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Page: Profile: Wren's Nest News Local
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Article: 17375
[Humor]
Date Posted:
3/1/2007
9:35:08 am EST
Wvox Stats
Views: 8,096
RSS: 21,306
Comments: 19
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Column Didn't Leave Witches In Stitches
Author: Charles Memminger Source: Star Bulletin (HI)
Title: COLUMN DIDN'T LEAVE WITCHES IN STITCHES
I was only back to work for 45 minutes after a short vacation before I "stepped in it," as they say.
You'd think that after more than 2,000 columns, I'd have a feeling for who might be offended by something I write.
But I satirically suggested spanking should be against the law and said I was disappointed that Assemblywoman Sally Lieber had withdrawn her bill. I said she had "bowed to the pressure of child-beaters, witches, the Leather Belt Lobby and wooden spoon manufacturers."
Now, out of that group of suspects, who do you think would be offended? Not the child beaters. Not the wooden spoon makers. Not even the nonexistent Leather Belt Lobby. The witches were outraged. Who'd have thought that witches could be so sensitive?
Frankly, I don't even know why I threw witches in that list. The witches I am familiar with through movies and books don't beat children, they eat them.
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Community Thoughts: There are 19 comments posted | Reverse Sort |
| What Is In A Word? | Mar 2nd. at 3:00:37 pm EST
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Terra Gazelle (Springfield, Louisiana) - Email Me
Some on here posted that Wiccan do not own the word Witch...well in fact we do.
Wicca and Witch is the same word...and means the same thing. There may be those who practice being a Witch without the religious foundation...that is not being a Witch, that is being a magician.
When I found Witchcraft, a Witch was what we were...Wicca was a cover word to use in front of others. I guess it's all in the word...
Wicca is anglo saxon, pronounced Wit-cha, Two Wit-cha is Witchen (Rhymes with bitchen...now you see where Witch came from?
Thanks to Mike Nichols..for his learned article.
If we allow the seperation of Wicca and Witch to continue it will be used against us. If Wicca is a recognized religion...Witchcraft is not..and those practices that are a part of Wicca/Witchcraft will get us behind bars. While tarot reading is a part of our religion...if someone says "I am a Witch not a Wiccan...and she is arrested..She will go to jail. No first amendment protection. How many on the other side of the aisle would love to make a point of someone's statement that she is not Wiccan?
Yes we do own the word.
terra
Find More info -- HERE
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| His Apology Did. | Mar 2nd. at 1:24:13 pm EST
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bigcat (peoria, Illinois) - Email Me
Actually, his apology was even funnier than his original column. I wish he'd written that in the first place.
I have a feeling we gave him something to think about-- for his next column.
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| Controversial Point | Mar 1st. at 8:58:03 pm EST
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arinna (Kill Devil Hills, North Carolina) - Email Me
This guy is pretty funny and doesn't seem at all to be the type who would mock us anymore than he mocks everyone else. I like him so far.
Here comes the controversial part. I often wonder why we try so overly hard to reclaim the word witch (little w) . Granted it does give us a great opportunity to include ourselves even in discussions that aren't remotely about us -- as in this case. It's brilliant actually. It's a non-proselytizers dream method for spreading the message without actually admitting the point is spreading any message. We're just "correcting misconceptions" after all. Misconceptions that just happen to be guaranteed by our use of a term that already had another more common meaning.
Not all of us overreact like this, maybe not even most of us. and that's the good news.
The bad news is some among us get offended everytime the fairy tale witch is used in a negative context as she has always been by common folk completely unaware of (and probably uninterested) in us and suddenly their first impression of modern Witches (capital W) might lead them to think we're all oversensitive whiney wannabe victims.
Given the choice I would almost rather be mistaken for a broom riding, frog making, cackling Brunhilda - at least she had a sense of humor.
I don't expect everyone to agree with me but maybe it's time we accept that not every definition of 'W I T C H' belongs exclusively to us.
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| I'm Not A Bad Witch- I'm Just Drawn That Way | Mar 1st. at 8:12:35 pm EST
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bigcat (peoria, Illinois) - Email Me
I wasn't truly offended, but I was a bit confused. After all, witches, real, fairytale or stereotypical never really bothered to beat children in the first place. Fairytale witches don't stoop to such a prosaic method when they have power enough to either make them do what they want- or to alter them if they don't behave without laying a hand on them.
Witch Hazel is my absolute favorite Loony Toons character- and even she didn't beat any kids, however, she enjoyed having them for dinner, as her Cook book does attest. In case none were around- she would also settle for rabbit.
And it was, Hansel?-- Hansel? While she was scratching her chin trying to figure out why the kid was named Hansel in the first place. In fact that was a running joke all through that cartoon.
While I realize that we get a lot of flak from many sources over being witches- we do need to lighten up some- because the stereotypes are there and aren't going away anytime soon. We might as well have fun with them. By doing that, we can then prove we aren't the kind of witches they believe we are.
Yee hee hee hee hee!! (hair pins flying) ..
And yes, I too ride my broom sidesaddle.It proves I'm a lady of quality!
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| Lol An Apoloy Wasnt Neccessary | Mar 1st. at 6:15:04 pm EST
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ladynoogs (lowell, Ohio) - Email Me
I read the colum.. i was more concered with teh "spanking" aspect of it.. not that he threw witches into his satire.. and i wasnt offended. obviouisly tons were.. i was just wondering why he threw Witches in the mix
He offered up an apology, which i feel is sincere mixed with satire... some of us (not me btw) who angrily wrote to him should apologize too, for our oversensitivity and "jumping the gun" at the misunderatanding.
Now i have an answer though it could have been worse he could have said "Wiccans" and literally ment it... i mean he did apologize anyway he said:
Sorry, Wiccans, but I wasn't talking about you when I used the term "witch." As we learned in the "Wizard of Oz," there are good witches and bad witches. I was talking about the ones who melt when you throw water on them
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| Oooops... | Mar 1st. at 2:22:25 pm EST
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Pinky McFatfat, High Shamrock Shake (Dublin) (Northumberland, Pennsylvania) - Email Me
I misquoted my Main Gal Witch Hazel in my earlier post, it's...
"Oh, Hannnssseellll!"
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| BWAHAHAHAHA!!!! | Mar 1st. at 2:01:09 pm EST
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Saskia (Lowell, Massachusetts) - Email Me
**ROFLOLPIMP**
I didn't read the editorial that started this tempest in a teacup, but this is one of the most brilliant articles that I have read. His gift of satire and sarcasm mixed with intelligence and grace is truly refreshing. I just wrote to thank him for pointing out the obvious in such a wickedly delicious manner. I'm just sorry that he had to write it in the first place.
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| Nice. | Mar 1st. at 1:01:50 pm EST
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Greybird (Sullivan, Indiana) - Email Me
"Wiccans may consider themselves witches but they don't own the term "witch," any more than Jimmy Swaggart owns the term "Christian" or K-Fed owns the term "rapper.""
Thank you - somebody needed to say it.
Unfortunately, Wiccans suffer more than most from the vocal minority - a vocal minority of professional victims looking so hard for something to be offended by that they end up creating offensiveness where it didn't exist to begin with.
We don't have some exclusive license to the word 'witch', and certainly don't have the right to redefine the rest of the English-speaking world's definitions of it.
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| Idiots | Mar 1st. at 12:21:11 pm EST
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Finn (San Marcos, Texas) - Email Me
Wiccans, Pagans, and/or Heathens have their fair share of idiots too. Far too many people scuttle under the Pagan-Umbrella because they have a matyr complex and think they gain instant minority status by doing so. I'll gladly step up and persecute the thin-skinned wannabe types any day. Grow up and quit jumping at shadows.
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| Woo | Mar 1st. at 10:37:17 am EST
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Celtic Lullaby (Jefferson, Maryland) - Email Me
Yeah, I'll admit that there are a great many of us who are overly sensitive. As a community all Pagans have been struggling to overcome the negative stereotype christianity created centuries ago and has repeatedly reinforced.
But we need to be able to recognise satire and occasionally laugh at ourselves too.
"I was fairly shocked by that statement because I thought that when witches "fly off" they use brooms, not handles. I was also unnerved to learn that there are "zillions" of witches out there. (Message to black cat breeders: Get busy.) "
Come on now - THAT was funny.
"The second witch I heard from wrote, "As a witch, I'm confused and not really humored to be paired with child-beaters. Wiccans aren't know for beating children. That'd be Christians.
Putting aside the point that she has a point there about Christians."
What's the problem? He recognises that she had a point, he had no intent to offend or harm anyone in the first place and the whole incident is pretty darn funny.
I get that we are very sensitive, but we all need to understand that not everything said to or written about us by non-Pagans is meant as a smear.
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| Ah, Memories... | Mar 1st. at 10:36:31 am EST
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Pinky McFatfat, High Shamrock Shake (Dublin) (Northumberland, Pennsylvania) - Email Me
...the author reminded me of my favorite Witch of all time...Witch Hazel from the old Merry Melodies cartoons.
"Oh, Hannnnns!"
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| Too Sensitive...but Thanks For The Distinction | Mar 1st. at 10:26:27 am EST
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Devi Spring (Toronto, Ontario) - Email Me
I agree that most of the people who wrote to this guy were probably being too sensitive. I can also understand WHY they wrote in.
There are a HUGE number of people who DO believe that ALL witches (Wiccan, fictional, or otherwise) are animal-sacrificing, ritual child-abusers, who are on an all out mission to twist the minds of all good Christian folk and drag as many innocents down to hell with them when they go home to their Demon-lord/husband for some more blood soaked orgies. Sad, but true.
That being said, I do appreciate the (albeit) tounge-in-cheek distinction made by the author after this cufuffle. He was talking about fictional witches, and not about Wiccans. That's good to know. It's good to know he even knows what a Wiccan is and there there IS a distiction.
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| Ha! | Mar 1st. at 10:25:58 am EST
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Vorsaga (Boston, Massachusetts) - Email Me
That's one of the best retorts I've seen from a reporter! Cudos.
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