[Vision2020] A New Witch Hunt

[debismith at moscow.com]

Thanks for posting this, Tom. Also to all of you who have taken enough interest in Wicca to do 
a bit of research. 

While approximately 1,900 in the military are *out of the broom 
closet*, many more do not identify themselves as Wiccan simply to protect themselves.Unless 
a base has a fairly large contingent of Wiccans (as did Fort Hood), it can be dangerous to let 
others know  this religion is the one practiced. 

Wicca does not have a Central Authority, it does not have Pastors, Preachers, or Popes.  It 
doesn't seek converts, doesn't proseletize, doesn't reject other religions as nonvalid. What 
it has is a belief that Diety is imminent, not transcendent, and a focus on care for the Earth 
and all that inhabits Her. It has one basic tenet: And It Harm None. This means anything one 
puts out into the Universe will return thrice-fold. If it is good deeds, there is a return. If, as in my 
case, it is snarky e-mails to those I feel it necessary to confront, I get three equally snotty e-
mails back. I'm sometimes willing to take the *karmic hit* and just push *send*, knowing full 
well Dick, Lame-o Doug, Donovan, or one of the over-aged juvenile Kirkers will attempt to insult 
me or even start cyber-stalking again. 

I am open about my spiritual beliefs. I am open about my political agenda. I am open about 
just about everything, because when one attempts secrecy it leaves one open to blackmail. 
One of the v2020 posters, in the not so distant past, attempted to *out* me (I was already out, 
so BFD), attempted to *report* me to a higher authority (there isn't one, so he just annoyed 
people who didn't care), and attempted to *shame* me for my out-spoken behavior (I save 
feeling ashamed for when I have inadvertantly caused someone pain--I'm not ever ashamed of 
calling it like I see it).

It breaks my heart when I hear that others who share my religious beliefs are disrespected in 
the 
way Patrick Stewart and his family have been disrespected. While I may not agree with the 
religious perspectives of some others, their right to belief is never in question. Somehow, 
Wicca is different than all other faiths? 

 It is particularly poignant that Wiccan  beliefs are likely the most inoffensive of just about any 
religion, yet, through misunderstanding and prejudice, many people still think Wicca is devil 
worship or casting evil spells. These ideas don't have any application to Wicca. We don't even 
believe in *the Devil*, and (remember Harm None?) just don't do imprecatory prayers or evil 
spells.  We spend our time recycling, growing organic food, taking care of others, sharing what 
we have with those who have less, volunteering in our community, being involved in politics, 
and paying attention to the changing seasons (both real and metaphorically).

I am hopeful that the VA will get some sense, stop listening to those who act out of prejudice 
rather than information, and allow Roberta Stewart to honor her husband with the symbol of his 
faith. Blessed Be, Roberta.

Debi Robinson-Smith

"Never retract, never explain, never apologize, just get the job done and let them howl."
							-------Iron Jawed Angels
(Thanks to Lois Blackburn, a true Iron Jawed Angel!)



From:           	"Tom Hansen" <thansen at moscow.com>
To:             	"Joan Opyr" <joanopyr at moscow.com>,
       	"'Moscow Vision 2020'" <vision2020 at moscow.com>
Date sent:      	Mon, 3 Jul 2006 16:37:17 -0700
Copies to:      	
Subject:        	[Vision2020] A New Witch Hunt

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An editorial from the July 10, 2006 edition of the Army Times -

For you Wiccans out there.  You know who you are.

----------------------------------------------------------------

A New Witch Hunt
Search for recognition falls victim to misconceptions about Wicca

By Charles C. Haynes

The current flap involving Wiccans in the military is a conflict that should
never have happened. But years of foot-dragging by the Department of
Veterans Affairs have turned an easy case into a major controversy complete
with charges of discrimination and threats of lawsuits.

All VA needs to do is announce that the pentacle - a five-pointed star that
symbolizes the Wiccan faith - has been added to the list of 38 "emblems of
belief" approved for placement on government headstones and memorials. No
big deal, end of story.

Instead, VA keeps saying that it is "reviewing the process" - and will make
a decision at some indeterminate time in the future.

Roberta Stewart has been hearing this bureaucratic mumbo jumbo for the past
eight months. She just wants to honor her husband, Patrick, a soldier in the
Nevada National Guard killed in combat last September in Afghanistan. Sgt.
Stewart, who was posthumously awarded the Bronze Star and Purple Heart,
among other honors, was a Wiccan.

But Stewart's request to have a pentacle engraved on her husband's memorial
plaque has been repeatedly denied pending review of the VA policy. His space
on the Northern Nevada Veterans Memorial wall remains blank.

Eventually, VA will have no choice but to allow the pentacle. Nevada
politicians from both parties, as well as advocacy groups from the left and
right, are demanding the change.

Then there is the small matter of the First Amendment: It's clearly
unconstitutional for the government to deny the Wiccan symbol while
permitting symbols of many other religions.

If approval of the pentacle is inevitable, why is VA taking so long to make
a decision?

For Roberta Stewart, it has been a long and frustrating eight months. But
other Wiccans have been pushing for VA recognition of the pentacle for more
than nine years. (According to the Defense Department, some 1,900
active-duty service members identify themselves as Wiccans.)

At first blush, the years of VA stonewalling doesn't make sense. A glance at
the 38 approved emblems suggests that any religion can make the list. In
addition to all of the world's major faiths, a number of obscure sects are
represented, such as Eckankar, a New Age group that espouses out-of-body
travel. Atheists have a symbol, too. If VA is applying some kind of
religious test to keep out the Wiccans, it's hard to fathom what it might
be.

Before last fall, VA blamed the rules. Applicants had to provide
documentation from a central authority certifying a symbol as representative
of that religion. Because Wiccans have no recognized head or hierarchy,
their applications were rejected. Rules are rules.

Bipartisan outrage over Sgt. Stewart's case inspired a new set of rules.
Now, applicants are required to provide historic background and
documentation of use to get a symbol approved. Roberta Stewart has filled
out all of the forms. But she's still waiting.

So what's the problem? VA isn't talking. But the delay may have to do with
the fact that Roberta Stewart went public. Putting atheists on the list when
no one is paying attention is one thing, but announcing recognition of the
Wiccan pentacle in the glare of the media spotlight is another.

Few people have even heard of Eckankar, but almost everyone has an opinion
about Wiccans. Unfortunately, most of what people think they know about
Wicca is false. Wicca is a nature-based religion centered on a belief that
the divine permeates all life. Wiccans have nothing to do with black magic
or satanic worship, but try explaining that to a misinformed public.

VA is probably remembering the last time Wiccans in the military made
headlines. About six years ago, news reports of Wiccan ceremonies at Fort
Hood, Texas, and other bases provoked some conservative Christian groups to
call on Christians not to enlist or re-enlist in the Army.

Under the First Amendment, the Army had no choice then, just as VA has no
choice now, but to accommodate Wiccans in the same way it accommodates other
religious groups. But any "acceptance" of witches - who have long been
demonized in Christian history - is certain to stir up trouble for the
military.

It's also possible that VA lawyers are beginning to realize that any
guidelines for government-sanctioned "emblems of belief," however carefully
crafted, are unworkable. In a nation where people are free to choose in
matters of faith, the government should stop trying to figure out which
symbols are "acceptable" and instead allow each family to choose whatever
symbol best represents their convictions.

In other words, cut through all of the bureaucratic red tape and jettison
the "emblems of belief" list entirely.

Meanwhile, however, VA should act immediately to honor Roberta Stewart's
request and fill in the blank space reserved for Sgt. Stewart. After all, if
we can't live up to religious freedom at home, we have no business asking
soldiers to die for religious freedom abroad.

----------------------------------------------------------------

Seeya round town, Moscow.

Tom Hansen
Moscow, Idaho

"Patriotism is not a short and frenzied outburst of emotion but the tranquil
and steady dedication of a lifetime." 

--Adlai E. Stevenson, Jr.


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