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- August 14, Seikyo Shimbun
Page 2 of the Seikyo Shimbun, August 14, covers this latest
temple claim. SGI indicates NST is offering the court
partial, deceptive evidence and then misleading temple members
about the implications of that evidence.
Ronald Sprinkle was in the US Air Force Reserve. On
10/27/62 during the Cuban missile crisis, President Kennedy
called up 24 Air Force Reserve units totalling 14,000 personnel. This six month call-up is what the NST notice means by"American military records."
The Seattle Police Department gave Sprinkle a six month leave for term of the call-up. This leave is referred to in the NS document as "Documents [sic] kept by the City of Seattle."
Following the Cuban matter, the Air Force assigned Sprinkle to a training unit in Texas (not basic training as the NS note
indicates) and then to a field base near Seattle.
Sprinkle returned to active duty with the Seattle Police
Department before the six months expired and was on duty the
night of March 19-20, 1963. His service with the Seattle Police Department is a matter of public record and has been
substantiated in court. His testimony about the incident with
Nikken has been corroborated by two other officers at the time. Seattle Police personnel records completely document his
service with their department.
Japanese courts do not accept testimony from witnesses without
first establishing their bon-a-fides to give the testimony. In this case NS is offering partial evidence to discredit a witness- years after Sprinkle's testimony was accepted in court.
In the Seikyo Shimbun article one of the lawyers for the Gakkai compared NS's claim of "conclusive proof" and "decisive evidence" to earlier evidence NS submitted of road construction near the
Seattle incident. At the time NS also claimed victory in the case. Temple members were then told how the Seattle incident was
"conclusively proven" not to have happened. In fact, however, the road construction was irrelevant and the testimony about Nikken's involvement in the incident was confirmed and strengthened.
Why is NS entering this evidence now? The evidence portion of the trial is over. Sprinkle's credentials and record of employment
with the Seattle Police Department were established early in the trial. His record with the Air Force Reserve is also not new
information.
The witnesses were heard and evidence taken. For several months the judge has been working towards a negotiated settlement. The
case hasn't been decided as of this time.
One observer suggests that NS is using the courtroom to influence temple-members rather than their legal case. Since temple-members won't be exposed to all the evidence they are the target
of this "conclusive proof." When the final decision goes badly for NS their members can be told they were cheated of justice.
Paul W
For the truth about NST see:
http://www.homestead.com/Realities
Why Craig Bratcher hates True Buddhism
http://members.theglobe.com/Taisekiji/craig.html
NST denies the DaiGohonzon
http://www.geocities.com/Athens/Ithaca/9011/Kawabememo.h
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