This is not to say that the protests aren’t working. Far from it. They’re amazing, and I’ve been to every one except when I was stuck in South Dakota, 450 miles from the nearest org. They’re fun, they help get information to the general public, and they show Scientology that they have an active and committed opposition.
But I’d like to suggest that after the January, 2009 protest, we take some time to look back on what was accomplished and consider what to do from there. Are the protests the best way to innoculate the world from Scientology’s influence? Could they be refined in some way to improve them and keep going? Is there enough interest still in this method? Has the original idea of protesting been derailed? Is it better to just let the local groups do whatever they want rather than trying to syncrhonize events? Is there some strategy that could be more effective than protesting? Would pressuring Congress, the IRS, or some other organization give quicker results than going after Scientology directly? I think it would be wise to step back for a few weeks and really hash out ideas and opinions.
It could well be that everybody is still excited about protesting and ready for Year 2. But even if that’s so, I still think it would be smart after a year of epic collective action to take a while to reflect, brainstorm, and consider where to go from that point.
