"The dogmas of the quiet past, are inadequate to the stormy present. The occasion is piled high with difficulty, and we must rise with the occasion. As our case is new, so we must think anew, and act anew. We must disenthrall ourselves, and then we shall save our country."
-Abraham Lincoln
Hello everyone and blessed be~! I've been super busy with college starting back up and working on renovating my house with my brother, so I haven't had much time to blog (or do much of anything else for that matter). But I have weekends free, so today I would like to discuss the impact of intolerance, ignorance, and mob-mentalities on the pagan community today. And this isn't just about Wiccan, pagans, or one particular group, this goes for everybody. Discrimination is wrong no matter who does it or why. Muslim, Christian, Hindu, Buddhist, Wiccan, Jewish, whatever you are, you have the God (or Goddess) given right to religious freedom! (We should also support LGBT--lesbians, gays, bisexuals and transgenders--but that's a topic for another day)
"We are not afraid to entrust the American people with unpleasant facts, foreign ideas, alien philosophies, and competitive values. For a nation that is afraid to let its people judge the truth and falsehood in an open market is a nation that is afraid of its people."
-John F. Kennedy
So far I haven't had any (real) issues with discrimination myself, thank the Divine, but that doesn't mean it's not a big problem for others. People may just brush this off with a "you're being overly-sensitive", but honestly there is still a lot of discrimination today and it's not even vaguely funny. People have been fired from jobs, shunned by their classmates or communities, received hatemail or any other number of cruelties based upon intolerance of religion. This is truly an outrage because the Unites States is and should be a haven for all kinds of races, cultures and religions. Don't we ourselves fondly call it a "melting pot"? Yet the amount of intolerance that still pervades American culture is astounding and quite shocking.
Some accounts include:
- Schools banning the pentacle (but not other religious symbols) saying it is a symbol used by Satan worshippers or gang members
- Burial wishes to have the pentacle carved into gravestones denied by the military/US government (This has since been resolved, after 10 years of protesting and hard work)
- Being told that Wicca is inappropriate or blasphemous for employees, teachers, or students to practice, believe, advocate, or display via apparel
- Pagan sites being banned on certain WiFi networks (being labeled as inappropriate right along with porn sites or other such things)
- Being verbally attacked for one's religious views
- Being fired from jobs, suspended without pay, etc. simply for being pagan
- Having others deface property with graffiti bearing hateful messages
- Having people actually stand outside one's house protesting one's religion
- Being told that one's faith will send them to Hell
- Government officials disallowing access to pagan information or tools (such as candles, bells, books, etc.) for inmates while other inmates are free to practice their own religion. (I will point out that obviously some things have to be denied for safety such as athames and bolenes, and possibly candles because of the fire risk, though electric ones seem fine, but things like books should be fair game).
- And yes, even young kids being kicked out of Boy Scouts.
On a more personal note, I just found out (literally about 4 seconds ago) that my favorite store, Hot Topic, has apparently banned the sale of any "witch or Wiccan" goods. Well gosh, maybe when I go to the mall now I might be more inclined to visit Spencer's to get a shiny new pentacle...
"If we don't believe in freedom of expression for people we despise, we don't believe in it at all."
-Noam Chomsky
Many actions have been taken to stop this all too antiquated practice of intolerance, but it's simply not enough. Yes, some legal actions such as lawsuits have been won, but compared to how any have been lost and gone unnoticed it is a disgrace. The Constitution clearly states that all US citizens have the basic right of religious freedom and the freedom of speech, yet these rights are continuously denied by other citizens and sometimes even the government itself.
"Think for yourselves and let others enjoy the privilege to do so, too."
-Voltaire
Here is just a small compilation of some injustices done to pagans in the US today:
http://www.equip.org/articles/witches-asserting-their-rights-in-three-cases
http://www.rapunzellstower.com/Pagan/discpaper.php
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Religious_discrimination_against_Neopagans
http://www.newser.com/story/115098/ex-tsa-employee-i-was-fired-because-im-a-witch.html
http://atheism.about.com/library/FAQs/christian/blfaq_viol_wicca.htm
http://www.sodahead.com/living/is-it-ok-for-the-boy-scouts-to-discriminate-against-wiccans-athiests-and-homosexuals/question-2409735/?page=4&postId=76103187#post_76103187&link=ibaf&q=&imgurl=http://images.sodahead.com/profiles/0/0/2/0/1/0/6/6/1/Man-and-Horse-that-Built-Civilization-67201288868.jpeg
http://www.valleycentral.com/news/story.aspx?id=341587
http://obit-mag.com/articles/a-wiccan-veterans-memorial
On the bright side here are some cases of justice and nondiscrimination:
http://www.erlan.org/DecreasingLegalCases-pub.htm
http://www.verticalsearcher.com/2010/10/wicca.html
Even when you lie battered and bloodied at the feet of your enemy, treat them with love and forgiveness, as you would they treat you. Stand tall and resolute, and exemplify the merciful love of the Divine to all, especially those who oppose you--they need it most. If you allow your enemy to instill anger and vengeance in your heart, they have already won. Only through peace of mind can we be secure in our beliefs. As Gandhi once said,
"An eye for an eye makes the whole world blind."
and
"You can't shake hands with a clenched fist."
Keep the Wiccan Rede always in your heart--"An harm ye none do what ye will"--and you will find strength to carry on even under persecution. Love thy neighbor even if he doesn't love you back, I say. It is only through agape, boundless love, that we will bring about the peace we so desperately desire.
Another thing to remember is that the second best defense against discrimination is knowledge. You need facts and a good angle with which to argue equal rights treatment, and if you can't back up your points with a little good ol' fashioned wit than people may not consider your argument valid.
If you have been discriminated against in your workplace simply for what religion you follow (pagan or not) you should contact a civil rights law firm like this one: http://www.employmentlawgroup.net/PracticeAreas/Discrimination-Law.asp?_SR=Google%20Adwords&_AC=National%20Discrimination&_AG=General%20Discrimination&_kk=employment%20discrimination%20cases&_kt=758a69bd-d787-48de-a6d8-642d44022c0b&gclid=CNnr-q2_860CFcXd4Aodjiysuw (<---They even have live people online to help you when you arrive at the site!)
As always, blessed be,
-Autumn
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