Robots Used to Treat Autistic Kids

Robots used to treat autistic kids • The Register:

"US boffins say they have developed a method for treating children with autism - the condition characterised by repetitive behaviour, difficulties understanding human language and/or lack of imagination - by having them spend time with robots."

Jason McElway, Autistic Basketball Hero

There's been a lot of talks about autism during the Jett Travolta's tragedy. Jett may have been autistic, and he liked sport too. Just like this guy. Autism is a bit of a mystery to me, and that video below juts kind of deepen that mystery further.

Thanks to Scientologist Stan Dubin for pointing it out.

YouTube - Jason McElway, Autistic Basketball Hero

Losing Jett - People.com

Losing Jett - Death, Personal Tragedy, Individual Class, John Travolta, Kelly Preston, : People.com

A moving article by People Magazine.

"Jett looked at John as if he was the sun and the moon," says McDermott. "And John reciprocated." [...]

"When Ella would go shopping she would always say, 'Let's get this for Jett—he loves kites,'" recalls Ossi. [...] Now his grieving parents are struggling to make sense of losing the son they loved so fiercely. "Ella is trying to keep her mom and dad up," says Ossi. "She is giving them lots of hugs and kisses and being there for them as a friend and as a daughter."

The magazine had now time to do proper researches, and depicts quite adequately Scientology's position in the matter:

"Sources close to the Travolta family say Jett received top-notch medical care and that any suggestion to the contrary—including the notion that the couple's Scientology beliefs would prevent them from pursuing conventional medical treatment for Jett—is false." [...]

"... Tommy Davis, a spokesman for the Church of Scientology International (above, the church's Celebrity Centre in Hollywood). "Autism is a medical condition. We've never said the church doesn't recognize it." Nor does Scientology prohibit the treatment of seizures. "

It was already obvious that Jett suffered some form of neurological disorder, and actress Anne Archer (actually the mother of the above-named Tommy Davis) confirms this:

"I observed that he was significantly mentally handicapped"

The article also confirms that apparently nobody ever heard Jett speak:

"the young man who often smiled but was never heard speaking; " [...]

"Jett, who never spoke or interacted with the other kids" [....]

"John was the one who put the shoes on his feet and would ask him, 'How do these feel, buddy?'" recalls an employee. "Jett was smiling really big."

This, of course, makes suspicions that he suffered from autism stronger. However, as a reminder, even if this was the case (and such a diagnostic cannot be made easily), it would have changed nothing, since there is no cure for it, and the main danger, that of seizures, was fully taken into account - even though, tragically, they had the better on Jett eventually.

Document in Travolta Case is Refusal to Transport

Fresh Intelligence : Radar Online : Travolta Extortion Mystery Solved: "Some reports said a photograph was at the center of the case. But RadarOnline.com has learned that the extortion charges stem from a conversation Travolta had with the paramedic concerning where Jett should be treated. Travolta originally wanted to fly Jett back to the U.S. for treatment, believing it would take just as long to transport his son to a Bahamian hospital as it would to fly him to Florida. RadarOnline.com confirmed with a source close to the situation that while Travolta originally preferred to have Jett treated in the U.S. he realized there was no time and agreed to have him treated in the Bahamas. [...]

The Nassau Guardian reported "Dames said police have a copy of a document they have not been able to prove the authenticity of. The document, he said, is a refusal to transport document. "

Medic Charged with Attempted Extortion and Forgery

Note that he was charged with forgery too, giving some indication of what the blackmail content might have been.

Bahamas medic charged in Travolta extortion plot | Reuters: "Prosecutors allege the paramedic, Tarino Lightbourne, 47, tried to extort Travolta by means of threats. They also charged him with forgery."

Bahama Cops: Obie's Still in Our Crosshairs - TMZ.com: "As TMZ first reported, the subject of the alleged plot is NOT a photo. Rather, it is a document."

Travolta Files Complaint of Attempted Extortion

Strange story.

Furthermore, how can a Senator be arrested? I thought they had immunity.

The Associated Press: Bahamas senator accused in Travolta plot resigns

Quote of the Day - John and Jett

l.l.lipshitz:

"eg, do you have evidence that co$ and the travoltas deliberately killed jett? have you turned it over to the police yet?"

Elle (lipshitz) is questioning one Kennethnoisewater's assertions, the ludicrousness of which can be seen at:

http://stopscientology.blogspot.com/2009/01/jett-travolta-was-taken-off-medication.html
http://stopscientology.blogspot.com/2009/01/jett-travolta-dies-because-of.html
http://stopscientology.blogspot.com/2009/01/john-travolta-refused-to-help-his-son.html

Check also the rest of the thread, and see how quickly simply questioning and asking for dox turn into the usual "helping OSA" accusations, to which Elle had this to say:

"i told no one to shut up, tho i do understand that accusation is the traditional ars response tocontrary opinions. why am i 'helping them out' (doing osa's work??) by criticizing critics for slinging assumptions and innuendo like hog slop? when did it become a crime to ask questions or expect accurate info from critics? when did facts become so scary?"

Ledger Links Tom and Jett

Heath Ledger's Family 'Overjoyed' By Golden Globe Win - Movie News Story | MTV Movie News

Heath Ledger won the Golden Globe Award for Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role in a Motion Picture for his work as the joker in "The Dark Knight."

I am overjoyed by this news.

Ledger was up against veteran actors like Tom Cruise, Robert Downey Jr., Ralph Fiennes and Philip Seymour Hoffman, but Heath performace in the Batman motion picture was stunning and, besides, he passed away tragically.

So where is the link?

I already wrote before about the irony of both Jett Travolta and the son of Dr. Dre passing away around the same time, one of a seizure about which much is being talked about in terms of drugs, and the other of an overdose of heroine!

Now what was the cause of death of Heath last January? Of an accidental overdose of prescription medication!

So there's a distant link there between Cruise, contender to Heath for the Globe, and Jett...

It also brings up in the news, again! that drug theme...

This should remind us that the number of death and disabilities related to prescribed medicines went from 35,000 in 1998 to 90,000 in 2005, according to the Archives of Internal Medicine, and that 50,000 Americans die every year of seizures,

So much for critics trying to split hair in trying to force-fit a cause celebre death by seizure into the evil tentacle of Scientology and its supposed absence of drugs treatment.

Second Counter-Jett Missile Destroyed

I reported yesterday about the Counter-Jett missiles second wave.

The second such missile now is:

Leaked Recording of Scientology Founder Proves That Church Lied

Unfortunately for critics, it did not hit its target, because it was destroyed by a counter-counter missile as a correction published by the same news outlet. Again, it is worth to be quoted in full:

Response to False Allegations About Scientology

Published: January 10,2009
Letter to the Editor
Response to False Allegations About Scientology


You published a letter to the editor on entitled "Leaked Recording of Scientology Founder Proves That Church Lied".

In fact, the article never went down to quote where exactly it proves such. The author of this article makes all kinds of claims based on a lecture given by Scientology founder L. Ron Hubbard, but fails to provide the exact quotes that supposedly disproves the Church of Scientology assertions. It only provides a general reference that in fact does not really say anything one way or the other. It didn't say "you must tell him to come off drugs", it said, "And then you come along as an auditor and you try to audit the pc and you tell the pc that he'll have to go off that drug". That's a comment about what another person might do, not a directive of what action to take.

The best proof that Scientology does not forbid the use of drugs for the treatment of seizure is the affidavit of Tory Christman that can easily be found by googling - "Tory Christman" affidavit 2003. Though this affidavit was initially made for accusing Scientology of putting people off from their medication, it ends up proving the exact contrary. Christman spent 30 years online and on staff, doing almost the complete Scientology "Bridge", while taking her anti-seizure medicine in full view and knowledge of all. Requests by unqualified staff that she stops taking them have been systematically over-ruled by proper Church of Scientology authorities, and by L. Ron Hubbard himself!

Scientology does not oppose the use of drugs like Depakote for medical reasons. It only opposes it when used to treat mental conditions. The author of this article simply fails to make appropriate distinctions between medical and mental conditions, as well as when the same drug is used for the treatment of physical symptoms and when it is used to treat mental conditions.

As for the claim that "Hubbard referred to epilepsy related terms as "gobbledygook", all L. Ron Hubbard says is that much of the medical jargon in general is incomprehensible for the lay man: "Now I've been using a lot of medical words here or chemical words really. Just don't pay any attention to them because they're mostly gobbledygook, and there's an awful lot of gobbledygook words." It does not in the least, as is hinted, means any disrespect towards people suffering of epilepsy.

The article assertions about autism are just as absurd.

Joey Travolta is not qualified to make a snap diagnosis of autism, nor can such a diagnosis be made through viewing a few minutes of a video footage. The process for diagnosing autism is complex and generally requires not just one professional, but often multiple professionals. No competent medical professional would just look at someone and make a snap diagnosis!

It is also false to claim that autism is not accepted by the Church of Scientology. The article does not provide evidence for such a claim whatsoever. Scientology may not agree with psychiatric treatment of mental illnesses but has not made any comment about autism, which, by the way, is not considered as mental illness by the medical profession themselves.

Nor does the article offer anything in evidence to its innuendos that a two years old was subjected to a dangerous level of niacin. It only indulge in unwarranted speculations to that effect, speculations that almost certainly are false knowing the obvious love the Travolta's displayed for their children..

Given what critics demonstrated by jumping in the middle of mourning comments with rumors (later on proven false) and heartless accusations towards the Travolta family, they are not very credible when they claim, as they do in this article, that the circumstance of Jett Travolta's tragic death should only be discussed with the utmost respect of the family.

This article only attempts to cover with a layer of apparent researches, pseudo-science, and a lot of obfuscations, the same kind of hatred and prejudice they engaged at the time, but even a superficial examination is enough to blow such a layer away.

Counter-Jett Missiles Second Wave

The first wave was critics jumping on mourning comments, shooting speculative rumors with both barrels, and massively putting critics in a very bad light.

The second wave are more researched articles, trying to rationalize and justify their pet arguments, that Scientology caused the death of Jett Travolta. Check for example this article:

Tragedy and Conflict Between Medicine and Scientology in the Death of Jett Travolta | BuzzFlash.org

Unfortunately for them, they don't seem to be that more successful in their attempt than during the first wave, and I post here in full one of the comments to that article:

Armchair Diagnosis Unsuccessful to Prove Assertions
Submitted by sunude on Sat, 01/10/2009 - 9:44am.

The author claims to be a medical physician but declines to give his name. At this price, I too can claim to be a medical physician, but let's assume that he really is.

Unfortunately, though claiming to be an MD, he does not succeed to substantiate his claim that Jett Travolta's death was "very preventable"

I agree with his assertion that "it is easy to see how an anti-medication culture might develop within Scientology". Obviously, Scientologists, like anybody else, need to have a pragmatic approach to their religion, and I think the Travoltas have beautifully illustrated that pragmatism.

The CoS demonstrated that they have this practical approach too. The best proof that Scientology does not forbid the use of drugs for the treatment of seizure is the affidavit of Tory Christman, that can easily be found by googling - "Tory Christman" affidavit 2003. Though this affidavit was initially made for accusing Scientology of putting people off from their medication, it ends up proving the exact contrary. Christman spent 30 years online and on staff, doing almost the complete Scientology "Bridge", while taking her anti-seizure medicine in full view and knowledge of all. Requests by unqualified staff that she stops taking them have been systematically over-ruled by proper Church of Scientology authorities, and by L. Ron Hubbard himself!

The author is speculating as to what method have been followed to stop medications. We may never know, and the parents have a right to keep whatever medical information private. As for his allegation that he would keep the patient in the hospital, I doubt this is very practical or a common practice. The seizures are only occasional, and what would a teenager who is otherwise healthy, and who loves outdoor activities, do in an hospital all day long for weeks on end just waiting for a seizure to come?

By all means, this is irrelevant to the point the author wants to make about Scientology. What does it have to do with Scientology? We could spend months speculating as to what the parents should have done or not, it does not seem very productive.

The question as to whether Jett's supposed autism was improperly treated as a result of the couple's adherence to Scientology is irrelevant. As an MD, the author should know that there are no treatment able to cure autism, that there are no medicine for it, and that it also is not deadly by itself.

His speculation that if jett did not talk then "it would be highly likely that Jett had autism" does not strike me as very professional either. The process for diagnosing autism is complex and generally requires not just one professional, but often multiple professionals. Almost all of the symptoms of autism which must be established also occur in other, similar disorders, so all these other possible diagnoses need to be eliminated as well. There are also many marginal cases where something could be autism or something else, and it isn't easy to decide even after gathering all appropriate diagnostic information. A diagnosis of autism is something which follows someone for life. No competent medical professional would just look at someone and make a snap diagnosis.

This being said, I agree with the author that the defiance of Scientology practitioners towards psychiatry would preclude them from getting a psychiatry opinion. However, given the fact that there are no medicine for autism, nor test to detect it, I doubt this is very relevant. Treatments are at best aimed to improve the patient quality of life, and in that respect we can safely assume that Jett had the best there could be had on this planet.

I also agree with him that so far the Church of Scientology has failed to explicitly pronounced itself on autism. This may reflect indeed some ambiguity. But again, given the above, it really has no importance. The key point are the seizure, and there was no failing on the Travolta/Preston family to at least acknowledge these.

"Scientology has a reputation for aggressively and personally attacking its critics, which is probably why the major anti-Scientology internet group goes by the name of 'Anonymous.'"

This is false. The group known as Anonymous were already known by that name long before their encounter with Scientology.

"But in examining Jett's story from a medical perspective, it certainly appears that for some reason Jett did not receive the medical care he needed and the results were indeed tragic."

I disagree with the assertion that the author as showed anything the like in this article. He pointed out to the possible lack of medical care a Scientologist may be guilty of for distrust towards drugs that would treat seizure, but it appears the travoltas did use them for Jett. He speculated as to whether these were properly stopped, and we know nothing about that. He engaged in a pop psychological armchair diagnostic of autism when no competent MD would do such a thing, suggesting that treatment of the condition may have avoided the drama, when in fact there is no treatment for the condition as such, and the real problem were the seizures.

I don't see where in the least he engaged in an valid examination of Jett'story from a medical perspective. Quite on the contrary, I have reasons to think that this author is as much a MD as I am the Queen of England, and that he may simply be a Scientology critic just posing as such.

His assertion that "Jett did not receive the medical care he needed and the results were indeed tragic" is completely unwarranted and unproven.

This being said, I must admit the article is well-written and each point is nicely developed. The content, however, appears to be influenced by a strong bias, leading the author to draw unwarranted conclusions based on weak arguments.

Finally:

"Sadly, Jett Travolta may have been the innocent victim of a decades old conflict between the ideas of Scientology and medicine."

This too, the author failed to prove. Simply asserting that Scientologists are cautious towards psychiatrists is hardly enough to prove that point. To date, it has not been proven conclusively that Scientology had anything to do with this tragic event at all.

Celebrities Attend Jett Memorial

Fresh Intelligence : Radar Online : Celebrities Attend Jett Memorial: "The following celebrities were among the 100 people who attended the memorial service for Jett Travolta:

Lisa Marie Presley; country music singers Garth Brooks and wife Trisha Yearwood; Academy Award-winning actor Forest Whitaker; Sopranos lead James Gandolfini; Cheers star Kirstie Alley; and baseball Hall of Famer Cal Ripken Jr.

A source told the Star-Banner in Ocala that the only person who spoke at the service was a female minister of the Church of Scientology. The guests came into the tent for the service and after they were seated, Travolta, Preston and their 8-year-old daughter, Ella Bleu, arrived.

After the service ended, both parents kissed the photo of Jett displayed behind the podium."

Tory Chrisman Proves CoS Not Against Seizure Medications

(Tip of the hat to Monica Pignotti for pointing this out in her blog.)

Tory Christman claims that she was ordered off from her seizure medication by the CoS but she forgets to say that such illegal orders were promptly overturned by higher CoS authorities, and that for the 30 years she was in the Scientology she was allowed to take her medicine, as confirmed by her 2003 affidavit.

You will hear from the press allegations that Tory Christman, a notorious anti-Scientologist, claims she was ordered off her seizure medications by the Church of Scientology and that she nearly died - something that is presented as a "proof" by anti-Scientologists that this is really what the Scientology teaches. Innuendoes, of course, directed at the tragic death of Jett Travolta.

Unfortunately for Tory Christman (also known as Tory Bezazian, or Magoo), she made in 2001 an affidavit, that she revised in 2003, where she states the exact opposite.

Notwithstanding what she may proclaim today, this affidavit is one of the best proof, if there was, that Scientology does not require people to abandon their seizure medicines if these are necessary.

Reading this affidavit, you will see that indeed some zealous young Scientologist told her that she could not be in Sea Organization if on meds, and she was given a leave to stop them. She tried but could not. She was routed off staff with a huge debt. However, L. Ron Hubbard himself canceled this absurd decision (at least partly) and told her to get back on line and get auditing. He never said she should lay her medications off as a condition! She went up all the way to OT 7 while everybody knew perfectly well that she was on full seizure medications!

Speak about "being ordered to stop her meds", when L. Ron Hubbard himself didn't ask her to do it, knowing full well of the situation!

She spent a freaking 30 years in Scientology after this incident, going up the bridge and working on staff, all the while people being fully aware, as is also clear through that affidavit, that she was epileptic and taking medication for it!

In 1989 (that's three years after Hubbard's death), she was told by another fool (a 15 years-old boy for God sake!) that she was not allowed on Flag Land Base to do her OT 4, presumably because of her epileptic condition. This decision was again overturned by a higher authority within the Church of Scientology, giving her full clearance to go all the way up the bridge while still being on medication!!! This authority even sent all the fools who told her otherwise back to revise their material!

So, Christman's own affidavit totally contradicts any claims that she was ordered off her medication. Some ignorant young fools, did, but these decision were systematically overturned by the proper authorities in the church.

If anything, that affidavit is quite on the contrary a good example that the claims Scientology prevents people to take medicine against seizure are absolutely false!

Now you can watch what she is now saying in the press, or what others are saying on her behalf, and compare it with her own affidavit!

Related blog entries:

• Magoo's False Justification
• Magoo Censorship
• Tory Christman Has Gone Completely Nuts
• The Anatomy of Manipulation
• Tory Christman Lies About her Seizures

Scientology Treatment of Medical Conditions

Scientologists Sponsor the Drug Free Ambassadors of Australia


We have seen constantly repeated in the press these last days the following assertions:

• Scientology does not allow medical treatment or the use of medical drugs
• Scientology does not recognizes autism
• Scientology is against the use of drugs for the treatment of seizure

These statements are totally false and come from anti-Scientologists with an axe to grin. Nevertheless, these false statements have been repeated in the press without verification of source whatsoever and as if they were facts.


MEDICAL TREATMENT

The assertion that Scientology does not allow medical treatment is easily proven false. The Church of Scientology always had clear statements to this effect on its web site:

http://www.scientology.org/religion/catechism/pg016.html
http://scientologytoday.org/Common/question/pg27.htm

In the meantime, it also issued an official statement that basically repeats what was posted on the addresses above already (though I wonder why they don't publish it on their own web site).

Tommy Davis, spokesman for Scientology International, and Frank Flinn, religious studies professor at Washington University, have both made comments to that effect as well.


DRUGS

While it is true that Scientology does not approve of the use of drugs for the treatment of mental conditions, they have no such directive whatsoever towards drugs for the treatment of physical ailments. See the above references for confirmation, or this paragraph from the official statement:

"Scientologists use medical drugs and prescription medication when physically ill and also rely on the advice and treatment of medical doctors. Scientologists do not take street drugs or mind altering psychiatric drugs of any kind."

AUTISM

Neither I nor the Scientologists I inquired with ever heard of any rule or position regarding autism from the CoS. One has to wonder, then, where anti-Scientologists and the press who repeated their false and fallacious assertions got the idea from.

While it is true that the Scientology does not believe in the treatment of mental illnesses through drugs, autism is not a mental illness. It is a neurological based condition, thus a medical condition. It would therefore fall under the medical treatment rule as above.

However, there is no medicine to treat autism. Nor is there any cure for it. Nor is it lethal on its own (the seizures being only a co-morbid conditions and not part of the syndrome).

Those who have taken pride about "predicting" the death of Jett if his supposed autism condition was not treated have in fact spoken from the top of their head and only displayed their ignorance and prejudice.

Being without clear directive from the CoS regarding this question, the two Scientologists to whom I put the question simply extended the existing rules to the case:

Louanne:

"There are no claims whether “autism” exists or not and I don’t think the Church has any official policy about autism. Whatever that condition may be, any physical component (like brain damage, seizures etc) would certainly be treated medically."

Grahame:

"The truth is that autism is a physical problem and is therefore addressed by physical means. If by "Scientology" they mean the subject itself, then in my study of the subject I have never seen any mention of this condition, probably because it's a physical condition and Scientology deals with the spiritual."

There is something else you need to know about autism. Autism is not a condition you can diagnose "on sight", as Tim Kenny, Travolta's neighbor, did, and which was readily reported as if his amateur diagnostic was an established fact. Check this out:

"The process for diagnosing autism is complex and generally requires not just one professional, but often multiple professionals.

Almost all of the symptoms of autism which must be established also occur in other, similar disorders, so all these other possible diagnoses need to be eliminated as well. There are also many marginal cases where something could be autism or something else, and it isn't easy to decide even after gathering all appropriate diagnostic information.

A diagnosis of autism is something which follows someone for life. No competent medical professional would just look at someone and make a snap diagnosis. "

Is there any reason to doubt that Travolta and Preston would not have the resources to avail the best medical opinion there is? I believe that if they have been "in denial" about the fact that Jett suffered from autism, it simply was because he wasn't. I am quite confident that if the doctors they consulted had made this diagnostic, they would have deployed all the means at their disposal to give Jett the best treatment there was, even if none could cure him. And no non-existent Church policy would have stopped them, contrary to what critics said about them supposedly putting their religion before the wellness of their children.

Now this does not mean that Jett did not suffer from another neurological based condition. As people noted, he did give the appearance of it and I believe that claim to be valid, though nobody, including John and Kelly, seem to know what it was exactly. The important point, though, were the seizures, and these were fully taken into account.

Even admitting that the Travoltas were in denial of an existing autism condition, it would not have changed a thing, since it is not lethal, does not have a cure, does not have drug or medicine. Some people said Jett would have had a better quality of life if the family acknowledged Jett's autistic condition, but I doubt anybody suffering from a neurological disorder, whatever the name, could have had a better quality of life than Jett.

The important thing is this: Jett had a history of seizure, and this was fully acknowledged by the family. They certainly were not in denial about what was the dangerous aspect of whatever neurological disorder Jett may have had - the seizures, that eventually killed him, which is our last point.


SEIZURES

In its press release, the CoS explicitly addressed seizures, aligning it with medical conditions, and thereby making it fall under the rule of medical treatment. It also is false to claim that Scientology would be against the use of drugs to treat seizure. Again, whoever spread that rumor was either misinformed or malicious, or both.

However, there is a catch:

"The majority of seizure medications out there are also used as psychiatric medications - Tegretol and Depakote are used for bipolar illness, Klonopin and Valium for anxiety, Lamictal for depression, and so on. "

That would probably be a dilemma for many Scientologists, but at the end of the day, they don't have much choice. From what I understand, as long as these drugs are being used to threat medical ailments and not mental symptoms, Scientology would not object and would consider it a personal matter, leaving to the parents and individuals affected to decide.

This is also confirmed by the to Scientologists I consulted:

Grahame:

First of all, a Scientologist is not "instructed" to seek medical advice or any other kind of advice by the Church. You write as if the Church runs our entire lives. When my friends' little girl first had a seizure they called an ambulance. They didn't call the Church and ask what to do.

More Grahame:

Physical problems like seizures need to be addressed with the appropriate physical handling. If a drug that handles seizures can also be used for other purposes then I don't think that is important. It is up to the person or parent to get the facts and make a decision based on their own due diligence and the advice of their medical practitioner.

Louanne:

Seizures are a medical problem and certainly anti-seizure medication is ok in the Church’s book. I can add some personal experience to this, namely from knowing two epileptics and Scientologists who are taking their medicine regularly. Such medication is absolutely part of some Scientologists life and the Church of Scientology does not interfere in that.

And of course, we also know now that the Travoltas have been using Depakote for many years, all the while being in perfectly good standing with the Church of Scientology.


CONCLUSION

As it turn out, thus, the truth is that:

• Scientology does allow medical treatment or the use of drugs
• Scientology does recognizes neurological conditions as medical conditions
• Scientology is not against the use of drugs for the treatment of seizure

Not only those anti-Scientologists, who burst in mourning comments, pointing fingers and assigning blame, have shown themselves totally insensitive and heartless, they also were damn wrong!

At the end of the day, more than something that badly reflects against Scientology, it turns out to be something that badly reflects against critics.

They have called this upon themselves by prematurely jumping to conclusions before all the facts were known, making demeaning and hurtful comments towards a family deeply in pain, and failing to display any measure of true critical thinking, something they supposedly possess in great abundance...

This obviously is no surprise to me, as I have reported many other instances of such behavior over the years on my web site.

Not all critics did engage in such a fanatical and de-humanized behavior, though. Some did put the human aspect before their personal engagement, to wit, Mark Bunker and Howard Stern, but what the public have seen in the news comment is the impression they will retain, the end result being more sympathy for the Scientologists and less credibility for their critics.

Those critics who have jumped to conclusions and blame have now switched tactic. They can't find any valid argument to blame Scientology for Jett's death anymore, so they just use innuendos to give the impression that similar deaths plague Scientology's history. But this is another story, another of their countless myths.

Detox

I have heard about the news that Dr. Dre lost a son at about the same time as Travolta, but only now do I learn that his anticipated 2009 album is called ... Detox! Or at least was supposed to be...

Detox???

You gotta be kidding! After all we read about Jett getting through the Detox Scientology program!!!

And how about the fact that Dr. Dre son died of an overdose of heroin? I don't seem to hear an army of critics on that one. Apparently, dying after an overdose of love and care from parents that are Scientologist is BAD, but dying from an overdose of heroin is all ... OK!!!

In what world are we living?

And another great article from the National Post:

The Son Also Rises: John Travolta and Dr. Dre both mourn the death of a boy - The Ampersand:

"Tragedies in pop culture keep happening in groups. [...] Now, as the new year begins, John Travolta and Doctor Dre find themselves in horrible company: both superstar millionaires are mourning the death of their sons.

Coroners announced on January 3 that Doctor Dre's son had died of a heroin and morphine combination overdose. [...] It must've been hard for Dre, whose breakthrough solo record was The Chronic and his anticipated 2009 album is called Detox, to talk to his boy about drugs. Still, the line between entertainment and real life is tragic, and I wouldn't be surprised if Dre is listening to his record again very closely before deciding what he wanted to put out.

Doctor Dre and John Travolta aren't as professionally different as one might think. Both started their careers early, fell off, disappeared, then had highly-touted comebacks. Travolta just voiced Bolt. Three of 2009's biggest records -- Eminem, 50 Cent and his own -- are all representative of Dre's signature G-Funk sound.

There is no immunization from horror. Something both John Travolta and Doctor Dre are definitely thinking about now. "

As If Losing a Child Is Not Painful Enough

globeandmail.com: Peter Falk: a Hollywood King Lear?: "While grieving the sudden death of his 16-year-old son Jett (who reportedly hit his head on a bathtub during a seizure), John Travolta has been facing wild speculation in the media about his son's isolation at the time and about his Scientology-based refusal to administer anti-seizure medications to the boy (seemingly untruths, all)."

Howard Stern Gets It Right

John, Kelly and Jett

On Jett Travolta, Howard Stern Gets It Right | strollerderby at babblebaby.com.au:
"This morning on Sirius XM Radio, Howard Stern commented on the death of John Travolta and Kelly Preston's son Jett Travolta. In the past, Howard has ruthlessly mocked Scientology; long before it was de rigeur to poke fun at L. Ron Hubbard's celebrity religion, he would read internal Scientology newsletters on the air, exposing their wackiness to the world at large. So one might expect Stern to go after Travolta with both barrels.

Not this time. He said that while some were going to condemn Travolta and Preston for not giving their son medication for what most people felt was autism, he wasn't going to go there, at least not today. Then he made the best point anyone can make about Jett's passing: 'There's nothing sadder than burying your own child.'[...]

Now, lest you think that The Howard Stern Show has become an encounter group, he did later joke that kawasaki disease, which Jett reportedly suffered from, is a disease that "turns you into a motorcycle." (It was kind of a funny, throw away line said during a conversation.) So whatever you think of Howard or his long-running radio show, let's give him credit for getting this one right."

Why is Tim Kenny Dead?

Conspiracy theories aside, why did Tim Kenny commit suicide?

Like for all such cases, we will never know for sure, and it is just too easy to assign blame.

According to his wife, it was because of financial problems, after he lost his job.

At first sight, it would look crazy that someone would do this for financial problems. How does it resolve anything? In which way does it help his autistic daughter? To me, at first sight, the answer is obviously that it does not resolve anything and is more detrimental to his daughter than whatever he advised to the Travoltas to do. It's crazy.

But then, I don't want to be too judgmental, because while it is something I personally would never do, I am not in his shoes, and, though I was never depressed myself, I know that people who go through this experience also go through terrible mental anguish and pain. Their view of the world gets horribly distorted, and even the most insignificant problem becomes something they just cannot cope with.

Here is what his wife had to say about a comment that blamed him for his act:

"As Mr Kennys widow I am deeply upset by your comments. You HAVE ABSOLUTELY NO IDEA WHAT YOU ARE TALKING ABOUT! My husband was a wonderful man and a great father. he stood for things that you wouldnt have the guts to stand for. If you knew anything you would know that suicide is sometimes the end result of a illness called depression. He did not take his life because there was no money, he took his life because he was such a proud man that he could financially care for his family and all that it costs with a disabled child and when he lost his job that day it devasted him because he felt like our daughter would no longer be able to get her therapies. he felt like he let us down, that is a real man!!!!!so next time you write terrible things you might consider that wife and daughter that you spoke of and how he was hurting by his actions, you have hurt by your comments..... Its the pot calling the kettle black! "

This being said, I find it incongruous that he would take on himself to make an amateur "on sight" diagnostic on Travolta's son, giving John advises on what to do, and then end up doing such an incredible thing as taking his life as a "solution" to anything.

I know he "stood up to Travolta" out of the goodness of his heart and because he felt that this was the right thing to do, but at the end of the day, it just is absurd.

If anything, it shows that there are no easy answers to human problems, and even less so in such a sensitive field.


Update Jan 7:

I just read the AP article about the small town of Ocala, and this prompted me to think of the following.

This is pure speculation, I will freely admit, but could the loss of Tim's job, that prompted the events that led to his suicide, be due in part to Mark Ebner's article?

By Jove, look at the comments on Ebner's article. They mostly admonish Kenny, telling him to mind his own business and how does he know any of the things he claims, like John and Kelly supposedly "let Jett sit in front of video games all day eating junk food, while they eat the best organic food money can buy". Now how about a small town like Ocala where most of its inhabitant consider the Travoltas as family? It may be that Ebner's article was most unwelcome there.

Tim's attitude no doubt meant an end to the Travoltas patronizing the restaurant, and Ebner's publication may have led other celebrities or customers to boycott it as well. If Tim really ended up calling the child protective services on the Travoltas (though this is only a rumor coming from anti-Scientologists themselves), it certainly would not have made things easier.


Related blog entries:

• Tim Kenny Commits Suicide
• Scientology Treatment of Medical Conditions
  

Mark Ebner Strikes Low

In 2006, Mark Ebner wrote an excellent article about Philip Gale's death. The article was such that Mike Gomez removed Philip Gale from his Scientology associated deaths page because it convinced him that Scientology really was not implicated in it (as if Scientology has that more a role in the other deaths listed on that page but that's another subject).

Philip's mother played an important role in Ebner's article, providing him with many precious information.

There was one condition she put forth, though, as Mark wrote himself in the article:

"She agreed to talk about Philip on condition that his story not be used to attack Scientology."

However, Mark is now so enthusiast at the opportunity to capitalize on the emotional wave of Jett Travolta's unfortunate death that he just could not resist to include Philip on his new page. The page tries to associate Jett's death to other supposedly similar "Scientology-related" deaths and incidents.

By using the story of Philip Gale in a vile attack against Scientology, he betrayed the trust Philip mother's bestowed on him, and which was the condition under which she released the information that helped Mark's article to become a success.

In so doing, of course, he also betrayed his own integrity.

In Memory of Jett Travolta

Fallen Sparrow

A sparrow fell, and no one heard.
No body cared. It was just a bird.
From all the numberless flitting throng
of sparrows,who would miss one song"
But God leaned down and whispered, "I care,
That was one of My sparrows, and I was there."

A beautiful boy, all sunshine and laughter,
With quiet thoughts and twinkling eyes after!
With hurts to smooth over, and deed to applaud....
A boy fell ! Why weren't You there?
Is it only for sparrows and such that You care?

If you're God at all....then You could have prevented
This nightmare of pain! So you must have consented,
I've always believed You Were loving and good,
I'd like to believe still, if only I could.

But God, if You love me, how can You allow
such unbearable pain as I'm feeling right now.
Such helplessness...hopelessness...bitter Regret...
So many tears that have fallen and yet
So many more that are still locked Inside.

Oh God...out there somewhere...have You ever cried?
I'm not even sure, anymore that You are real,
But if You are God...do you care how I feel?

Beloved I care in the midst of your grief.
In the midst of your stricken and crumbling belief.
In the midst of the blackness of total despair.
in the midst of your questioning, Child... I am there.

"In the midst!" Not far off in some vague fifth dimension,
But there, where you are, giving you my attention.

My constant attention....and not just today,
Since before you were born, I have loved you this way.
You're important to Me, every hair on your head
I have numbered Myself, can these tears that you shed
Go uncounted.......unnoticed? Nay, child, here I stand
Close enough that each teardrop falls into My hand.

Nor am I a stranger to anguish, to loss.
My own Son was taken one day by a cross.
I know what you suffer, I know what you'll gain,
If you'll let Me walk with you into your pain.
I'll carry your grief, and your sorrow I'll bear.
You've only to reach out your hand....I am there.

Fear nothing . Your so special boy,
Is safe in My house, and heaven's filled with the joy
of the ring of his laughter, his quick eager smile,
And the things he's saving to show you "after awhile"
Yes, I could have prevented... but, child, you can't see,
With My perfect wisdom, trust your son to Me.

Of course, you will miss him, but while you are weeping,
Remember, it's only his body that's sleeping.
His "self" is awake, wide awake
As I said, I am God of the living, not God of the dead.
He trusted Me, and My sure will is done.
Who believes shall not die, that included your son.

Let Me walk with you now, through the long heavy days.
Let Me slowly begin changing heartache to praise.
Take hold of My hand child, take hold of My love.
I will lead you to joys that you know not yet of.
Your faith may be weak, and your trust incomplete,
But I'll walk not too fast for your stumbling feet.

Tim Kenny Commits Suicide

I just found out that Tim Kenny, the father of the autistic child quoted as the source of Mark Ebner's article about Travolta and his son, committed suicide last March.

Another sad news for 2009 :-( My heart goes out to his family.

Update Jan 5:

Mark Ebner in fact reported the incident in May.

Through the comments, we learn that Tim was fiercely anti-COS:

"My husband Tim Kenny was a wonderful man and a huge supporter for autism awareness and a crusader against scientology. he hated scientology and all that it stood for. he was very proud that he stood up to John Travolta and his suicide was due to fnancial problems."

Anti-COSers are of course blaming his death on Scientology (who else?):

"... [various death blamed on the COS] ... Tim Kenny (a neigbor of the Travoltas who had called child protective services on them, dead of an apparent suicide"

Related blog entries:

• Why is Tim Kenny Dead?
• Scientology Treatment of Medical Conditions