Much of the mail that I get (leftover Scientology mailings and magazines, for which I am massively grateful) comes to me anonymously - no return address, no identifying info - which is entirely fine by me. Frequently my anonymous correspondents include little notes, which I always enjoy, even if they really only say "hello" - I am so appreciative when people send me stuff, and it's a real pleasure to hear from them, even in that small way.

Sometimes I get questions along the lines of "How safe is your mail?" or "Does OSA go through your trash?"

Since these questions typically come from anonymous donors, I'd like to answer here on a.r.s.

First of all, I think my mail is PRETTY safe. I take the precautions I've mentioned before, including shredding postmarks and return addresses if they are included - and most of the people donating items to me have already removed address labels from whatever they send, so there's usually no need for me to do that.

Tampering with the US mail is a pretty serious offence, and I DON'T think OSA would like to get caught doing it. On the other hand ... how would I know? Oh, sure, OSA has been responsible for some pretty shoddy work sometimes, but I don't think we can count on that. IF - and that's a big if - OSA could gain access to my mailbox, they could steal certain items and I'd never miss them. They could also open them and reseal them, but I think that'd be noticeable.

But I think there's a bigger question than how safe my mail is.

We've seen, in the past year, that dedicated critics can be pressured into providing assistance to CoS. It takes LOTS of pressure to cave someone in, but when CoS wants to bring lots of pressure to bear, they frequently manage.

I'm honored when people trust me, and I hope never to betray that trust.

But the hard cold truth is, I can't promise you that info you send me will never ever end up in the hands of OSA. There is, of course, the potential for infiltration and outright theft. Then there's the possibility of what happened to Bob and Stacy (at least monstrous pressure, more likely outright extortion), or what happened to CAN (driven to bankruptcy and assets, including names of those seeking assistance, sold to a Scientologist), or what happened to Grady and Arnie and Dennis (excessive and intrusive raids, including computer files).

To the extent that I'm in control of information passed along to me, I hope never to betray a trust. But I'm not omnipotent. I'm not immune to theft, or infiltration, or even intolerable amounts of pressure. (I'd like to think that the ways in which I would respond to serious pressure - with police reports and constant cries for help to the loudest venues I could think of - would dissuade OSA ... after all, a bigger PR flap is NOT going to get their stats up - but you never know when your name's gonna come up in OSA roulette.)

If there's information you can't risk falling into OSA's hands, my advice is: don't send it to me. I'd love to have it, but all the same - don't.

What you might do instead, is this:

Write it down.

Make at least five copies.

Distribute some to people you trust, and hide others where no one knows where they are.

WHEN you feel it's safe - whether that's after a particular person is no longer threatened, or when you're dead, or when CoS has been reformed - arrange to have the information released.

I've said this before, and I'll say it again: LISTEN TO YOUR URGE TO KEEP YOURSELF SAFE. CoS wants a safe environment - why shouldn't you?

At the same time, if possible, preserve the information you have.

And there's an even better reason to write it down: it can be really cathartic.

(Just don't leave your diaries out where Richard Bast can see them.)

Ooh, or here's an idea - it just came to me:

Write your story in detail.

Go over it and rewrite it, leaving out any elements that could identify you.

Then mail it to a journalist, preferably halfway around the globe.

Mail it in chapters.

Imagine a thousand Scientology Deep Throats, all whispering in the ear of journalists around the world.

And as long as you've left out anything that OSA could use to find you or threaten you ... by all means, mail a copy to me. And let me know if I can publish it.

<Hill Street Blues>
Let's be careful out there.
</Hill Street Blues>

Kristi

* Hill Street Blues: a US TV show about police officers. The show always started with a daily briefing from the beat captain (okay I'm getting it wrong so sue me!); at the end of the briefing, he'd look out at the officers and say, "Let's be careful out there."

-- Kristi Wachter the activist formerly known as "Jour" (before $cientology outed me)

If I am not who you say I am, then you are not who you think you are.

- James Baldwin

I think $cientology is hurting people and breaking the law, and I want them to stop it. See http://www.scientology-lies.com for more.

KSW: http://www.truthaboutscientology.com/alteringtech.htm

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