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Subject: Nosey's first picket
From: noscieno@aol.com (NoScieno)
Date: Mon, 6 Dec 1999 19:42:29 -0600
Message-ID: <384c6604.0@news2.lightlink.com>

With all the excitement down in CW, it's easy to forget the Chicago org 
even exists (Church of Scientology of Illinois).  Matter of fact, never 
mind anything else - it's easy to forget it exists even if you live in 
Chicago.

I didn't forget though.  I missed last years event due to a last minute 
emergency, and swore to myself I wouldn't miss it again.  There was some 
hazy noncommittal discussion on the Chicago list, but no specific plans 
materialized.  In the end, a bit exasperated with the non-activism, I 
just said I'd be there at such-and-such time with my stuff, and whatever 
happens depends on how many others show up.  None did, as it turned out, 
so I went with Plan B.

Disorganization is our chief weapon, disorganization and anarchy - TWO 
weapons!  Our two weapons, disorganization, anarchy, and an almost 
fanatical... wait- (I'll come in again).  Nooobody expects a stealth 
leafletting action!

Saturday was a nice day for the season, temps around 50, mostly overcast 
with only a very light sprinkle here and there.  I printed up 70 flyers 
based on Deana Holmes's excerpts from Agent Strope's affidavit, adding a 
few links for more information, and managed to pass out about half of 
them in the blocks surrounding the org.  No I wasn't so foolish as to try 
a solo picket of the org itself.  Not only would they try to tail me home 
and "destroy me utterly" for my heinous crime of spreading a little 
public awareness, but I'm sure it would be impossible to keep a dialog 
going with the people on the street.  I've read enough picket reports 
here, and seen enough videos on XENU TV, to know how they act.  So I got 
no closer than a block or so with my flyers.  I saw the Scientologists 
keeping a lookout around their little corner, but they never twigged to 
the fact I was out there.

There was a "Dance Chicago" stage show playing at the theater on 
Southport, a block south of the org, so there were a lot of people around 
there to approach. Basically I just kept moving, and telling everyone 
about the death of Lisa, and offering flyers.  Just about every time, 
when I stopped to talk with anybody, 4 or 5 other people would gather 
around to listen. There was a lot of sympathy for Lisa and her family 
from almost everyone. Only two people didn't already know about 
Scientology's reputation, and began to scold me for "attacking a church."  
A quick listing of just a few of its crimes and unethical practices was 
enough to show that I was not "against religion."  I got a lot of support 
from more knowledgeable others in my "audience" when that happened, and 
it almost seemed as though I could organize a picket from volunteers 
right there!

Too bad I had to go to work later in the afternoon, or I would have 
stayed out there until all the flyers were gone.  Before I left, I went 
back over my tracks and looked for discarded flyers, but I could only 
find five that were thrown away.  Neon yellow is an advantage in that 
respect.  I thought about poking my head in the org and telling them "hey 
do you know there are people handing out flyers about you?" and giving 
them one... and asking them what they thought about Lisa's death.  But 
then I was still thinking about going back Sunday evening and silently 
holding a solo candlelight prayer vigil.  But by then it had turned cold 
and rainy, and I decided to leave off while I was ahead.  That might 
sound sort of chickenshit to you, and maybe it is.  The way I see it 
though, picketing Scientology is like picketing the mafia.  I mean that 
in terms of the nature of the retaliation and a reflection on the 
tactics of the organization, not a direct comparison of the two, and 
certainly not a characterization of Scientologists in general.


Nosey (SP 2 + clam cluster)
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