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Page: Profile: Wren's Nest News Local
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Article: 18510
[Pagan]
Date Posted:
9/9/2007
10:10:30 am EDT
Wvox Stats
Views: 8,846
RSS: 15,951
Comments: 27
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Witch Fleeing Halifax After Friends Attacked, Family Swarmed
Author: Stephane Massinon Source: CanWest News Service
Title: WITCH FLEEING HALIFAX AFTER FRIENDS ATTACKED, FAMILY SWARMED
A Halifax witch says too much toil and trouble is forcing her out of town.
For weeks, Shauna Cook, 37, says she's been targeted in her Halifax home because she is a hedge-witch natural healer.
Now, two of her pagan friends have been attacked, with one stabbed in the back and another struck in the head with a rock.
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Community Thoughts: There are 27 comments posted | Reverse Sort |
| Never Underestimate The Power Of Cameras. | Sep 11th. at 6:48:29 pm EDT
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Badger Breaking Ground (Denton, Texas) - Email Me
Or the court of public opinion. Cameras come pretty cheap these days and youtube is a "powerless" victim's best friend.
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| In Halifax?!? | Sep 11th. at 1:39:42 pm EDT
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Eran Rathan (Old Town, Maine) - Email Me
Seriously?
Halifax is one of the most laid-back of the Maritimes cities (great pub and live-music scene) , I certianly never expected it there.
Eran Rathan
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| An Armed Society Is A Polite Society | Sep 11th. at 9:36:34 am EDT
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stalkingwolf (Bullhead City, Arizona) - Email Me
The conditions presented in this article are becomming more and more common. Not only in Canada but The US. In the US it is not only Gangs
but various groups of Illegal Immigrants.
Having lived in these conditions my self and have been told by police " we cant put an officer on you 24 hours a day to protect you." The only proper and effective response is " I dont need you to protect me.
All I need is for you to cart the bodies off before they start stinkin up my drive way."
It is My opinion that when an armed group attacks individuals they should and must be cut down like the rabid beasts they are.
I also believe every citizen should own a pump action 12ga. The sound of a pump gun is a language that is understood internationally.
All of the good folks that make up these types of groups understand that when they hear the " rack-rack" of a 12 it is not who is going to be hit but how many. If you also lower your point of aim to about belt level they will also grasp the concept that while they will not die, something WILL die or be lost.
If you live in an area where ( gasp, gasp, choke) you are prevented from owning firearms you still have many options for defense. An Arrow to the testicles
is almost as effective as a bullet. When thinking in terms of personal defense always remember the
adage from the American wild west, " I would rather be judged by 12 than carried by 6."
When confronted by multiple targets your only question should be "which one do I take out first."
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| By The Way | Sep 10th. at 6:39:56 pm EDT
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autumnleafwitch (Halifax, Nova Scotia) - Email Me
I forgot to mention...
Of the 6 youths that were involved in the attack, at least 2 of them were white.
Autumn
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| The Voice Of One Who Actually Knows... | Sep 10th. at 6:38:06 pm EDT
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autumnleafwitch (Halifax, Nova Scotia) - Email Me
what happened/has been happening.
I'd like to give you a run down on what this particular family has been through for the year they lived in this neighborhood.
Shauna's oldest son (who was 14 at the time) was assaulted about 6 months ago. This was most likely due to the fact that he was 'new' to the neighborhood.
late July- Shauna and a young female friend (of no blood relation) were surrounded by a large group of teens. These teens had gone to school with Shauna's friend, and knew her to be Pagan, as well as Goth. Shauna sent the young friend to safety. Shauna's husband then came to her aid. This attack happened after 10 p.m., while the two were returning to Shauna's home- just a few feet from her front door in fact. There were 9 teens to begin with. By the end of it, there were 12 teens, 3 baseball bats and the mother of one of the teens (not to mention his 'drunk' aunt who was on the sidelines holding a butcher's knife- her own 14 year old daughter disarmed her) . Shauna's husband required stitches in the back of his head and his elbow. His torso was black and blue from being struck repeatedly with bats. Shauna also suffered some bruises from the bats. These youths were out to kill, not to invite them over for tea.
Over the next period of time, there were many things called out to Shauna and her family members and friends as they exited or entered their home. They commented on one's height, weight, clothes. And yes, there were comments made in reference to her religion. I can't give you a quote verbatim, but the one I remember was something along the lines of 'becareful, she'll turn you into a toad!'.
In early August, their home was broken into.
This family was now afraid to leave their home to walk the hundred (or so) feet to the bus stop. They would call for a taxi to take them to the nearest bus terminal. The reason they did this was due to the local youths 'watching' every move they made. These kids would pointedly stare at them, get out the cell phone and make a call. Maybe the call was innocent, but there was implied threat.
This all exploded around midnight of August 31. The same young female friend from the first attack, as well as one of her friends, had been visiting. They were going to catch the bus home. Four youths approached them. By the end of it, there were six youths against the two. The young woman ran back to Shauna's to call the police. Her friend was beaten and stabbed with a sharp instrument. He was stabbed 4 times, in the back. While she was attempting to call the police, one of the youths threw a rock at the window she had been looking out of. She dropped the phone and put her hands to her head as a pool of blood quickly formed on the floor. For those who wonder, my 14 year old daughter had been on a sleep over, visiting Shauna's son. She was standing next to the young woman when the rock went through the window. This information comes from her...
And just a bit of further information, after the family had been delivered to safety, their house was broken into once again. This was discovered when her husband came back to start packing things.
During the interview, yes, Shauna did make a comment about using grammatically correct english. We live in an area where using slang is as common as breathing. Most of these kids use *S'up!* instead of *Hi! How are you?"
Shauna is NOT a white supremacist. Her son is 1/2 Native American, her husband is 1/4 Dutch Jew. But this neighborhood, a low-income/subsidized housing neighborhood, this kind of comment is not one which you want people screaming about you. These youths did just that. They terrorized this family for a long time. When the reporter asked Shauna if she had any idea why these kids had targeted her family, she had very few reasons to offer. The reporter took her comments and reported them out of context. I should know, I was standing right next to her while she was being interviewed.
As for Police Intervention, and their abilities to dig for the truth in the matter, the responding officer from the July attack did NOT offer to show Shauna or her husband a photo array to try to find out who was involved. Shauna did not have any names to offer the police (until a couple weeks later) , no charges were laid. In fact, the officer advised the family to 'keep their heads down'. And yet, mere days after Shauna and here husband were swarmed, one of the kids involved beat a five month old kitten to death with a golf club, in front of the kitten's 11 year old owner. There was more hew and cry over this than the swarming. In fact, the swarming didn't even make the news, but news of the death of the kitten was all over the place. In this neighborhood, the violent youths are in charge. And the police know this. Those that see things suddenly become blind and tell the police (and the reporters) nothing. Those that hear things turn up the volume on their t.v.'s so as to drown out the noise. No one comes forward, so no charges can be laid.
Paula Sepp
aka Autumn
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| I Don't Believe.... | Sep 10th. at 2:53:58 pm EDT
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Fire Warrior (Eastern Passage, Nova Scotia) - Email Me
...that this attack was religiously motivated. Most crimes rarely are. Lately the city of Halifax has been hit with many violent crimes, and the majority of them make the papers. As it stands this just looks like a random act of violence, seeing as how no one had mentioned anything about the attackers shouting anti-pagan slurs, or invoking the power of their deity (ies) . The recent rash of violence in town has become a media focus as of late, and the sensationalism of the press is not exactly assisting in the capture of the attackers. A crime is a crime. Done deal. But the motivation of the criminals for choosing these two particular youths to attack, was at best random. Until the police get more information, I would have to say wait and see what'll come of this.
FW
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| I, For One, Am Startled... | Sep 10th. at 12:49:53 pm EDT
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Starling (Montreal, Quebec) - Email Me
I live in Montreal, Quebec, and I have never had a problem with being open about my spirituality. I do realize that some areas aren't as liberal as others, but, honestly, it's the first time I hear about something like this.
I'd have to say that half of the Pagans/Wiccans I know are out of the proverbial "broom closet" and the other half aren't more as a precaution than because they've had actual problems.
Oh, and, for the record, I'd like to say that Quebecois don't hate anyone who isn't Quebecois. That is a gross generalization.
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| Canada's Diversity | Sep 10th. at 11:53:06 am EDT
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Lady-hearted Mojo (Irving, Texas) - Email Me
What many Americans don't understand about Canada is that it is as diverse as the US. There are parts of it that are very liberal such as BC and, especially, the city of Vancouver. Ther are also places that are very conservative like the provinces of Alberta and Nova Scotia. Most Canadians are very welcoming of others, except the Quebecois, they hate everyone who isn't Quebecois. Halifax is the largest and most populous city in NS, however, most of the population relies on fishing to make a living and many of those folks are on the dole most of the year. A friend of mine corresponded with a person in NS who still used an out-house, and had wood-burning stove to heat her home. Regardless if the basis of the attack was racism or witchcraft, it doesn't surprise me that this type of thing would happen in a place as conservative as NS.
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| Still Waiting For The Other Shoe | Sep 10th. at 9:21:34 am EDT
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Finn (San Marcos, Texas) - Email Me
As I said before, I'll be very interested in the updates that come out via the investigation. I have found that Canadian law enforcement tends to do a pretty good job of rooting out the details. I have faith the facts will come to light. That being said, I do want to clarify a couple of points, taking myself out on a limb before the details are in:
1. If (and it is a big if) the attack was the result of a perception that the victim (s) were racists, it remains a "racially" motivated attack. Race was the catalyst for the violence. Whenever a group of one color (doesn't matter which) violently attacks a group with a different skin color, the matter must be given careful consideration.
2. In the end, it doesn't matter if the victim (s) were racist or not. They "could" have been Neo-Nazis standing on the corner screaming epithets and it would not have justified attacking them. Of course, depending upon Canadian law both parties might have been charged for different crimes. I'm not certain how Canada treats hate speech.
3. My problem from a psychological point of view is the reaction of the witch. It seemed very odd. If/when someone is being harassed and attacked by groups of people for specious reasons, one does not get defensive about it. One doesn't try to explain WHY these attackers were mistaken in their perceptions. An innocent, harrassed person get frightened and/or angry. One does not, in my experience, make odd statements trying to justify one's own manner of speech.
It suffices to say that while I have no idea what happened, there is clearly a lot more going on here than a group of youths with misconceptions about witchcraft or this particular witch. More often than not, there simplest answer is generally correct. There are a few scenarios which clearly fit the evidence, and some which do not. The notion that this is a hate attack motivated by religion doesn't fit the scenario at all. If anything the attack sound like either a random, idiotic angsty riot which had little to do with anything other than stupidity, and/or a case of racially motivated tension.
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| Oddities | Sep 10th. at 4:21:54 am EDT
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Ahr-Ohn (Bridgeport, Connecticut) - Email Me
Appearently, there was an actual police report, and hospital visits. As this was essentially a riot, someone must have been egging those teens on. It was Teen on Teen Violence, but inappropriate odds fora Melee.
Gangs don't naturally devide on racial boundaries, but will do so, when Racial Strife is being promoted, so someone ought to talk to the preachers of the families of this wolf pack, and have him find out who's been instigating, as that's the only one you need.
Probably a Witch War. I understand Abram and Sara live up that ways, and Hagar might also, so it's in somebody's back yard.
Drawn is The Empress Upright: Feminine progress; Fruitfulness; Accomplishment; Mother; Sister; Wife; Marriage; Children; Feminine influence; Ability to motivate others; Practicality; Intuition... It's going to be enlightening, when we discover what this has to do with the matter at hand.
Arawn
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| Truth Is, We Don't Have Any Idea Why They Did It | Sep 10th. at 4:14:54 am EDT
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Shadowbear (Hillsboro, Oregon) - Email Me
It could have been because she is a witch, although she was not the subject of the attack- or that could be just an attention-grabbing headline. It could have been because the attackers decided the victims were "white supremacists" or because it was Tuesday. There is no interview with the attackers and they did not shout out their motives when they attacked as far as we know. Therefore the reporter was assuming facts we all don't have. This leaves us with nothing to base anything on except that two people were attacked after leaving this hedge-witch's house. She is leaving town due to the problems she has been having which may or may not be related to the attack - can't tell from this article.
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| Rumormongers | Sep 10th. at 2:39:36 am EDT
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Shadow Dragon (nashville, Tennessee) - Email Me
All you need is one person that hate witches. Then they start to telling rumors. “ they rape children and eat them. They worship the devil and put curses on every one. They sacrifice pets. Their white supremacists” sooner or later this Rumormonger will say the right line to the wrong person. Like telling a gang she is a white supremacists. that’s all it takes. These Rumormongers must be charge for the crimes also.
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| The Other Shoe | Sep 9th. at 3:20:37 pm EDT
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Finn (San Marcos, Texas) - Email Me
I don't think this has anything to do with religion. I do not believe in coincidences. We have what sounds like a racially motivated attack, brought on by the belief (correct or incorrect) that the people involved were somehow racists. I'll be interested in hearing more about this one as it updates.
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| Violent People Don't Need A Reason | Sep 9th. at 1:33:39 pm EDT
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Moonlight Wolf (Bradford, England) - Email Me
If a gang is violent then they don't really need a legitimate reason to attack someone. If someone looks out of place, or vulnerable then they will attack.
In the news for the past two weeks it's all been about the murder of twelve year old Rhys Jones. Did the teenager who attacked him have a reason? No. Rhys was just in the wrong place at the wrong time.
I agree that there could be more in the article but just because someone is accused of being a white supermacist does not mean they should be attacked.
Anyway it was her friends that were attacked. If she was being nasty to them then they would probably attacked her. I think that her friends were attacked in order to intimidate her making her more of a victim than these bullies.
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| Rage Has No Color Or Religion | Sep 9th. at 11:21:01 am EDT
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Peg A. (Albany, New York) - Email Me
Urban youth are the source of increasing amounts of violence all across North America and in other parts of the world.
I also tend to think this cannot be immediately read as a hate crime against witches, or even against suspected white supremacists...but as yet another example of violence directed at victims who had the unfortunate fate of being there at the time these kids wanted to direct their rage at someone, anyone.
I have lived in cities where the racial tension has had a hugely negative impact on neighborhoods and communities; but non-white teens do not have a moratorium on the violence. Diasaffected youth are disaffected youth, and it is the lack of personal accountability in our society, the failure of parents and communities to instill the values of respect and honor and compassion, and the glorification of violence throughout our culture, that are at the root of such problems.
Until we know for sure this may be a crime specifically aimed at attacking this family because of their beliefs, it may be best to treat it as yet another example of the tragedy of urban violence, perpetrated by our children upon our neighbors.
And consider:
It is every bit as plausible that a group of white teens might attack the African-American or Hispanic or Asian or Arabic (choose your non-white minority group) friends of a family who practice spiritual paths such as Santeria or Voudou or Shintoism or Islam. Historically, this has been even more likely. I wish the media would resist the urge to immediately categorize hate crimes along racial or religious lines; sometimes hate is just hate.
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