AJWRB was approached early on about working together on these issues. We took a hard look and opted out for ethical and pragmatic reasons. Though the issues share a common thread (child abuse), they have to be approached in different ways. Ultimately, we felt direct linkage would detract from the work we are trying to do and that the pedophilia problem required immediate and separate action.
The process of getting the public to agree that children should not be sexually abused and that their abusers should not be sheltered is very straightforward.
The process of getting the public to agree that Jehovah's Witnesses should not have the right to refuse a blood transfusion is impractical. The necessary arguments are technical and very focused, and the right forum is the medical community.
Any attempt at hyperbole or sensationalism is quickly shot down by peer reviewed medical journals. However, through careful analysis we have been able to construct solid arguments that resulted in the WTS losing the blood debate in the medical ethics community. This was a victory for AJWRB but it will take years for this to filter down through the other medical communities.
There is something else to bear in mind as well. When we talk about the victims of the WTS blood transfusion policy, we are usually talking about dead people. There are no victims to place in front of a TV camera and interview. Additionally, how many JW parents are prepared to come forward and talk about the incredibly painful mistake they made in deciding to sacrifice their child? I know of perhaps one ex-JW woman who might consider doing something like that but to do so she must risk effectively ending her relationship with her other believing JW children. She's been through enough - I would never ask that of her.
So unlike the pedophilia issue, the blood issue by its unique nature does not lend itself well to use of the media - we will never have an Erica Garza. The identities of living JW minors cannot be used and most who need medically necessary blood transfusions go to an early grave. Sadly, we know that probably half of these kids that have died supporting the WTS irrational blood transfusion policy would have grown up and left the WTS anyway - how tragic that some court did not intervene and give them a chance to live. Here we have hundreds, perhaps thousands of permanently "Silent Lambs" in the ultimate sense - they will never roar. They were "small sacrifices" to the WTS blood transfusion policy.
As you can see from the recent "Shunned Father" story, this is an expensive issue for JW dissidents and other concerned individuals to address. Huge amounts of money are needed to take on the WTS and its mini army of volunteer attorneys. Medical communities must be lobbied, expensive and time consuming research is needed to publish articles in major medical journals like NEJM, JAMA, etc. Costly presentations must be made to medical professionals at conventions. Legal research needs to be done and cases must be won in the courts.
All of this is going to take a great deal of time and money. If I were a wealthy man, I'd happily part with those funds to make all of this happen. Unfortunately, I am not. A handful of individuals have made some significant contributions to AJWRB that enabled us to print thousands of brochures, put on two major medical conferences and open a lot of eyes, but much more can be done if the resources become available to us. Ultimately, that is up to individuals like the readers of this forum.
The WTS blood policy can be shaped by outside forces like AJWRB but it requires skill, resources and time. A common thread between the Pedophilia issue and the blood transfusion issue (child abuse) exists, but the approach to dealing with these issues is radically different. AJWRB genuinely appreciates the support that has been provided through this forum and we'll continue to do our best to educate both JWs and the medical community with the goal of insuring that all JWs have a free choice in their medical care without fear of WTS enforced sanctions that can separate them from their family members and friends.
Best regards,
Lee