CCHR Florida Awards US Dept. of Justice, Florida Catholic Conference Representative

PRNewswire/October 12, 2001

Clearwater, Fla.-- The US Dept. of Justice's Civil Litigation Section of the Civil Rights Division was awarded the prestigious Citizens Commission on Human Rights (CCHR) Human Rights Award on Saturday, September 29th, for their work in exposing the negligence resulting in patient deaths, patient abuse and many other violations of patients' human rights at G. Pierce Wood Memorial Hospital in Arcadia, Florida.

Steven Rosenbaum, Chief of the Special Litigation Section of the Dept. of Justice Office in Washington, DC, said that his office was very proud to receive the award, having stood "shoulder to shoulder with CCHR in guaranteeing human rights for all Americans." The Justice Departments' work ultimately led to the Florida Legislature enacting legislation that cut funding to and ordered the closure of the hospital by April of 2002.

Also awarded was Lawrence Keogh of the Florida Catholic Conference for his tireless efforts in the Florida Legislature, creating public awareness against bills that would have facilitated the fraudulent labeling of normal children as "mentally ill."

Recipients pledged to continue working in the interests of children and families.

The Awards Banquet also featured renowned pediatric neurologist, Dr. Fred Baughman, Jr., who spoke about the absence of science and medicine behind such ubiquitous psychiatric labels as ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder), calling the so-called mental illness a "total 100% fraud." Such for-profit "disorders" yield the mental health industry more than $15 billion a year for their diagnoses, treatment and studies.

Also featured and representing CCHR International was Commissioner and attorney Mr. Rick Moxon, who released the new CCHR International website that provides an anatomy of terrorism and psychiatry's role in the creation of senseless violence. The website was released following the recent violent terrorist attacks on America and can be viewed at www.psychassualt.org .

The evening was punctuated by references to the epidemic of the more than 6 million normal children who have been labeled with such fraudulent psychiatric illnesses as ADHD, Learning Disabilities and Conduct Disorder that have no validity in science or medicine but serve as convenient ruses to stigmatize children and expose them to dangerous, mind-altering drugs. These drugs have numerous and life threatening, side effects. A recent study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA), found that one stimulant widely prescribed for "ADHD" is more potent than cocaine. "The community, and parents generally, must be made aware of the truth of this widespread tragedy-in-the-making," said Dr. Baughman.

CCHR was established in 1969 by the Church of Scientology to investigate and expose psychiatric violations of human rights. It has been responsible for the reform of more than 100 laws worldwide that now provide rights and protections to individuals in the mental health system.