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Page: Profile: Wren's Nest News Local
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Article: 21128
[Civil]
Date Posted:
9/9/2009
5:19:31 pm EDT
Wvox Stats
Views: 2,714
RSS: 18,187
Comments: 8
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Update: Odinist Group Files Lawsuit Against NOR Parks Department
Author: Elaina Rusk Source: ABC23
Title: ODINIST GROUP FILES LAWSUIT AGAINST NOR PARKS DEPARTMENT
The night of Aug. 12, a group of Odinists gathered at Standard Park for a harvest ritual and were thought to be white supremacists by park-goers and neighbors, two of whom called 911.
Deputies responded after each complaint, but the Sheriff's Department couldn't comment on the situation because no report was filed, which means the deputies did not find any criminal activities taking place.
After ABC23's first story aired, NOR officials told the station that they received that complaint, and conducted an internal investigation.
But the Odinists were not satisfied. They began the process to file a civil lawsuit with the ACLU which is considering whether to take the case.
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Community Thoughts: There are 8 comments posted | Reverse Sort |
| Odinism Vs Racism | Sep 11th. at 10:26:30 am EDT
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Hoolet (Columbia, South Carolina) - Email Me
You have to understand the Odinist mindset to get a clear picture of how they can be racially-exclusive yet not racist. Most Folkish Heathens believe their relationship with the Aesir and Vanir is based upon them being literally blood relatives. The Gods are believed to be physical ancestors of Germanic folk. This is why they only admit Germanic people. Yet they respect all other races, and even feel a certain kinship with people of other ethnicities who practice their own tribal religions. It is no different than traditional Native Americans who insist that their religion is off-limits to outsiders, yet they respect and even like those same outsiders as people. Folkish Heathens view their religion as the same type of indigenous tradition reserved for their own "tribe".
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| In All Honesty... | Sep 10th. at 4:14:58 pm EDT
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RavenLight (Arlington, Virginia) - Email Me
...they deny they are racist too often on their website, they were in a public park giving the one armed salute to some kind of a flag...
Whether they are racist or not, they are going the right way about being SEEN as racist.
Which is why even if you don't require permits for activity in a park, you really should tell the rangers, in advance, what you're doing. That gets them on your side in most cases. And gives you advance warning if you have run into an idiot.
I'm giving them about half of the benefit of the doubt on actual racism here. They are entitled to limit their membership as they wish.
Of course, mentioning homosexuals in the same breath as child molesters did not endear them to me.
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| NOR Parks | Sep 10th. at 2:38:13 pm EDT
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Jackson Scheerer (Oshkosh, Wisconsin) - Email Me
As far as legality issues go, the central issue should really be that even white supremacists are protected by freedom of speech and freedom to organize if they are not being violent or breaking any other laws. People weren't afraid of them for being Pagans, they were afraid because they look like white supremacists and use a lot of the same symbolism. Either way was not illegal (not including if they neglected to get permits or whatever else) . I don't blame the community one bit for their concern, though.
I would be suspicious of them for the same reason I was suspicious of people who identified themselves as a variety of Pagan religions when I was helping a prison chaplain understand his Pagan inmates. A lot of Pagan and Reconstructionist religions are used to mask racist gangs, and Odinism is famous for that. As for what they say here:
"The Odinists confirmed theirs is a Viking religion that only allows people of Germanic descent into their brotherhood, but they deny they are racist."
You'd be shocked how many obviously racist groups deny that they are racist under some strange folkish ideal. I saw a KKK website for children that went to great lengths to say that you "don't have to hate Black people," but "that doesn't mean you should mix with them." This group's website is rife with the same agonizing dribble you find white power groups using, as well as their charge that homosexuals are "genocidal" and other weird stuff they say that smacks of the same bull white supremacists use.
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| Visit Their Website | Sep 10th. at 11:49:11 am EDT
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William (Buda, Texas) - Email Me
They recruit in prisons, and while they do not 'encourage' gang activity, they do not concern themselves with member's activities outside the official group activities.
Hmmm.. that says a lot
[Web LINK]
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| ... | Sep 9th. at 7:40:10 pm EDT
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Draken (Bronx, New York) - Email Me - Web
Bakersfield Pagans getting harassed for their religious beliefs...where did I read THAT before... [Web LINK]
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| Not All Limited Membership Is An -ist Group! | Sep 9th. at 6:14:49 pm EDT
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Ylva (Minneapolis, Washington) - Email Me
Racism requires an assumption of superiority over other races.
In this case, while this particular group limits membership to those of specific cultural bloodlines - they are not stating that they are in any way superior to other cultural bloodlines.
It is no different than an Ifá group specifying that they are limiting their membership to those of African American descent only (and there are a number of such groups throughout America) . Nor is it any different from a Dianic tradition group specifying that membership is limited to women only.
While individuals within each of the groups above (Odinist, Ifá or Dianic) may be racist, sexist or otherwise because of their own personal beliefs in the superiority of one race over others - the stated belief system of each group does not raise one race or gender above another.
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| Not Necessarily Racist, Nor Would It Matter | Sep 9th. at 6:02:48 pm EDT
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Traveler Farlander (Dallas, Texas) - Email Me
Say you've got a group of women who want to practice their religion in the company of only other women. They don't hate men, but they don't feel that men belong amongst them during worship for spiritual reasons. Are the women sexists?
In any event, as far as public parks go, it wouldn't matter if the Odinists were racists or even neo-Nazis. So long as they weren't breaking any laws, they would have the right to use public space just like any other group.
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| Not Racist? | Sep 9th. at 5:45:11 pm EDT
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Finn (Fulton, Missouri) - Email Me
"The Odinists confirmed theirs is a Viking religion that only allows people of Germanic descent into their brotherhood, but they deny they are racist."
How can you say that and not be seen as racist?
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