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Page: Profile: Wren's Nest News Local
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Article: 18414
[Pagan]
Date Posted:
8/21/2007
1:46:15 pm EDT
Wvox Stats
Views: 12,764
RSS: 14,860
Comments: 33
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Maine Christian Civic League Reporter Barred From Pagan Pride Coverage
Author: Mike Hein Source: Christian Civic League Record (ME)
Title: LEAGUE REPORTER BARRED FROM PAGAN PRIDE COVERAGE
  Satanist Workshop Photo Leads to Freedom of Press Violation
Coverage of the Maine Pagan Pride Day 2007 was abruptly halted Saturday morning, August 18, in Portland. Coordinator Richard Vinton unilaterally decided to bar the Christian Civic League of Maine Record from the public event after an objection was raised by an adult male participant of the Ordo Templi Orientis (O.T.O.) Abrahadabra Oasis (Portland, ME) Satanic "Ritual of the Pentagram" Workshop.
The daylong celebration of the occult began at 10:00 a.m., and the League arrived at the events shortly after the 11:00 a.m. pentagram ritual workshop began. The as yet unidentified man raised an objection to a Satanic group photo being taken, despite the event brochure clearly stating: "At MPPD [Maine Pagan Pride Day], there will be many photographs taken for personal use and by the press. Attendance at MPPD constitutes knowledge that you may purposefully or inadvertently have y our photograph taken."
Nonetheless, the League Record reporter was immediately accosted by O.T.O. member Tim Clark about the public workshop photo.
Submitted by and Thanks to: Eleda
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Community Thoughts: There are 33 comments posted | Reverse Sort |
| A Word From Tim Clark | Aug 23rd. at 9:41:20 pm EDT
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LSMFT23 (Dover, New Hampshire) - Email Me
Do what thou wilt shall be the whole of the Law.
I am the Tim Clark mentioned in the article.
My OTO brothers Fr. Ne'Reus and Fr. Eparisteros , and my good friend the Reverend Rat, have already addressed this for you, but there seems to be some confusion about my role in this incident, and I'd like to clear it up.
Seeker writes:
"All Mr. Clark had to do was that he not be included in any of the photos of the workshop. Most reporters will not take pictures of people who ask not to be photographed. I present myself as the public face of my coven as I have nothing to fear from the media. Most of the others wish to avoid the media because they fear for their jobs."
I've seen several other comments to that effect on other boards and have addressed them there as well. The gentleman who requested his picture not be taken is featured prominently in the photo that appears first in the article.
This is me: [Web LINK]
Note that I am not in the picture that was published. I'm out of frame and to the right. I wish he had taken my picture. I was having a really good hair day, and if I do say so myself, was looking particularly photogenic.
From my perspective, this is what happened:
About 10 minutes after the beginning of the class, a man entered the classroom, announcing his presence with a loud "Hello, don't mind me" and began fishing for his camera. A gentleman at the back of the room spoke up and asked that his picture please not be taken. Mr. Hein took a couple of steps in the direction of this gentleman to make it clear that he WOULD be photographing the gentleman, and took the picture. Several of the people in the class were women, and there was at least one child present. They too requested that they not be photographed, and Mr. Hein was lining up for another shot. Since most of the class participants were objecting at this point, and the class was being utterly derailed, I stepped in and took the photographer out into the hallway.
I explained to him that he was being disruptive, and that if he were willing to delete the photo he had taken, out of respect for the privacy of gentleman who'd specifically asked not to be photographed, I'd let the matter drop, and he could go on his way. He refused to delete the picture, and was moving back toward the classroom door. He asserted that this was a public event and that we was well within his rights to photograph anything or anyone he wanted. I suggested that we take the matter up with event management.
I began walking with Mr. Hein toward the entrance area/reception table near the parking lot, asked one of the vendors to direct me to someone in charge, and altered our course accordingly. Mr. Hein asked for my name and I gave it: the nature of my job and business dealings affords me the luxury of being able to be "out" about my beliefs and associations. I asked for his name and he refused to identify himself. His attitude from the beginning was belligerent and confrontational, and until we were in the presence of event management, he remained so.
I explained what had occurred in the classroom to the ME-PPD personnel - I believe Kat and Richard, although we were not introduced.
My "threat" to call law enforcement was not to have the photographer removed from the premises for taking pictures, as such, but rather over the matter of the privacy issue, the photographer's claim to be a member of the press, and inability to produce credentials to that effect, and the fact that he was, in my opinion, belligerent and hostile. Frater Eparisteros arrived on scene and tagged me out at this point, as I was well on my way to blowing my cool - I had already said something to the effect that Hein was was engaging in jack-assery. He was right to do so, and I'm grateful to him for the head-check.
I returned to the class, where I told the gentleman who had initially requested that his photo not be taken, that he might wish to join the conversation outside with the ME-PPD people. He left the classroom, presumable to do so, and that was the end of my involvement in the matter.
Five or ten unpleasant minutes out of an otherwise lovely day.
The photographer was being, at best, rude and interruptive to the class, and displaying an intentional lack of respect for another person's request for privacy. I would have treated ANYONE who
behaved as the photographer did in exactly the same manner, Christian or Pagan.
Love is the law, love under will.
Brother Tim
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| Their Anti-pagan Podcast | Aug 23rd. at 9:37:13 pm EDT
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Frater STILIFO (Dupont Circle, Japan) - Email Me
Has anyone checked out the podcasts these folks have been putting out?
Listen to this one. It's pretty scary:
[Web LINK]
Find More info -- HERE
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| Bad Faith Decision... | Aug 22nd. at 6:36:22 pm EDT
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karrie9 (Kenosha, Wisconsin) - Email Me - Web
Willful ignorance is also referred to as a “bad faith decision” [Web LINK] and is frequently and strongly associated with various forms of dishonesty. All American adults of sufficient intelligence should take it upon themselves to know what our constitution and laws mean. That is part of an adult’s legal and civic duty. Not doing so is purposeful ignorance and ignorance is no defense. [Web LINK]
The First Amendment to the United States Constitution provides that "Congress shall make no law...abridging the freedom...of the press.” It was extended to protect the press from all government, whether local, state or federal. While the purpose of freedom of the press is to prevent governmental censorship or reprisal, and Maine CCL is not government, it was never meant to cancel individuals’ other Constitutional rights.
Freedom of Speech involves the concept of the freedom to speak without censorship. While limitations should be the exception, there are limitations. Students and journalists (in this case, "journalist") are not allowed to disrupt lessons, events, and speeches, for example.
One’s freedoms of press and speech have not been violated because one wasn’t able to violate the rights of others.
So...a meeting or a business open to the public but held on private property can ask or force clients or visitors to leave. That is a right protected by law. Laws such as “disturbing the peace” may apply, and so on.
Maine PPD staff indicated [Web LINK] that the Maine CCL “journalist” was intent on causing disruption and now we find out in the comments here on WV that this same Maine CCL staff had past legal problems in relation to violating others’ rights and the law?
Boundary problems, purposeful disrespect for others’ beliefs, disruption of families/meetings/lessons/work – these are red flags of the abusive mindset and it’s a known that victimizers have the victim mentality, hence the claims of victimization (supposedly having their freedom of speech and press rights violated, in this case) are used on the offensive.
Nobody stopped the Maine CCL from running their article but the Maine PPD was abused by Maine CCL staff twice, first in the immediate situation and then with a flagrantly dishonest and purposely ignorant “article.”
If I were Christian, I’d be disgusted with those Christians who think that “anything goes” is acceptable.
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| Another Perspective | Aug 22nd. at 12:36:09 pm EDT
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Dana D Eilers (North Chatham, Massachusetts) - Email Me
Looking at this strictly from the presentation of the alleged facts in the article, the Maine Pagan Pride Day presenters plainly advised their participants that their photos might be taken. If you don't want your photo taken, then don't go to the event. You have been warned. However, event organizers also have the right to lay down the law as to how everyone is to behave. There should be a second paragraph in the event book that plainly states THE RULES for those seeking to cover the event as alleged press/journalists or as photographers. If you want to photograph a workshop, you must be there when it starts and advise everyone as to who you are and what you are doing; further, that you will be respectful and nondisruptive. Failure to comply will get you booted. That way, the press/journalists and photgraphers have all been warned. This gives event planners the *leg* that they need to stand on to boot disruptive idiots. Unfortunately, this just general looks bad as it appears the public was invited and then kicked out when the Pagans did not like what was going on. A final note: if event planners are renting out private property (such as a church) to host a public event, disruptive persons may be booted out. This is still a Pagan-sponsored event which may be held according to the rules established by the Pagan sponsors. We just need to be clear about what those rules are, on both sides of the road.
Dana D. Eilers, Attorney and Author
PAGANS AND THE LAW: UNDERSTAND YOUR RIGHTS
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| I Was There- | Aug 22nd. at 12:20:56 am EDT
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Reverend Rat (Rochester, New Hampshire) - Email Me
The picture labelled "Black magic books and wands" is of my merchandise. Tim is a longtime friend of mine as well.
Go read some of the other articles on their site and see what type of people they are.
This guy went into a workshop and pointed a camera at someone who very clearly asked him not to take his picture. He said "I won't", then started snapping away with his camera still pointed directly at him. When a couple people got upset about this, Tim stepped in and asked him to step outside. He then asked him to delete the picture, and the matter would be closed. He said he would delete it when he got home. (He didn't- It's the first photo of the article) At this point, Tim turned things over to event management, who asked him to leave. While he claimed to be a journalist, he could produce no credentials to verify this, and in fact writes not for any actual news agency- or even a respectable blog- but for his organization's newsletter.
In other words, he was kicked off of private property for harrassing somebody, being disruptive, misrepresenting himself, and generally being a jackass, not for reporting on the event.
On a side note, the "black magic books" in the photo are blank, the wands are not the real ones, but the toy ones I make for kids, and the designs on the coffee mugs are in support of our veterans. That's what this guy considers journalism, folks...
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| ... | Aug 21st. at 10:24:55 pm EDT
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Draken (Bronx, New York) - Email Me - Web
Now you know those idiots are going to try to sneak in there and take pictures anyway.
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| Maine Pagan Pride Day 2007 | Aug 21st. at 10:21:18 pm EDT
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The Rev. Sparrowhawk (Yakima, Washington) - Email Me
Maine Pagan Pride Day 2007 is a public event. That means anyone may take photos at the event. If a Christian wants to photograph our events, fine. Just as long as they remain respectful during the event. They will receive one warning after the first offense. If inappropriate behavior continues they will be asked to leave. Either way, the Pagan Pride Project clearly defines any official PPD festivals as public, and the media is encouraged to attend and report on what is happening at the events. Blessed Be!
) O (
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| MCCL And Intimidation | Aug 21st. at 7:35:56 pm EDT
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Ananta Androscoggin (Greene, Maine) - Email Me
go hand in hand. If this Christianist jacka$$ with a camera (good thing I was elsewhere in the building at the time!) was operating as the MCCL usually does, they were intending to post pictures of every person's face they could in their newsletter and web site in order to try inspiring harassment against all of the attendees of the event.
I'm afraid that these ignorant and hate-filled vermin are convinced that they should be the rightful rulers of the State of Maine. I wouldn't hire them to shingle a dog house. Perhaps they could swim in the compost pit, to stir it up. Well, that last one fits right in with their ugly natures, at least.
Yes, I'm too hotheaded about vermin to be the one who had to confront them.
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| Curious That The Meeting Location Was Published… | Aug 21st. at 6:25:48 pm EDT
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Wenmagus (Los Angeles, California) - Email Me
I noticed that the CCL made it a point to publish the location of the O.T.O.’s monthly meeting, no doubt in the hope that some of their rabid fundy readers would show up to harass the attendees.
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| Propaganda | Aug 21st. at 5:30:35 pm EDT
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Maeven (Los Angeles, California) - Email Me
Since when is the O.T.O. involved with Satanism? The photo of the book they claimed was black magick had a huge right-side up pentagram, not inverted. And what proof is there that the O.T.O. member accosted the photographer? Why, then, didn't they make a police report for assault and battery? We all know they would be thrilled to report something like that. And what evidence is there that the photographer really was a journalist?
I think these church members have very small lives, are liers, and are just trying to stir things up to get themselves a little excitement.
I hope the Brothers have a better way to protect themselves from being targeted and exposed in the future.
BB
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| So Let's Say I.... | Aug 21st. at 5:12:26 pm EDT
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Lisa / POSTMORTEMSTAR (Tampa, Florida) - Email Me
BUST into a church during services and randomly take photo's- what would happen to me? I would wind up in jail or at the least have a trespassing warrant to hang on my fridge. The O.T.O. as the right just as ANY religious group to practice their belief's undisturbed -EVEN AT A PUBLIC EVENT. This "reporter" was just looking for a "sinful" photo to show the sheeple , sad thing is they got a whole article out of it.
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| This Wasn't A Reporter | Aug 21st. at 5:03:21 pm EDT
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Lynette (Roanoke, Virginia) - Email Me
This was a member of the MCCL, who was writing a story for their NEWSLETTER. My Mom writes articles for her garden club newsletter. Is she a reporter? If she is she'll be thrilled!
This sh*te is typical Xian lying.
Nothing new.
By the way, even legitimate reporters can be removed from private property for being disruptive. Sounds like this guy deserved it.
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| Have I Totally Lost My Mind | Aug 21st. at 4:59:42 pm EDT
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Shadowbear (Hillsboro, Oregon) - Email Me
I did not think the OTO had anything to do with satansim. I have even been to one of their rituals and could have sworn no mention of satan was made at all. When I see an article like this where the word "satanism" appears frequently referring to a group we don't usually associate it with, I tend to disbelieve anything said there. Some of the other posters know more about what went on than I could possibly know and I would tend to believe them based on this article's obvious resort to lies to make a story. The photographer may have been thrown out but I suspect there were reasons not given in the story.
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| Out Of The Shadows | Aug 21st. at 3:50:14 pm EDT
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Finn (San Marcos, Texas) - Email Me
I've often stated that I think it is idiotic that we want to do these public, attention-seeking events. We don't need public scrutiny unless we are seeking converts. Last I heard, that wasn't our bag. Just the same, if we hold public events, advertise them, and invite the press, we shouldn't be trying to be selective about WHICH Press.
It doesn't matter who they are, how slanted their story is likely to be. Trying to cherry pick the Press is the worst kind of political behavior, period. This isn't about the "reporter." I've little doubt the man was biased. That is beside the point. It is only our behavior that matters. Demanding that any member of the press destroy photographs taken in a legal manner is simply unacceptable.
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| More To The Story Here. | Aug 21st. at 3:47:37 pm EDT
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GreeneDragon (Palmdale, California) - Email Me
Per About.com's website (see link below) ...
In fact, according to Michael Vinton, one of the event's coordinators, the individual "entered a workshop that was already in session and began taking photos of the class members and interrupting the instructor. He misrepresented himself as a member of the press but holds no press credentials and it became very clear the he intended to continue being a disturbance."
Also, notice how often the CCL article writer gratuitously throws in the word Satanism just for fun?
Find More info -- HERE
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