a picket at the San Francisco Scientology building
I did a quick 10-minute solo picket at around 12:30 at the San Francisco org today.
It rained all morning, sometimes quite heavily. I had a nice big umbrella that actually covered my whole sign. (I decided not to use my Gnarly SP Oat Tea powerz to fend off the rain. Can you imagine how much it would scare regular people if I just stopped the rain with nothing but my bare will?)
Unfortunately, the rain lessens foot traffic and makes people hunker down a little so they're less receptive to fliers.
No one was outside the org when I arrived. Mr. "Get Your Facts Straight" (I wish I had names for these people so I didn't have to make them up - this is the gentleman who spoke to me at my first picket on April 22) came outside for a smoke while I was there. I wished him a good afternoon but I got no reply.
I did get to hand out a few fliers, and had a conversation with someone in the cafe across the street who asked about my sign. He seemed to know quite a bit about $cn already. He asked, "Does it really cost $360,000?"
Since it was a short picket, I took a nice leisurely pace on my way back. I'm glad I did. A construction worker crossed the street to shake my hand and thank me for picketing. He said he was in $cn for a few months, about a year ago, and he thought it was really dangerous. I invited him to future pickets and encouraged him to write to his congresspeople.
I got a "way to go!" yelled out the window of a passing car, and I got to give out more fliers on my way back (including, of course, at the bus stop) and lots of people at busy streets got to see my New and Improved sign. For now, I've changed one side of my sign. I still have
SCIENTOLOGY -
USING YOUR TAX $$$ TO
* DEFRAUD THE PUBLIC
* PRACTICE MEDICINE ILLEGALLY
* HARASS CRITICS IN COURT
on one side, but I've covered up my previous
SCIENTOLOGY:
* ANTI-FEMINIST
* ANTI-GAY
* ANTI-CHRISTIAN
& TAX EXEMPT
with
THERE'S NO
SCIENCE IN
SCIENTOLOGY
---
SCIENTOLOGY
DESTROYS FAMILIES
I have so many ideas for picket signs, it's hard to choose which ones to use.
Later, another gentleman crossed the street to tell me he had been the LA Times' spy inside the Sea Org. He seemed to think LRH was alive and living in France. I'm not sure I believed much of what he had to say.
I think it was a successful but brief picket. It's definitely better when it's not raining.
I'd like to dedicate this picket to Keith Henson, fighting the good fight down in San Jose. Good luck, Keith!
Jour
This page was last updated on May 8, 1999.
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