TRUST SILENTLAMBS

There has been much buzz on the internet in the last few weeks over the self proclaimed hacker known as “Anonymous”.  The premise is they are above the law and illegally hack into computers of people that they deem as bad to obtain information.  Recently in June Candace Conti won a lawsuit over child abuse within Jehovah’s Witnesses.  Many abuse survivors and xjws applauded the successful effort to bring judgment against Jehovah’s Witnesses for their crimes against children.  It should be remembered that many others worked for years behind the scenes to help this boulder be pushed up the hill to prove the injustice against children committed by the policy of Jehovah’s Witnesses. 

Silentlambs has been there from the beginning and helped over seventy lawsuits to be filed over the abuse issue.  The simple understanding with each attorney was that the matter would be taken to trial and settlements would be avoided.  This was done with a handshake in most cases and as Silentlambs has come to learn, handshakes with lawyers have little meaning when money is on the table.  At the same time you have to consider the abuse survivors and what their wishes might be.  To avoid a trial in front of a jury and being forced to recall every detail of the most horrific moment of their lives may not be such a bad thing.  If they choose to settle then who are we to judge?  In the end precedents are set that allow the next case to go forward and give new victims an opportunity for compensation.  

So for twelve years Silentlambs has quietly helped case after case to move forward with varying degrees of success.  We were happy when the Conti case came along as the Simmons Law firm had extensive experience with the Catholic Church winning large judgments against them    Simmons knew how to deal with religious issues in a trial setting and how to file motions that would have success in the California legal system.  In the beginning, Silentlambs was contacted by the Conti’s and the Simmons Law Firm to assist with the case.  We provided discovery, advice on the practices of JWs, and numerous content in the form of documents to establish the policy of the religion and how it works to hurt children.  In addition, there were in some cases weekly consultations on depositions and review of the extensive materials developed within the case for our opinion as to what was being said and how it applied.  This is a matter or record and fact.  When the case was completed Mr. Simons as well as the Conti’s thanked me for Silentlambs help in making the case successful. 

We find it interesting that people claiming to be the Conti’s and also people claiming to wish to assist abuse survivors that are challenging our work and creating misinformation about what actually happened.  The facts were simple; William H. Bowen was retained by the Simmons Law Firm and used extensively to win the case.  Anyone that knows the inside facts of the case is well aware of this fact.  If someone would like to claim different then they are not aware and simply trying to confuse the community of people interested in helping abuse survivors.        

Finally there is the issue of ‘Anonymous’.  It has been a long practice of certain people coming forward that claim to have inside information and asking people to help them.  These type people have a similar operating agenda, I actually wrote about it in a piece called “Internet Caution” .  In that commentary I directly referred to these type people with this paragraph;

“Just because a person says something does not mean it is true. There have been instances where certain persons have taken private email, modified the context by changing sentences or omitting certain portions and then circulate this material as direct quotes from the original source in an effort to discredit or put them in a bad context. This unethical and dishonest methodology equates to nothing more than malicious gossip from insecure people with negative intent. As with any type of gossip if you receive material that seems to be fabricated or is disturbing it is often best to go to the source for clarification of the facts. Often when the original author is approached the fraudulence is exposed and the actual truth can be made known.”

“Anonymous Websites-Be particularly on guard of a person who may run website or forums that hides their identity or does not provide contact information other than email. You may not know who you are dealing with, the sad fact is when a person wishes to offer a service and hides their identity there is often a reason that relates to something dishonest or illegal. A legitimate service provider of an internet website or forum should provide a legitimate telephone and mailing address as well as where the business is located. This helps the user know who is responsible for the material as well as gives them proper recourse in the event a problem arises.”

As I stated people that remain anonymous often are up to some type of trickery or doing something illegal.  Many times it has been Watchtower trolls trying to get people on the inside to respond to them in order to have them turned over to the elders and exposed.  This has happened many times over the years but it seems no one seems to remember when a new anonymous person comes forward.  The interesting part is they always claim to have access to some key important information that they just never seem to actually produce.  Think about it would it not be better to actually produce the information first before coming forward and talking about it?  This is what normal people do that really have something to offer.  The recent big stir with ‘Anonymous’ appears to be more of the exact same pattern.  Note when the time comes to actually produce something there is always a delay, then excuses, finally nothing is ever produced.  The JW pedophile database would be an amazing thing to have, but to obtain it illegally would prevent it ever from being used as evidence and would hurt the case of many abuse survivors.  If anyone supports illegal activity by being involved somehow then they could face criminal prosecution.  Do you really wish to trust someone you do not even know and face possible criminal prosecution?

Finally in the You Tube video “Anonymous” uses JW terminology that shows they are more than just a hacker that decided to help JWs.  Please read the above again and do not be quick to support unknown people that do not have the fortitude to reveal their identity and claim to be involved in illegal activities.  Typically common sense would tell you they are not to be trusted or followed.  I do not wish any abuse survivors to be misled or get hurt by someone that has ill intentions or may be misguided.  You have suffered enough without having your trust abused by anonymous people. 

If you have valid information to truly help abuse survivors then contact Silentlambs we will be glad to help you have the most impact with it and protect your rights.  If you have an abuse case that you need advice on we have key people that can guide you in a safe way to help you find the best assistance that looks out for your best interests.  The Silentlambs Mission Statement has remained the same since day one and it states in part;

 “Our purpose is to give them a voice and a place to unite with others and find healing.”

That statement is as true today as it was twelve years ago.  You can trust Silentlambs to look out for your best interests and to help you move forward on the path to healing.