NEWTIMESLA www.newtimesla.com
April 20, 1999

Letters to the Editor

A ONE-FINGERED SALUTE TO THE DIGIT

Great advice from The Finger to anti-Scientology protesters: "Don't get all pissy when [Scientology] one-ups you" by marshaling its members to revenge-picket your neighborhood or workplace and distribute flyers accusing you of being a "religious bigot." ("The Thetans' Revenge," April 1-7.) After all, it's their "legal right."

What a wonderful brave new world The Finger envisions! A world where General Motors sends goon squads to march in front of the private residences of striking workers, carrying signs proclaiming those on the picket line to be "communists." A world where the New York City Police Department orders SWAT teams to follow demonstrators back to their neighborhoods and distribute handbills accusing citizens concerned about police brutality of being "anarchists."

Concerned about the abuses of a paramilitary cult whose top echelons (the so-called "Sea Organization") sign a "Billion Year Contract" to impose Scientology's version of ethics, technology, and administration on everyone in the world? Be a "good German" and ignore the telltale aroma from those belching smokestacks. It's their "legal right," you know. Follow The Finger's lead and just stay home. Anonymous via the Internet

I had the pleasure of picketing Scientology in L.A. in March, and true to form, Scientologists revenge-picketed my home here in San Francisco.

Now, I personally don't get all pissy when they pay me a visit. I usually come outside and chat with them; occasionally I ignore them.

However, many people draw a distinction between picketing a public office and picketing a residence. During one of Scientology's revenge-pickets, two of the three passers-by who stopped to talk expressed their disapproval of picketing someone's home.

Indeed, in many places it's illegal to picket a residence. That doesn't stop our friends in Scientology, though, who blithely picket homes in San Jose and Salt Lake City, despite local laws against residential pickets.

In San Francisco, where they do in fact have every right to picket my home, I steadfastly recognize that right and encourage them to utilize their right to speak freely -- I love free speech and love to see people engage in it.

Kristi

Wachter San Francisco

Click here for some additional truth about the Scientology crime syndicate: XENU.NET

Further facts about this criminal empire may be found at Operation Clambake and FACTNet.