By Damian DeWitt, February 18, 2013
Catholic mother Victoria Britton of Charlottesville,
Virginia, made a stunning debut last Friday evening on a God Discussion radio
show speaking publicly for the first time about the suspicious death of her
20-year-old son Kyle Brennan while visiting his Scientologist father in
Clearwater, FL, six years ago.
It was the eve of the sixth anniversary of Kyle’s death on
February 16, 2007.
Listeners were horrified at the treatment Kyle received because of Scientology's hate-fueled War On Psychiatry simply because he was a mildly depressed college student.
Many listeners were moved to tears listening to Mrs. Britton speak, and particularly at this message she delivered:
"What I would like to say to people is...I would like to ask them this question, to the people who may be thinking about leaving the church of Scientology at this moment,
or perhaps they're confused whether they should stay or leave, I want them to ask themselves:
What kind of a belief system, one that calls itself a church, is going to ask you to deny the strongest instinct and emotions that make you human,
and that is to love and protect your children, and that no organization, especially one that calls itself a church, should ever ask a parent to throw their child away or to disconnect from them.
And to think about that, and when you do, don't walk away from this organization.
Run, as fast as you can, because your life or your child's life may depend on that."
Kyle's estate filed a wrongful death suit in 2007 in a Florida federal court, and the full might of Scientology's "holy war of litigation" bore down on the Britton family for the next five years.
An appeal in the case was denied in September 2012.
However, a reading of the articles at Justice For Kyle Brennan and study of depositions in the case, which only became public a year ago, suggest that obstruction of justice and violation of Kyle's civil rights have been massive. They cry out for investigation by government authorities.
It was heartening therefore to hear Mrs. Britton say the way forward to justice for Kyle Brennan is to seek re-opening of the case.
The death of Kyle Brennan is of the greatest significance not only in the US but around the world wherever Scientology wages its war on society.
Pre-show announcements were posted in French in Montreal, where Kyle's grandmother grew up, and in Spanish in Buenos Aires where his step-grandmother lives.
One commenter has posed the following question:
"Will Kyle Brennan be the 20-year-old David who brings the Scientology Goliath crashing to the ground?"
With wide-spread public support for the Britton family and attention from investigative journalists and the broadcast media this may very well be the case.
The first half of the show was dedicated to Victoria speaking out. In the second half three commenters discussed important aspects of Kyle's life and death - Canadian psychiatrist Dr. Steve Wiseman; former Scientology executive Lance Marcor; and David Love, who has led a campaign that has shut down the operations in Canada of Scientology's Narconon drug rehabilitation front group.
For readers who missed the show David Love has published an excellent summary, and they can find there a link to the podcast.
________________________________________________________________________________
Listeners were horrified at the treatment Kyle received because of Scientology's hate-fueled War On Psychiatry simply because he was a mildly depressed college student.
Many listeners were moved to tears listening to Mrs. Britton speak, and particularly at this message she delivered:
"What I would like to say to people is...I would like to ask them this question, to the people who may be thinking about leaving the church of Scientology at this moment,
or perhaps they're confused whether they should stay or leave, I want them to ask themselves:
What kind of a belief system, one that calls itself a church, is going to ask you to deny the strongest instinct and emotions that make you human,
and that is to love and protect your children, and that no organization, especially one that calls itself a church, should ever ask a parent to throw their child away or to disconnect from them.
And to think about that, and when you do, don't walk away from this organization.
Run, as fast as you can, because your life or your child's life may depend on that."
Kyle's estate filed a wrongful death suit in 2007 in a Florida federal court, and the full might of Scientology's "holy war of litigation" bore down on the Britton family for the next five years.
An appeal in the case was denied in September 2012.
However, a reading of the articles at Justice For Kyle Brennan and study of depositions in the case, which only became public a year ago, suggest that obstruction of justice and violation of Kyle's civil rights have been massive. They cry out for investigation by government authorities.
It was heartening therefore to hear Mrs. Britton say the way forward to justice for Kyle Brennan is to seek re-opening of the case.
The death of Kyle Brennan is of the greatest significance not only in the US but around the world wherever Scientology wages its war on society.
Pre-show announcements were posted in French in Montreal, where Kyle's grandmother grew up, and in Spanish in Buenos Aires where his step-grandmother lives.
One commenter has posed the following question:
"Will Kyle Brennan be the 20-year-old David who brings the Scientology Goliath crashing to the ground?"
With wide-spread public support for the Britton family and attention from investigative journalists and the broadcast media this may very well be the case.
The first half of the show was dedicated to Victoria speaking out. In the second half three commenters discussed important aspects of Kyle's life and death - Canadian psychiatrist Dr. Steve Wiseman; former Scientology executive Lance Marcor; and David Love, who has led a campaign that has shut down the operations in Canada of Scientology's Narconon drug rehabilitation front group.
For readers who missed the show David Love has published an excellent summary, and they can find there a link to the podcast.
________________________________________________________________________________
Ed. - We have reproduced the article above posted by Damian DeWitt
on Facebook and have edited it slightly.