Fair Game English
From Operation Translation
Overview
An overview of the main content of this site should be put here.
Once the english page is completed with all content copy the pages text (from the edit page so you get all the formating) over to one of the other languages. Then clear out the english content, leaving the framework of what needs to be translated. Once thats saved you have a basic template. Copy that code over to all the other languages pages.
Misc Phrases
These are random phrases used throughout the website, the majority of them are page titles/links to a page
- Fair Gamed Anonymous
- Current Fair Game Targets
- How Can I Help?
- Report Fair Game Attacks
- Anonymous
- Old Guard
- Fair Game
Main Content
See http://wiki.costruth.com/trans/index.php/Why_We_Protest_English for an example.
Front Page
All the questions and answers on the front page
3 questions about fair game
So what is Fair Game?
A quick overview of Fair Game
To put it bluntly, Fair Game is a tactic used by the Church of Scientology to silence outspoken critics and intimidate potential critics. This can entail abusing the legal system with frivolous lawsuits, smear campaigns in the critics neighborhood, slander, harassment, stalking. The list goes on.
Sounds ridiculous doesn't it? Here is some information on this history of Fair Game. References to the Fair Game Policy and the intent to abuse the judicial system can be found in writings from as early as the mid 1950s, coming directly from Scientology founder L. Ron Hubbard. He told his followers to take a punitive line towards perceived opponents. In 1955, he wrote "the law can be used very easily to harass ... The purpose of the suit is to harass and discourage, rather than to win – if possible, of course, ruin [the target] utterly". Hubbard was very paranoid (using private investigators to follow any perceived critics to try to unearth any iota of negative information on them) and manipulative (accusing said critics of current hot-button crimes such as being members of the Communist Party).
It didn't stop there though.
In 1965 Hubbard, formulated the "Fair Game Law", which stated how to deal with people who interfered with Scientology's activities from within the church. These problematic people, called suppressive persons, could be considered "fair game". In retaliation for them presenting problems to the Church of Scientology he issued this edict:
A Suppressive Person or Group becomes fair game. By FAIR GAME is meant, may not be further protected by the codes and disciplines or the rights of a Scientologist.
Recognizing that there would be potential enemies outside the church, Hubbard then reissued the Fair Game policy to further explain how to deal with these so called Suppressive Persons:
The homes, property, places and abodes of persons who have been active in attempting to: suppress Scientology or Scientologists are all beyond any protection of Scientology Ethics, unless absolved by later Ethics or an amnesty ... this Policy Letter extends to suppressive non-Scientology wives and husbands and parents, or other family members or hostile groups or even close friends.
Deciding that the above revisions were not harsh enough, Hubbard further extended the definition of Fair Game to include a stricter definition of all who could be considered "enemies" as well as how they were do be dealt with.
ENEMY — SP Order. Fair game. May be deprived of property or injured by any means by any Scientologist without any discipline of the Scientologist. May be tricked, sued or lied to or destroyed.
I heard that Hubbard had canceled Fair Game, what about that?
Canceled in Name Only
If you have heard that the Fair Game policy had been canceled, you've only heard part of the story. L. Ron Hubbard didn't go from being a second-rate science fiction author to leading a massive religion without being savvy when it came to the public perception of him and his "church".
Initially, he rewrote the Fair Game policy to be less aggressive towards enemies:
"Suppressive Person order. May not be communicated with by anyone except an Ethics Officer, Master at Arms, a Hearing Officer or a Board or Committee. May be restrained or imprisoned. May not be protected by any rules or laws of the group he sought to injure as he sought to destroy or bar fair practices for others. May not be trained or processed or admitted to any org."
However, even using this language, he realized that issuing an edict that could easily be seen as being threatening towards any critics or opponents would be damaging, he went on to revise the Fair Game policy once more, in October of 1968. He called this order "HCOPL 21 Oct 68 Cancellation of Fair Game", which sounds promising until you read a little deeper into the order:
"The practice of declaring people FAIR GAME will cease. FAIR GAME may not appear on any Ethics Order. It causes bad public relations. This P/L does not cancel any policy on the treatment or handling of an SP."
Essentially, Hubbard stated that the Church of Scientology would simply cease declaring an individual or an organization as Fair Game, and only then because it caused bad PR. It did not in any way change the definition of Fair Game, how Fair Game was to be carried out, or declare that the essence and actions of Fair Game must cease. It was nothing but a play on words.
This doesn't really happen, does it?
While it sounds like fiction, it has happened, and still does
When dealing with the Church of Scientology, it's sometimes hard to believe the lengths they will go to to silence and intimidate critics. While it sounds like the plot of a bad spy novel, everything quoted above came directly from L. Ron Hubbard himself. It doesn't get any more damaging than that. Everything on this website is backed up either by court findings, quotes from victims of "Fair Game", even the aforementioned quotes from Hubbard. As ridiculous as it all sounds, the Office of Special Affairs of the Church of Scientology really does attack and abuse the critics of the CoS in any way they can.
3 questions about Anonymous getting fair gamed
Have Anonymous members experienced Fair Game?
Yes. Several members of Anonymous have had their identities revealed and some are currently facing fair game practices-- both legal and otherwise. Some former Anonymous have chosen to make their struggles public, to better illustrate why we have been protesting the CoS in the first place.
How is Anonymous protecting itself from Fair Game?
In as many ways as they can
The most obvious way in which members of Anonymous and Project Chanology have protected themselves from being fair gamed is by concealing their identities at protests. Depending on the legality in the city/state this can mean wearing the iconic Guy Fawkes mask, sunglasses, wigs, bandannas, hooded sweatshirts, to avoiding wearing their normal street clothes to protests. Pretty much anything to cover up easily identifiable characteristics. It can make it more difficult at times to interact with the public at large, however it is a small price to pay to protect oneself from being Fair Gamed.
Most people also do not give out their real names, relying on their IRC or Enturbulation nick as a way to be identified. If some people choose to use their names they generally only use their first name, though this isn't encouraged.
When most Anons flyer, they try to do it in groups of 5 or more, so they have people who are focused on handing out flyers as well as people who can be attentive as to whether or not the group might have picked up a friendly OSA tail.
What support is available for Anonymous being fairgamed?
Internal and External Support
Being as Anonymous and Chanology are large reaching groups, currently we've been turning internally for help with members being fair-gamed. This can be either general emotional support, trying to raise funds for legal defense funds, contacting the ACLU, etc. Anonymous being Fair Gamed have also turned to the "Old Guard" for support, long time critics of the CoS such as Mark Bunker and Tory Christman. The forums at enturbulation.org and xenu.net have also proven to be excellent resources for Anonymous support.
FAQ Page
However many questions we want on the faq?
Question 1?
Answer 1?
People Fair Gamed
harpoons! get this shit filled in! Please try to keep names in alphabetical order for ease of use.
Mark Bunker
Currently being contacted by Wednesday
Sean Carasov
Bio
- name:
- age:
- occupation:
- location:
- other?
Pictures
Just one for Anonymous folks, or maybe one masked and one not.
Questions and answers about this person
These would be the same questions on every persons page, but different answers for each person
How did you become a target for the Church of Scientology?
Answer 1
What kind of Fair Game tactics have been used against you so far?
Answer 2
What effect has this had on your daily life?
Answer 3
For how long have Fair Game tactics been used against you?
Answer 4
Are there any currently active Fair Game attacks against you?
Answer 5
What actions (if any) have you taken to fight back?
Answer 6
What concessions (if any) have you had to make in light of Fair Game attacks?
Answer 7
Their Story
Tory Christman
Currently being contacted by Wednesday
Paulette Cooper
Already contacted by bluewiggirl, answers soon
Bio
- name: Paulette Cooper
- age: 63
- occupation: Author
- location: Palm Beach, FL
- website: paulettecooper.com
Pictures
Just one for Anonymous folks, or maybe one masked and one not.
Questions and answers about this person
How did you become a target for the Church of Scientology? I wrote a book called the "Scandal of Scientology" and no one had written anything strong against them before. In addition, after the book came out, because no one else was helping people having trouble with them, they turned to me and I tried to help them. Scientology often found out which made me even more of a target.
What kind of Fair Game tactics have been used against you so far? I think this has been well documented on the Internet/ Their tactics included 19 lawsuits, 2 attempted frame-ups that almost succeeded in jailing me, constant Scientology spies on me including one who was sent to live with me, harassing calls, putting my name on bathroom walls so people would give me obscene calls, etc. Details of their harassment can be read on my website: http://www.paulettecooper.com/scandal.htm
What effect has this had on your daily life? For 15 years I was unable to have a normal life since I constantly had to earn money to pay lawyers, be careful of people who were following me or trying to befriend me so they could report to Scientology, I was constantly anxious about what was going to happen next, I was always worried that they would successfully frame me again, etc.
For how long have Fair Game tactics been used against you? It was 15 years from the time I started to study and write about Scientology (I was never a Scientologist) until all lawsuits were settled and I went on to other things in my life
Are there any currently active Fair Game attacks against you? Not anything serious but whenever I have done anything open, they often do something subtle to let me know they're watching me. For example, a few years ago, when I met with some anti-Scientologists (Tory, Mike Pattison, Graham Berry) while I was in California in a purely social visit., someone tried to break into my hotel room safe (and left a glove behind); someone charged $16,000 to my car parking bill, etc. Recently, when I started posting on clambake and enturbulation, a flyer for Scientology was left on the gate of my condo on private property (hey Scienos: that's criminal trespass) obviously to let me know they had been there.
What actions (if any) have you taken to fight back? I counterclaimed on some of the suits against me and I spoke out about my harassment but in the days before the Internet, it didn't accomplish much because the message couldn't reach many.
What concessions (if any) have you had to make in light of Fair Game attacks? I constantly had to be cautious about meeting and dating people. For example, at one point, they went so far as to follow my mother, and find out what beauty parlor she went to. Then they had an older Scientology woman get an appointment and sit next to my mother. She told my mother about her wonderful son, trying to get my mother to fix me up with her "son" who was probably a Scientologist.
Their Story
Paulette Cooper is perhaps the most well known victim of the Church of Scientology's Fair Game policy. The extent of their actions against her were so severe and so plotted out that they actually coined an operation for her, known as "Operation Freakout", which was discovered in 1977. This occurred in the wake of Operation Snow White, after which the the FBI raided Scientology offices in Los Angeles and Washington, D.C., seizing over 48,000 documents. They revealed the extent to which the Church of Scientology had committed "criminal campaigns of vilification, burglaries and thefts ... against private and public individuals and organizations," as the U.S. Government prosecutor put it. The documents were later released to the public, enabling Cooper and the world at large to learn about the details of Operation Freakout.
Before getting into the details of Operation Freakout, a little back story on Ms. Cooper and how she ended up becoming victimized by the Church of Scientology is necessary.
Paulette was born in the Auschwitz concentration camp to Belgian parents shortly before they were murdered there. After spending years in various orphanages in Belgium, she was adopted by the Cooper family at age 6 and came to America. At age 8, she became an American citizen.
She began a freelance writing career in 1968, after completing a master's degree in psychology (which in and of itself would have made her a target for the Church of Scientology, given their loathing for the psychiatric industry as a whole). As a result of her earlier study of comparative religion at Harvard University, she became interested in religious cults and began studying Scientology/Dianetics.
Finding Scientology and Dianetics to be questionable, Cooper wrote a critical article for the British magazine Queen (now Harper's Bazaar) in 1969.The Church promptly sued for libel, adding Queen to the dozens of British publications that it had already sued.
Cooper was undeterred, and expanded on her article, which would become a book called The Scandal of Scientology - A chilling examination of the nature, beliefs and practices of the 'now religion.'". It was published by Tower Publications, Inc. in the summer of 1971. The Church responded by suing her in December 1971, demanding $300,000 for "untrue, libelous and defamatory statements about the Church."
After her damming article and book, Paulette was seen as a threat by the Church of Scientology's Guardian Office (now known as the Office of Special Affairs or OSA) and they began to dig what whatever dirt that they could on her, with a specific interest in her sex life. In addition to finding any potential material to blackmail Cooper, members of the Guardian's office were told to "attack her in as many ways as possible". Attacking her included painting her name and phone number on street walls so that she would receive obscene phone calls, subscribing her to pornographic mailing lists, receiving anonymous death threats and her neighbors received letters claiming that she had a venereal disease.
All of this sounds terrible on its own, right? At this point the Church of Scientology had gone out of its way to slander her, sue her, discredit her, and embarrass her. This should have been enough as any individual undergoing this level of harassment would surely crack. However, this was not enough for the Guardian's Office. Not even close.
Humiliation, harassment, and lawsuits were not enough.
A document issued by the Guardians Office stated:
"To get P.C. incarcerated in a mental institution or jail, or at least to hit her so hard that she drops her attacks. [t]o remove PC from her position of power so that she cannot attack the C[hurch] of S[cientology]."
In December 1972, a woman ostensibly soliciting funds for United Farm Workers stole a quantity of stationery from Cooper's apartment. A few days later, the New York Church of Scientology "received" two anonymous bomb threats. The following May, Cooper was indicted for making the bomb threats and arraigned for a Federal grand jury. The threats had been written on her stationery, which was marked with her fingerprints.
The charges were eventually dropped in 1975 with the filing of a Nolle prosequi order by the local US Attorney's office. Meanwhile, The Church sought to bring a quick end to their other disputes with Cooper in 1976 when it proposed to settle with her, on condition that she was not to republish or comment on The Scandal of Scientology and agree to assign the book's copyright to the Church of Scientology of California. A year after this settlement was reached the FBI discovered that the bomb threats had been staged by the Guardian's Office. A contemporary memorandum sent between two Guardian's Office staff noted on a list of jobs successfully accomplished: "Conspired to entrap Mrs. Lovely into being arrested for a felony which she did not commit. She was arraigned for the crime."
Throughout all of this, the Church of Scientology was well aware of the ferocity of their attacks, as well as the history of their target, at one point stating, "we don't want to be seen publically [sic] being brutal to such a pathetic victim from a concentration camp."
Gregg Housh
already contacted by bluewiggirl
Bio
- name: Gregg Housh
- age: 31
- occupation:
- location: Boston, MA
- website: whyweprotest.org
Pictures
Just one for Anonymous folks, or maybe one masked and one not.
Questions and answers about this person
How did you become a target for the Church of Scientology?
Gregg chose to put his name on the permits for the Boston Anonymous protests, thus making his involvement with the group a matter of public record.
What kind of Fair Game tactics have been used against you so far?
Multiple fraudulent police reports have been filed with the Boston PD, and two charges were pushed forward. The charge of Criminal Trespassing was dropped by the magistrate, but the charge of Criminal Harassment is now going to trial.
What effect has this had on your daily life?
The court dates have forced him to take time away from work, resulting in lost pay. This in combination with the fees for his lawyer and other unrelated factors has resulted in some financial strain.
For how long have Fair Game tactics been used against you?
Since February, 2008.
Are there any currently active Fair Game attacks against you?
The charge of Criminal Harassment is still being pursued, a second pre-trial date has been set for July 1st.
What actions (if any) have you taken to fight back?
In addition to taking every legal recourse available to get the charges dropped, he has stepped up flyering efforts in Boston and changed some tactics at events. While he cannot participate in events outside of the Scientology Building, he is still actively involved in planning and monthly protests in Boston now include a secondary event away from the building which he can attend.
What concessions (if any) have you had to make in light of Fair Game attacks?
Until the court issues are resolved, he is unable to go within viewing distance of the Church of Scientology per court order.
His Story
In January of 2008 a war was brewing, and Gregg Housh was one of the first Anonymous to become a part of it. When the standard modes of attack for Anonymous ("hacking," prank calls and faxes) were called into question by Mark Bunker, Gregg was the first to give up his anonymity in order to obtain a permit to protest outside the Church of Scientology on February 10th. In his telling of it "I knew the moment I put my name down that I would wind up in court." And he did.
Gregg's cease and desist letter was hand delivered on March 24th. On April (something) he was charged with criminal trespassing and criminal harassment. The trespassing charge was easily dismissed when the video taken by other anonymous proved that Gregg did not in fact enter the Church on the day in question, but the harassment charge went forward. He had $11 in his pocket, and a negative balance at the bank. Anonymous in Boston and around the globe rallied to his aid, and raised hundreds of dollars to cover his legal costs, over $200 of which was collected at Operation: Reconnect. On April 30th, he was brought in to court for his arraignment, and walked out five minutes later facing a pre-trial and thousands more dollars in lawyer fees.
Anonymous across the globe have been an incredible support for Gregg through his legal woes. Gifts have poured in, keeping him solvent while facing some of the best funded lawyers in the world. More important, though, is the encouragement and emotional support that has carried him through the stress of pre-trial after pre-trial.
In addition to the legal harassment, Gregg has reported being followed by private investigators on several occasions.
The IRS
Bio
- name:
- age:
- occupation:
- location:
- other?
Pictures
Just one for Anonymous folks, or maybe one masked and one not.
Questions and answers about this person
These would be the same questions on every persons page, but different answers for each person
How did you become a target for the Church of Scientology?
Answer 1
What kind of Fair Game tactics have been used against you so far?
Answer 2
What effect has this had on your daily life?
Answer 3
For how long have Fair Game tactics been used against you?
Answer 4
Are there any currently active Fair Game attacks against you?
Answer 5
What actions (if any) have you taken to fight back?
Answer 6
What concessions (if any) have you had to make in light of Fair Game attacks?
Answer 7
Their Story
Arnie Lerma
Currently being contacted by Wednesday
Shawn Lonsdale
Bio
- name: Shawn Lonsdale
- age: 39
- occupation: Clerk
- location: Clearwater, Florida
- other :
Pictures
Image:Http://www.baynews9.com/images/news/2006/7/10/shawn.jpg
Questions and answers about this person
These would be the same questions on every persons page, but different answers for each person
How did you become a target for the Church of Scientology?
While on a project to photograph the homeless people around downtown Clearwater Florida, Shawn Lonsdale became aware of several security members of the Church of Scientology taking notice of his photography. He was watched and followed by several of the same persons around downtown Clearwater while on the photographic project. After the homeless project he began to explore Scientology objectively. He would discuss Scientology with his then landlord Imre Tozer, Tozer was also a Scientologist. After talking to Tozer and his history with the Church of Scientology, Lonsdale read a copy of "A Piece of Blue Sky," by Jon Atack. Lonsdale then had a conversation with Tozer in regards to the book in which Tozer became hostile and argumentative.
This lead Lonsdale to research more on what the opponents had to say about Scientology. Leading Lonsdale to photograph and videograph Scientologists in Clearwater Florida for a Documentary he was going to put online.
What kind of Fair Game tactics have been used against you so far?
Answer 2
What effect has this had on your daily life?
Answer 3
For how long have Fair Game tactics been used against you?
Answer 4
Are there any currently active Fair Game attacks against you?
Answer 5
What actions (if any) have you taken to fight back?
Answer 6
What concessions (if any) have you had to make in light of Fair Game attacks?
Answer 7
Their Story
John Sweeney
Bio
- name:
- age:
- occupation:
- location:
- other?
Pictures
Just one for Anonymous folks, or maybe one masked and one not.
Questions and answers about this person
These would be the same questions on every persons page, but different answers for each person
How did you become a target for the Church of Scientology?
Answer 1
What kind of Fair Game tactics have been used against you so far?
Answer 2
What effect has this had on your daily life?
Answer 3
For how long have Fair Game tactics been used against you?
Answer 4
Are there any currently active Fair Game attacks against you?
Answer 5
What actions (if any) have you taken to fight back?
Answer 6
What concessions (if any) have you had to make in light of Fair Game attacks?
Answer 7
His Story
Time Magazine
Bio
- name:
- age:
- occupation:
- location:
- other?
Pictures
Just one for Anonymous folks, or maybe one masked and one not.
Questions and answers about this person
These would be the same questions on every persons page, but different answers for each person
How did you become a target for the Church of Scientology?
Answer 1
What kind of Fair Game tactics have been used against you so far?
Answer 2
What effect has this had on your daily life?
Answer 3
For how long have Fair Game tactics been used against you?
Answer 4
Are there any currently active Fair Game attacks against you?
Answer 5
What actions (if any) have you taken to fight back?
Answer 6
What concessions (if any) have you had to make in light of Fair Game attacks?
Answer 7
Their Story
Stu Wyatt
Bio
- name:
- age:
- occupation:
- location:
- other?
Pictures
Just one for Anonymous folks, or maybe one masked and one not.
Questions and answers about this person
These would be the same questions on every persons page, but different answers for each person
