Here's why I think these things are misguided:
There is no evidence that JWs have a higher incident rate than other religions, or even teachers or other groups. Putting flyers out that border on accusing members of the local congregation could cause legal issues or at least play into their claims of being oppressed. They would only need to have a letter or editorial in the local paper saying they have never had an incident locally and boom, now who looks like the people being jerks?
Is the problem with the local congregation or with the HQ, their policies and their coverups? If so, what is the warning to local people meant to be about?
The flyers I've seen also try to attach too many other issues. Shunning former members? Dissuading further education? Why would someone who cares about child abuse care about those things? They suggest "disgruntled" more than caring about the welfare of children.
Please think of the message: the JW calling at your door may be a pedophile. True ... but then so could the post man or the gas inspector or any number of other people. Does anyone say "sure, I'll just leave my children alone with you" whoever shows up at their door?!?!
Far more important is the rules governing people in authority over children and how reports of abuse are handled. Resorting to "scare" tactics about who is calling at your door is not addressing the real issue IMO. If no one talks to JWs has the problem been solved ... at all? No ... so what is the point of that type of campaign?
I think a better use of time and resources would be to go to work on getting legislators to require background checks on anyone working with children: teachers, pastors, doctors; you name it. We might actually bring the power of the law to bear on this problem.
I agree with this completely. I think it would be far more effective to join other groups campaigning for the mandatory reporting of abuse cases. The danger in some of these leaflet campaigns is that they appear to be attempts to smear as much as they are to help. They only affect a few locals at best and they should not be the target, the WTS should be. Unless we know for a fact that something has happened locally and in that case, we should be going to the police with our concerns.
What is the call to action? What are people meant to do - pelt JWs with eggs next time they show up? If you're not careful you give people a reason to listen to them rather than ignore them. At worse, it tips some stupid idiot to do something crazy and attack someone. Yes, that does happen - people make false accusations and mobs don't really do "reason" very well.
Too much seems to be being pinned on some individual cases to damn a whole group of people. If we're simply "using" someone else's bad experience to pursue our own revenge or retaliation then isn't that simply a different form of abuse?
