Thanks Tory, I'm glad to know that you are o.k.
I've been thinking about what you said here:
This was a **wonderful** picket.
-snip-
So today was a perfect day to picket: Warm, lovely out. We arrived in Hemet and alr ABC news was there, as well as XENUTV
so ALLLLLLLLLLLLLL was on film.
Dispite their attempts to drive us off, they failed, utterly. They now no longer have their guards out there---too risky as too many are leaving. So they hired these 2 tough guys. I walked up to the guard house and the one guy started pushing me. I knew they weren't Scientologists---so I told him so. I also pointed out how gross it was, this feeble attempt to stop free speech, and that they needed to get on the right page.
Later he came over to me to tell me, "I'm not against you---it's a job". I got---he'd turned a page and started to see our side.
Tory/Magoo
You know, I understand that people really need jobs right now. I would like to see enough people get educated in Southern California that no P.I.s or private security firms would
take jobs working for Scientology, as they understand that by doing so they are supporting a criminal organization that abuses it's members and denies them their civil and human rights, and by working for COS they are not only harming the community but are putting their reputation and license to operate at risk. Scientology will put them in harms way, and if and when there is any trouble, OSA will not stand by them as a normal employer might, but will cut them loose and hang them out to dry. OSA eats its own...
...and while I agree with you and think that what you say is true, that people are leaving COS as public, staff and Sea Org, and I think it really helps them a lot if they get to talk with Exes like you and other members here who care about them as they are thinking about leaving....
I think there is another important reason why COS are no longer using Sea Org members as security guards during protests like this (especially at Int base), and that is "plausible deniability".
Just like they use attorneys to hire P.I.s to follow and harass people, rather than have Sea Orgers or OSA operatives do it directly as they used to, as they now can say..."well, we didn't hire them or direct them in their actions, the attorneys we employed did...". If something goes wrong and someone gets injured or arrested, it limits their legal liability.
Also, they then have attorney client privilege to protect their communications and records from being scrutinized. In this case, if the guards jump someone and beat them up (as they did to Anon Orange), push them around and injure them (as they did to XenuBarb), or do something really overtly damaging like push a protester into oncoming traffic by steering a vehicle at them, run over one with a backhoe or dump a load of manure or dirt on top of them, vandalize or burglarize protesters cars, put a lit flare too close to a parked car and cause a fire or accident, etc...or
whatever unlawful act done in the course of their "job" of being a security guard, when they are Sea Org members,
then COS and it's insurer is culpable for their behavior, legally liable and can be sued or cited (as in Anon Orange's case). When it's a hired goon, then the goon as an individual is legally culpable, along with the P.I. or security company he works for, and their businesses' insurance...COS can claim he was a rogue independent contractor, and "we disapprove of such actions", etc... it's plausible deniability.
OSA can publicly deny responsibility for PR purposes, say the guards were acting on their own volition, not as directed by COS, or blame the agents (usually attorneys) who directly hired them. It's a very snakey game to play, but they have plenty of money to spend on these operations, and there are a lot of attorneys and P.I. in the world to be burned through and used up, which is what COS does with people.
I also think
internal affairs of all law enforcement agencies in Southern California ought to take a look at any of their employees that moonlights as security for COS, just as they would as if they were moonlighting for the Mexican Mafia, or any other crime syndicate. Maybe District Attorney's offices should also act in the public benefit and take a good hard look at how Cops and Sheriff's Deputies, as public servants, are being paid or influenced by COS, and does this then set them up for a conflict of interest when they are then called to the scene of a protest as a Cop or Sheriff's Deputy and asked to uphold the law by acting in their capacity of a public servant? Or if they are called to assist some poor cult member who is trying to escape COS, literally from fenced and locked facility under armed guard? There is the appearance of wrong-doing when the seem to just look the other way, or ignore protesters crime reports against COS employees.
This also applies to law enforcement agencies themselves, where COS encourages and allows local law enforcement to use COS property and facilities free of charge for conferences, meetings and training, or in the case of the Int Base golf course, for fundraising. It seems clear to me that by permitting such a "close relationship", in addition to allowing individual moonlighting to occur, law enforcement leaders are opening up their agencies staff to charges of conflict of interest and corruption. It's the
appearance of wrong-doing, even where none exists, that influences public opinion against them.
I do think chances are good that wog hired goons would have better ethics in than these Sea Org/OSA operatives would anyway. Also, they can still think for themselves, and are likely to wake up to seeing the truth about COS and its crimes and abuses with a little communication, as you experienced with the guy who pushed you.
I'd also like to see local law enforcement, elected officials and County staffers get educated about the true nature of the cult of COS, Int base and what goes on there, and why there will
always be protests at the location as long as it is owned and operated by Scientology.