The Citizens Commission on Human Rights (CCHR) Traveling Exhibit held its Grand Opening and Ribbon Cutting Ceremony on Tuesday, June 23, at the Mini Social event space in Old Town Scottsdale, Arizona. The event featured local businessman Jimmy Alauria as Master of Ceremonies, who introduced CCHR's mission to protect human rights in mental health.
Special guest speaker Judy Renfro, a member of JustServe, a global volunteerism movement of the LDS Church, shared her experiences helping community members cope with addiction. She recounted tragic stories of individuals who lost everything to drugs. "As a society, we place tremendous trust in medical professionals. That trust also carries a profound responsibility," Renfro said. "When prescribing medications that can alter behavior, create dependency, impair judgment, or affect cognitive function, careful consideration must be given not only to the intended benefits but also to the long-term consequences for the individual, their family, and the broader community."
The ribbon-cutting opened the exhibit for tours of graphic panels and documentaries exposing a history of false science and abuses in the psychiatric industry. Guests expressed surprise at the origins of psychiatry and the extent of abuses documented. Many had heard stories but were unaware of the truth revealed in the exhibit.
The exhibit remained open to the public during its Phoenix tour, drawing significant interest. It has since moved to its next destination as part of a grand tour of major U.S. cities. This CCHR exhibit issues a warning to parents and community members that psychiatric treatments can kill. Fourteen identical traveling exhibits operate in countries worldwide.
For more information, visit the CCHR website or watch documentaries on the work of CCHR volunteers and the film Psychiatry: An Industry of Death on the Scientology Network.
Citizens Commission on Human Rights was co-founded in 1969 by professor of psychiatry Dr. Thomas Szasz and the Church of Scientology. CCHR Commissioners include physicians, psychiatrists, psychologists, lawyers, legislators, government officials, educators, and civil rights representatives. CCHR is inspired by author, humanitarian, and Scientology Founder L. Ron Hubbard's commitment to abolishing physically damaging practices in mental health.
