The Citizens Commission on Human Rights (CCHR) Traveling Exhibit held its Grand Opening and Ribbon Cutting Ceremony on June 23rd at the Mini Social event space in Old Town Scottsdale, Arizona. The event, which drew community members and officials, aimed to expose what CCHR describes as false science and abuses in the psychiatric industry.
Local businessman Jimmy Alauria served as Master of Ceremonies, introducing CCHR's mission and the importance of 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 people cope with addiction. She recounted tragic stories of individuals who lost everything to drugs, emphasizing the responsibility of medical professionals when prescribing behavior-altering medications.
"As a society, we place tremendous trust in medical professionals," Renfro stated. "That trust also carries a profound responsibility. 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 detailing the history of psychiatric practices. Attendees expressed surprise at the historical accounts, with many finding the information hard to believe until viewing the exhibit's evidence. The exhibit remained open to the public during its stay in Phoenix, drawing significant interest.
The CCHR traveling exhibit, which issues a warning that psychiatric treatments can kill, is part of a larger tour across major cities in the Western United States. 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.
The 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. The organization is inspired by author and humanitarian L. Ron Hubbard's commitment to abolishing damaging practices in mental health.
