Almost 15 years ago a troubled, repressed, hurting young Scientologist hanged himself. His name was Aaron Poulin and his widow, Marie spoke about her experience on The Aftermath.
This issue has been addressed online and had faded into the past where it should have stayed.
Unable to come up with anything either recent or original, Ryan Prescott of @ExposeNetwork, who claims “Truth Always Wins and it wins through evidence backed info not accusations from the last 30-40 years”, once again digs backward and posted a Fair Game video about this tragic suicide.
That Prescott has no moral filter has already been established. The boy continues to bring up old material in his desperate attempt for attention.
That he cares not a whit about who he hurts or why is par for the course for a blind Scientologist.
There are some things that are just too terrible, too private to bring up, let alone be used to purposefully hurt others.
Suicide is a complex and delicate issue to deal with.
I know this first hand.
In 1997 my younger brother put a gun in his mouth and killed himself. He was 23 years old.
Had I been a better sister…had I reached out to him more…what could I have done…what if….
Suicide is a death that leaves behind it no answers and a lot of guilt.
In 2009, thirteen days after my mother died in her sleep from complications of a lifetime addicted to prescription pain meds, my step dad shot and killed himself.
I understand what suicide does to those left behind.
Ryan Prescott has decided to post the video, for whatever unbalanced, mental reason so I will address it.
It should not have been posted. It should have been left alone in the past where he found it.
Prescott dug it up and wants to make it relevant, wants to tear open old wounds and cause new pain.
I made a vow that I would counter this kind of hate attack, I would stand up for the truth.
Scientology’s greatest advantage has always been bullying others into silence.
I will not be silent.
This video concerns the suicide death of Aaron Poulin and his widow, Marie Bilheimer.
It is a Fair Game attack by Marie’s own mother and mother-in-law.
Aaron’s mother, Sheila Poulin begins; “I think that it’s despicable that A&E, Leah and Marie are using this tragedy in my life, this time when my son committed suicide, as a way to line their pockets.”
So where were you, Shelia, in your son’s life? You raised him. Did you not see that something was wrong? That your son was unhappy, struggling, hurting? No? If you, as his mother did not notice something was wrong then how can you point a finger at his wife?
What is despicable is that you are so cold, so callous towards Marie in the aftermath of such a tragedy. Did you reach out to her? Offer her an embrace? Let her grieve and mourn the loss of her husband, your son?
Marie had no one to turn to. Even before they took Aaron’s body away she was expected to paste on a smile and return to work. The new widow was not allowed to talk about her husband’s death to anyone.
Repression.
Denial.
The Scientology way.
Leah was the one who finally allowed Marie to speak her truth. To cry and mourn and let the pain out. Anyone with eyes could see her grief. The disgusting part is that instead of coming together in shared loss, love and support, you decide to attack, blame and inflict additional pain. What mother would use her son’s suicide as a weapon? A Scientology mother who puts her cult before her own child.
This gives the rest of us a glimpse into the character of the person Aaron should have been able to turn to. That his own mother sees his desperate, final act as simply a tool in the arsenal of Fair Game speaks volumes. If Aaron grew up always in second place to Scientology in your heart, no wonder he was unable to be open about his struggles. You are so blinded by hate you cannot even see that you are modeling exactly the atmosphere your son was trying to escape.
Marie Bilheimer’s mother then jumps into the mud with Sheila.
“And I think these people, they find people and they use them as a puppet…”
Says the woman sitting in front of Scientology cameras, creating a video designed to inflict pain and judgment on her own daughter.
She continues “…and they use them for their own end and they make matters worse. They take a situation and they make it worse. There was no need to bring up a situation of a tragedy in our family.”
What could possibly be worse than a mother turning on her daughter widowed by the suicide death of her husband? By allowing Marie a platform to address her grief and anger Leah did more to help her heal than her so called Scientology family.
Airing that show had no impact on Aaron’s death at all. He is finally free from everything that drove him to make such an extreme decision. The fact is that after his death Scientology went to a lot of work trying to keep this situation quiet. It wasn’t about Aaron or Marie, it was about not exposing COS to any bad PR. Aaron is gone so the only one this could be making matters worse for is Scientology.
Ms. Bilheimer let’s face it, this isn’t about Aaron, Leah or your daughter.
It is about Scientology not wanting the world to know that it’s policies and beliefs create an atmosphere of suppression and hostility for gays and lesbians. Had Aaron been embraced and accepted for his TRUTH and supported in love by those around him it may not have ended as it did.
In a cult that claims its goal is to make Man free, there is no freedom for individuals to safely express who they are. This young man had to hide who he was while navigating through an organization that labels homosexuality a CRIME.
You aren’t upset because Leah gave your grieving daughter a place to begin to heal, you are angry because by speaking her truth Marie cast a giant spotlight on yet another of Scientology’s nasty secrets.
People and their feelings are secondary to keeping COS’ reputation lily white and pure. If you have to Fair Game your own child to “Make it work” well then so be it.
Sheila Poulin says “Right or wrong I feel that Marie, as Aaron’s wife, was responsible for taking care of him and I am very angry- I felt very angry the first time I saw her after this had occurred, that she hadn’t taken care of him because she was his wife. If he had something that needed to be dealt with, there were things she could have done to help him and I don’t understand why she didn’t.”
Marie was not in anyway responsible for the choices Aaron made. Because Scientology made being gay a crime and something to be ashamed of, he obviously felt he had no choice but to try and be someone he wasn’t. This created such a conflict for him he ended up living a double life and keeping that part of himself separate from even his wife. But Aaron did not suddenly become gay if he was. It would have been something he struggled with for his whole life. What about Sheila’s responsibility as a mother to see her son was depressed or not dealing well with life? At what point did she fail in her role as a mother, to get him help? It is so easy to point fingers and accuse others. The fact is that Aaron made his choices. The only ones he felt he could make while bound by the shackles of Scientology.
There IS no blame here except for directly and firmly on Scientology and it’s intolerance. Scientology made it impossible for Aaron to live his life openly and with truth.
Repression only works for so long and then something has to give.
Sadly in this case what gave was Aaron’s ability to continue to live in the darkness, pretending to be someone he just could not be.
Marie’s mother then babbles on a bit about Aaron not wanting to be married.
No kidding. He was probably tired of pretending to fit the mold everyone was forcing him into.
Then Sheila again speaks “There were steps she could have taken to get it resolved. So instead of thinking you’re a victim, Marie, maybe you should look in the mirror.”
“It”? What is “It”? Is being gay so horrible that you can’t even say the word?
Aaron was prostituting, living a double life, trying to sort out who he was and his sexuality while having to hide from Scientology and it’s hate and punishments.
There was no resolution for what that young man was enduring.
Not as long as he was in Scientology.
As for Marie, she is a victim here. Like her husband, Marie was forced to live a lie, even though she didn’t realize it. If Aaron was exploring his own sexuality and trying to figure himself out he was not in a position to enter into a healthy relationship. That he was hiding and engaging in such risky behavior speaks to his state of mind and emotions. Marie is a victim of Scientology’s intolerance, of it’s inability to be compassionate or kind. This video alone, made by the two people in her world who should have been her soft place to fall, shows what kind of malice she has had to face.
What kind of people are either of them to confront, attack and blame a widow who suffered the suicide of her husband? What kind of parents put their children second to their religion?
Two more Scientologists united in a hateful attack against someone who has no blame. Two ugly woman casting aspersions and rubbing salt in the wounds of an innocent person.
If anyone ever needed to take a long, hard look in the mirror, it would be these two mothers.
As for Ryan Prescott and his @ExposeNetwork account. Shame on you for your pettiness. You who are supposed to be part of “The Most Ethical Religion on the Planet”. A Volunteer Minister, someone who allegedly reaches out to help those in pain and in need.
Actions speak louder than words, Ryan.
Every time you post and repost the Fair Game ugliness you are firmly making a statement and the rest of us are hearing it.
Loud and clear.
Maybe you should spend some time in front of a mirror, as well.
Confront And Shatter 