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Page: Profile: Wren's Nest News Local
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Article: 18766
[Pagan]
Date Posted:
10/27/2007
9:23:52 am EDT
Wvox Stats
Views: 7,118
RSS: 15,380
Comments: 10
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Witch School Fails To Charm Town
Author: Megan Twohey Source: Chicago Tribune (IL)
Title: WITCH SCHOOL FAILS TO CHARM TOWN
Things were already going downhill in this small farming community when the witches arrived.
Area factories had shut down. So had the local high school. A suspicious fire had gutted much of the downtown. The use of methamphetamine was destroying families.
So when a group of Wiccans from out of town moved into a storefront this summer and erected a sign advertising "Witch School," it was only a matter of time before alarm bells sounded and tempers started to boil in this village of 1,200, about 125 miles south of Chicago near the Indiana border.
"Remember the Salem witch trials?" resident Adam Marganski said. "That's what is happening here."
After percolating behind the scenes, anger erupted into public action last weekend when several local churches canvassed the community with literature blasting the witches and organized a meeting to plan further steps.
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Community Thoughts: There are 10 comments posted | Reverse Sort |
| Unfair... | Oct 29th. at 5:49:54 am EDT
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Errapel (Lowestoft, England) - Email Me - Web
but freedom of the press and all. We dont have to like it, it's unfair and biased reporting, but it's not our right lies. This is what the media does, we should be used to it by now.
Find More info -- HERE
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| Unfavorable Article | Oct 28th. at 11:17:40 am EDT
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Kitara Earthwalker (Ames, Iowa) - Email Me
I found this article not from WitchVox today, but in looking at the paper as it came in today. Did you all know that this story is on the front page of the Chicago Tribune today?
The front page.
The article wouldn't bother me as much as it does if it weren't for its placement. Think of the sheer readership it is going to get. But of course, we can all take a good guess as to why it's placed here. Sensationalization, and the tone reflects that as well. Little to no attempt is made to portray Wicca in a positive light or to recognize that religious intolerance is occuring here. What's the readership of the Tribune? Given it's placement, how many people are going to read this article today? What impressions of Wicca and Witchcraft is the average reader going to take away from this article? And that, folks, is that concerns me.
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| Illinois Has An Historical Right To Be Ashamed! | Oct 28th. at 10:35:13 am EDT
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Aidan Odinson (Collingdale, Pennsylvania) - Email Me - Web
What's that old saying: Those who fail to learn from history are condemned to repeat it. And so it is for the state of Illinois!
My own memories of Illinois include Belleville, where the local Nazis would parade in their brown uniforms demanding freedom for Rudolf Hess. But Illinois' own history is greater than that, where religious bigotry is concerned.
If it were not for the bigots of Illinois, the state of Utah would probably not have been founded - at least as we know it today. Certainly there would not have been a need for the emigrations to found Salt Lake City.
The reason for Salt Lake City was the fact that the Mormons had originally settled in Nauvoo, Illinois. In fact, they had brought prosperity to Nauvoo. But, the bigots could not deal with them being there, so there were anti-Mormon riots (almost like the First Ammendment has an Illinois exemption) which killed many of the Mormons, including their founder, Joseph Smith. And so, they felt the need to leave Illinois and find a place out west. Brigham Young found the place, and that place is now known as Salt Lake City.
There are many more stories of religious bigotry in Illinois.
So, maybe the people of Illinois want to call it a cultural thing. Where religious freedom is concerned, the state of Illinois has much in its history to be ashamed of.
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| Don Lewis Was Not Upset Casually | Oct 28th. at 9:29:07 am EDT
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Witch School International, Inc. (Rossville, Illinois) - Email Me - Web
The end incident was not reported....basically the local Pastor said some really degoatory things to Don Lewis personally, and it was a threat to his and others safety. His upset was to get assistance as the Pastor was physically threatening Don.
Don has made statements he found it fascinating. The idea of a flawed religion tickled him, and as a lifelong practioner, born into a local hereditary family, he sees this as just another in a long aggression of Christian Missionaries.
Otherwise, it is interesting that this continues everywhere...and the question of being in a small town, One it's affordable and two, this is Don's home county. He has lived in this county all his life, and came home after a few short years in Chicago.
Also all the nice comments by others were not reported. A lot of support was there.
Witch School owns the building and it's officers have bought a beautiful home here. Witch School is not moving from this location. It may open other campuses elsewhere, but this is where they are going to stay....especially now.
Blessings
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| I Agree And Yet Am Displeased | Oct 28th. at 1:22:46 am EDT
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Rhiannon Dragonraine (St. Robert, Colorado) - Email Me
honestly I was upset not by the controversy that is going on towns all over the country have to decide what businesses they want in their towns and the Christians have a right to voice thier opinnion in a law abiding manner--- that being said i found the tone of this article to be biased and bigoted from the very first line "Things were already going downhill in this small farming community when the witches arrived." the reporter stated this as if "witches" were the lowest of the low and harbringers of diaster and then went on to continue to portray not BOTH sides but solely the negative viewpoint pervasive in the town.
The bright point to me was Pastor Michaels of whom spoke up for others religious freedom I applaud him for his service to the country and the constitution both during Vietnam and continuing on since leaving the military through speaking up for other's rights, however the article really got on my nerves when the speaker told the Christians that"The Wiccans were not dangerous, Kurka said. They simply adhere to a flawed religion."- my question is who is to say what is flawed in the way the world is now? It also seems and aggreivous oversight that misconceptions such as: "We don't want them to go in there and get potions to put hexes on their friends," said Deb Robling, co-owner of a beauty salon on Chicago Street." Were not put to rest at this meeting when both sides spoke.
Other than that i have no problem with the Christians voicing their opinnions legally it is their right just as it is our right to roll our eyes and tell them they are misled.
At the end of the article it mentions an altercation that arose from someone saying they will pray for Don Lewis- though i can not say if this actually happened not being there myself i am not confident believing this reporter from the obviously biased tone of the article over all: however if this did occur it was in bad taste of Don Lewis to get so upset by a comment like " I will pray for you" and i think a more appropriate response to this would be the one I give "Thank you we all need positive thoughts in this time I will keep you in mine as well" after all it is better to kill an enemy with kindness as opposed to proving their preconception of you by giving them the response they expect.
Well I think I have spoken enough of my thoughts on this for now and wish everyone the best.
Bright Blessings
Solstice Rayne
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| I Agree | Oct 27th. at 6:01:35 pm EDT
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Badger Breaking Ground (Denton, Texas) - Email Me
The locals aren't doing anything wrong, and I question the logic of opening a "Witch School" in a tiny struggling town. Even the video felt more like an ad than a news story. Though the way our media is today there's not much differance anymore.
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| Boycotts Versus Lynch Mobs | Oct 27th. at 12:38:38 pm EDT
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Finn (San Marcos, Texas) - Email Me
What irritates me about the whole "Witch School" situation is how the people fighting against it are compared to lynch mobs. They have not be engaging in criminal behavior. The have been:
1. Choosing not to give their business to Witch School.
2. Encouraging others not to do business there.
3. Voicing their dislike of it in the public square.
This is called a boycott. It is legal. People do it all the time as part of their 1st Amendment rights. If Witch School was Walmart nobody would be saying a thing. In fact, there would be peopel here cheering the protestors on. How is this any different?
As long as the Christians involved in this process do not violate the law or go one step over the line where they advocate that "Witch School" be silenced and have its 1st Amendment rights taken away, I have no problem with them. This is the way the game is played in our country.
My big question is WHY would an "internet" business (because that is what Witch School makes its money on) want to go out of its way to choose a smaller town, put a big sign up which won't bring them any business, and set the stage predictable events? To me it seems a bit like a formula to drive up sales. We are being persecuted, join us in the fight against the Christians!
"Witch School" has every right to do business, as crass as I think the entire enterprise may be. Power to them. Other people, within the law, have the right to boycott and call others to boycott them. Other religions have the right to tell us (and by us I mean those of us under the Pagan Umbrella) we are cracked. That isn't persecution. It isn't discrimination. Throwing those words around when they do not apply demeans people who truly suffer.
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| ... | Oct 27th. at 10:57:44 am EDT
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Draken (Bronx, New York) - Email Me - Web
The christianist cults in the area are just nervous that people would leave their bizarro-world mythology when members of different religions move into town. The christianist cults can't survive without all the money the cult members throw in their "collection plates."
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