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Critical Q&A #236

This week, it’s more answers about Sea Org uniforms, my stance on gun control, my final statement on whether Scientology is a good system or not, and a whole lot more. Enjoy!

(1) I have noticed some pictures of the Sea Org where they are wearing blues, sometimes wearing whites. My father was in the Naval Reserve. He had winter “Blues” and summer “Whites” for his dress uniforms. As you were traveling to cool and warmer assignments, did you have both?

(2) Let me start by once again by stating how impressed I am with both the quality and volume of your work, it is truly an inspiration. Now onto my question. In my adulthood I’ve tempered the ideological zeal that defined my teen and 20s years and become what I believe to be a run-of-the-mill moderate. My thoughts on contentious issues tend to fall evenly on both sides of the tribal divide, erring on the side of individual liberty over collective safety (I believe the expression is I want Log Cabin homosexual couples to be able to protect their cannabis plants with registered firearms). As an American with 2020 approaching, I consider our nation’s political trajectory. I do not like the Orange Man, but I do not hate him either. I look to the viable alternative options, as a person supportive of individual liberty, with great disappointment. Save for candidates the American left would seemingly never rally behind in spite of being completely congruent with their ideology (Gabbard, Yang) I have heard each of these people, some of whom sadly enough were once members of our justice system, talk exuberantly about violating the Constitutional right to own firearms. I’ll disclose some personal details, in hopes of revealing my bias without being boring. I grew up with a father who taught me and my sister to shoot. I learned invaluable lessons about the cycle of nature, and that being charitable didn’t just feel good but that it did good as well. Those lessons still inform my decisions today as a man who believes we humans are custodians of this Earth, and seeing as it has been so good to us we have a duty to be good to it. As an adult I’ve lived in Oakland, Los Angeles and San Diego and seen firsthand the derth of crime that occurs and how desperately needed self-defense is. My sister may be nearly 6 feet tall and capable of handling herself however I can be intellectually honest in saying that against a man of comparable or greater size she would have a real issue in defending herself. How can I in good conscience vote for a person who would actively work toward making self defense for such a person more difficult? Moreover the logic behind further gun ownership regulation just isn’t there. If guns were the X factor in violent crime then the country with the most guns would have the greatest violent crime rate. If guns were the X factor in suicides then the country with the greatest gun ownership would also have the greatest suicide rate. Neither of the former is true. And the legislation that’s being proposed seems to be aimed at a type of firearm used in a statistically minute amount of the crime they aim to prevent. All-in-all, this doesn’t look like the State providing for the general welfare, it looks like a power grab under the guise of compassion. Thoughts?

(3) If I understand correctly, the vast majority of Sea Org members live “on base” (Clearwater, Los Angeles, Hemet, etc). Relatively few are posted at various orgs in places other than Clearwater and Los Angeles (mostly Class V orgs, right?). I am curious what life is like for people in the latter category compared to those who live “on base”. Do people stay in the same posts for a long time or are they periodically rotated back to base? Do people like those posts (it has to feel like a welcome change after living “on base”, at least to some people)? Does the Sea Org use any particularly stringent criteria in deciding who gets to go off base for an extended period of time? What are some of the tools the Sea Org uses to keep the off-base brains well-washed and unclogged by living in the “wog world”?

(4) When is “sec checking” done? I know it’s an integral part of the RPF, but do all Scientologists potentially get a taste of it if they screw something up? Is it integrated into the “Bridge” at any point, like; “to proceed to OT[n], you need [x] hours of Sec Checks”? Is it just for Sea Org members, or can staff get it? I assume the public are NOT subject to it.

(5) Is it possible that if all of its followers just practiced the major points of the religion, Scientology wouldn’t be so bad? Not that I agree with it, I’m just wondering if it’s possible that Scientology by itself doesn’t indicate that the people involved have to be basically enslaved, abused, inprisoned or kidnapped. Is it possible that the people in charge have created this craziness on their own and added it to the practice? Don’t misunderstand my statement because I think this religion is bonkers. The human element is terribly abusive and should be punished for their actions. Just a curious observation.

2 thoughts on “Critical Q&A #236”

  1. First off driving is a privilege owning a firearm is it right when you get those two confused you sound like you don’t know what you’re talkin about

    1. Guess you didn’t listen to my whole answer, since I literally addressed this exact point in my answer. If you comment on something like that and haven’t listened to the whole answer, you sound like you don’t know what you’re talkin about.

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