that the Oklahoma Mental Health Board, composed primarily of eminent mental health professionals with legitimate credentials, could ever condone the operation of an establishment like Narconon in our state... let alone certify it as coming any where close to the professional standards they are sworn to uphold.

It would be prudent, nevertheless for each of us to notify the members of the Board of Mental health of our concern that they be aware of the deep deception and doublespeak of which Scientology is capable... that they inform and educate themselves about it's history, methods, and purposes, before they make their decision. If nothing else, send them this column. Their addresses follow:

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