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Page: Profile: Wren's Nest News Local
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Article: 17743
[Pagan]
Date Posted:
4/25/2007
10:22:26 am EDT
Wvox Stats
Views: 7,587
RSS: 20,104
Comments: 5
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Wiccan Widow Relieved VA Case Is Over
Author: Viktoria Pearson Source: Nevada Appeal
Title: WICCAN WIDOW RELIEVED VA CASE IS OVER
The Department of Veterans Affairs finalized a settlement and stipulation agreement to have the pentacle, a five-pointed star in a circle and the symbol of Wiccan and pagan religions, placed on tombstones or memorial markers at Arlington Cemetery and other recognized U.S. military burial grounds Monday.
Roberta Stewart, of Fernley, the widow of Sgt. Patrick Stewart of the Nevada National Guard who died in 2005 in a helicopter crash in Afghanistan, became involved in the litigation with the VA after her husband's death.
Stewart said she and other Wiccan family members can now rest and move on after the widely publicized issue that lasted nearly two years.
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Community Thoughts: There are 5 comments posted | Reverse Sort |
| Roberta Was A Trooper | Apr 26th. at 12:30:45 pm EDT
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Christopher Blackwell (Deming, New Mexico) - Email Me
Roberta was a trooper to continue even under the strain as a new widow.
Selena has street smarts when it comes to the media and her advice made a big difference. It is hard to keep the media's attention on a minority issue, particularly of a religious minority. Selena knows how to accomplish that and has a team of dedicated people to make it happen in real time rather than in Pagan standard time.
Then there were groups and individuals who worked in the back ground. More than we can even suspect.
All of these people were necessary.
We may have also helped bridge the gap between often antiwar Wiccans and their military counterparts. As Vietnam vet that was especially important to me.
Another thing learned was that unpolitical a pagans can successfully take part in a political action and win against high odds by being activists in both the mundane and magical sense.
Magic is the defined as the ability to change reality through will. This effort was a practical example of that.
Now the battle has been won, but the war is not over yet. There are other Pagan religions besides Wicca and each of their vets deserve the religious symbol of their choice. Once and for all we have to get the VA out of the position that it thinks it has any right at all to determine what symbols can be used on a veteran's head stone.
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| Yes, | Apr 25th. at 10:43:21 pm EDT
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Ravensgate Keep Realm Of Mystery (N/A, Illinois) - Email Me - Web
Good for them! And thanks to all of you who, as Roberta said, "fought the good fight"!
Congratulations!
Just a note: I just answered an email to a friend in South Africa. I told her that after I returned home (to the USA in March of 2003 just before war broke out in Iraq) , it seemed like I had gone back in time to Medieval Europe as far as religion was concerned. It was quite noticeable to me that the some strange arm of the far religious right seemed to have taken over my country. I had the strangest feeling that they would love to
burn us at the stake.
What a pleasure to see that is now not the case--at least not legally! Thanks!
Raven
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| A Victory For All Wiccans & Pagans!!!!! | Apr 25th. at 1:22:30 pm EDT
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thepalmistrylady (Gold Bar, Washington) - Email Me - Web
I am delighted and proud to hear that the case against the VA ofc has come to a close finally. It is a proud moment & one of victory for all wiccans & pagans but at the same time a sad one, due to the long fight. We should not have to go thru things of this nature when it is our right. But if we all stand up and fight for what we believe in and no matter how long it takes , we will prevail in the end.
My dad was so excited he had to call me to make sure I knew. Just to let you know he is a Baptist. He does not care what religion I practice as long as it does not hurt myself or anyone else. He respects my beliefs.He thinks it has been a wrongful decision on the VA ' s part to not accept the request. He agrees that if the military recognizes that wiccan is a religion and allows it on dogtags , that means the govt. recognizes it as a religion also.
It's sad in this day & age - the 21st century that people are still ruled by their lack of understanding or having a "blind eye" and stuck in the past. We as a country seem to have made leaps & bounds in so many areas but not where it should count - being treated as people who are human beings and there is still so much prejudice for one reason or another against each other.
The Higher Spirits does not aprove of this behavior and it saddens my heart when others have to go thru things like this but , the fight is well worth it in the end.
My congrualtions to you and yours Roberta and all the others who were a part of this long fight. Many blessings to you. :)
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| Goddess Bless, Roberta! | Apr 25th. at 12:46:58 pm EDT
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AnnieBW (Laurel, Maryland) - Email Me
Thank you for sticking to your principles and fighting the good fight!
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