Kevin Gosztola of Firedoglake published a document on Monday that was allegedly handed out to employees of the intelligence agency ahead of Thanksgiving to ensure embattled staffers would stand their ground if family members or friends berated them about the ongoing surveillance scandal started six months ago by contractor-turned-whistleblower Edward Snowden.

The first of a series of classified documents were disclosed by Snowden all the way back in June, and a steady stream of leaks has ensured that the US government’s top-secret surveillance operations haven’t gone unreported in the months since. In a document dated November 22, NSA employees and staffers of the Central Security Service (CSS) are presented with a laundry-list of items to share with loved ones this holiday season who might want to learn more about the most interesting federal agency of the year.

“NSA’s mission is of great value to the nation,” reads the first bullet point on a list of items cleared by the government “employees are authorizes to share . . . with family and close friends.”

NSA's Talking Points for Holiday Gatherings, courtesy of Kevin Gosztola