NAACP and Scientology

Introducing Keshet

From: keshet@cyberpass.net
Date: Sat Oct 25 16:55:11 1997
Subj: Kweisi Mfume, Pres., NAACP
To: teddy@skylink.net

Dear Mr. Mayett:

Allow me to introduce myself— my name is Keshet. I'm a lurker on a.r.s.…have been for some months now. I don't participate actively because, well, I'm shy to begin with, but mostly because I just don't have anything to contribute. I have never been a Scientologist and to the best of my recollection, don't even know any. Nevertheless, I've found the newsgroup fascinating…and very educational.

As it happens, shortly after your posts and webpages about the NAACP awards and Hubbard's racism, I received an "invitation" to become a Friend of the NAACP (ie, a solicitation for financial support). Intellectually, philosophically, emotionally…I want to continue my membership, but their association with Scientology gives me pause. In fact, I have written a letter to Kweisi Mfume, President of the NAACP, to explain why I cannot make a contribution to his organization as long as it recognizes/validates/legitimizes a criminal cult like Scientology. I am hoping that the withholding of my financial support will draw some attention to this issue (borrowing from a popular bon mot—"grab 'em by the wallet and their hearts will surely follow" :-).

Since your efforts and webpages were the inspiration for my letter —and were cited therein— I thought it good manners to forward a copy to you. I've also taken the liberty of including the Friend of the NAACP invitation in the event you might find some of it useful. Copyright may apply here (lots of experts on that in a.r.s. :-) so use, or not, as you see fit. In the least, it provides another address to which you might send your "NAACP package."

Thank you for your efforts.

Keshet