|
In Reply to: Re: what can the FGs do seriously? posted by have podered on December 08, 2002 at 20:01:47:
I think the first issue to address is that we do not know everyone's situation and therefore it is maybe not our place to "categorize them," ie. label them. "Hey, you know about the Family's finances! Why don't you speak out?" You and I don't know what each person knows so what they choose is a very individual decision.
While I don't think pressuring people helps, I certainly think those who have something to say should at least seriously consider stepping forward if they are needed. But like MV and PD have pointed out, there are other considerations. Should you sacrifice the lives of your own young children to try to bring down the cult?
What would be the effect if say MV or PD's husband stood up in the media in their country and exposed the Family? Would it dent the Family? Maybe. Maybe not. So you also have to weigh the total cost of being like Samson and grabbing the two pillars and bringing the house down on yourself along with hopefully stopping the Family's operations. Is it worth it? In some cases yes it will be worth it for some people, and in other cases it will certainly not.
And again it must be asked, are there not more effective ways of getting out the truth and having an effect in a positive way, apart from either pulling down the temple of Dagon or throwing one's-self in front of the tank? What about working to help people who have left the Family. What about supplying information?
Now, if you are thinking of a class-action suit against the Family, and older gen exmembers being called to step forward and testify, that's pretty hypothetical at this point. To have a class-action suit, you have to have people to zero in on. That's easy to do if you were abused by the Catholic church. You know where the catedrale in your city is. You know where the Pope is. But where are Maria and Peter? It's definitely not a sure thing that there will ever be a class action suit. It may seem inevitable, but it's not. Justice can still be justice if the SGAs decide to go about their work a different way.
I think it's something people with specific knowledge should seriously ponder, especially if what they have to say directly contributes to a specific case or cause. But all of this is theoretical at this point and presupposes that some giant court case is going to take place.
But these are issues that we do well to discuss and ponder. I say we let the SGAs work things as they see fit and call the shots as they will do. If they call an exmember to the witness stand because they believe he or she can help their case significantly, then that exmember will have to make that decision at that time. Until that day, the only other option is to go to the media. And will that really help?
