Don't be scared!
From WWP site:
"Why do we wear masks?
People have asked, and continue to ask, why we wear masks. The primary reason for the masks is the protection of our identities. After all, how anonymous would we be if we exposed our faces to the world? A second reason is the protection of our lives and livelihood. Due to Scientology's Fair Game policy, we put ourselves at risk socially, politically, and financially when we speak out against this dangerous cult. This is a cult that has a well earned reputation for harassing critics and openly critical ex-scientologists at their homes and workplaces. Taking measures to protect your privacy and anonymity when confronted by an aggressively litigious cult - a cult whose mantra is "Never Defend, Always Attack!" - is a matter of common sense.
An in-depth article on the Fair Game policy can be found at Operation Clambake. A quick summary would state that any person declared Fair Game by Scientology may be attacked by legal or illegal means, and the Scientologist who commits this act may not be punished by the cult for it. While Scientology claims to have ended the policy several decades ago, they did so only in name. The cult continues to practice this policy to this day."
Actually, I
was scared by the masks when Anon first started up...I was afraid it's protests would become violent (I grew up with the Weathermen, AIM and the Black Panther Party, etc.).
Seems silly now that I have learned more about the Anon movement, but those were my honest feelings at first.
Now I'm totally o.k. with Anons wearing masks or not, whatever works for each individual. That's what freedom of expression is all about!
I actually kind of enjoy seeing pictures of the pirate costumes and elaborate mardi gras style masks and costumes, etc. They sure are attention grabbers, which is exactly the point!
Commenting not just on the Anon masks, but on the "magic" of wearing masks in general, there is something freeing and powerful about putting on a mask, too. As a teacher I used to make masks with my students and do various creative explorations with them...it allows one to briefly push back the boundaries of one's own identity of "self" for a bit and try on other personas in a safe space...very mentally healthy exercise! And FUN!!!
Firey, watch the V for Vendetta movie, for the fun of it and just to increase your cultural literacy, it might help to put the Anon masks into a bit more perspective for you.
I don't know if you were raised in Scientology, but if you were in the SO for a long time, you might have missed out on a lot of mainstream cultural ideas and viewpoints. Part of getting over Scientology is getting back into the mainstream of current cultural thought and experience for wherever you are living.
Getting out of the SO is a little like being rescued from a desert island and coming back to the "real world" of cultural attitudes, values and experiences. There is a bit of "culture shock" and adjustment, at first. I have had some friends who are Exes tell me that this process of adjusting to the "real world" took them years, so be patient with yourself. And can we all please be patient with FireDragon as her viewpoints are shifting, as they will over time?
Thank you!
It's o.k. that members of the Anon movement are so diverse (and some are wacky!
). Some are very dedicated to ideology of civil rights and freedom and justice...others are more in it for the fun of protesting and the "lulz" (laughs). Maybe some are just there because of some cute guy or cute girl they are attracted to, so what? A lot of people join groups for less than noble reasons...I've heard that some people even got hooked into doing Scientology in order to please somebody else!
All protest movements have their true believers and dedicated, die-hard change agents, and then their players, fringe members and goof-balls, etc...
I'm not part of the Anonymous movement, but I sure have paid my dues with other kinds of protest movements. I'm a baby boomer, and we cut our teeth on civil rights activities and Viet Nam protests, etc.
Seems like, in this lifetime, it never ends! :confused2: