| 
|
Page: Profile: Wren's Nest News Local
| Total Views: 4,940,165
|
Article: 17962
[Schools/Ed]
Date Posted:
6/6/2007
1:59:09 pm EDT
Wvox Stats
Views: 7,873
RSS: 23,690
Comments: 34
|
Library Youth Program Yanked After Parents Complain Of Witchcraft
Author: Ginny Johnson Source: Greenvile News (SC)
Title: PICKENS LIBRARY YOUTH PROGRAM YANKED AFTER PARENTS COMPLAIN OF WITCHCRAFT
A library program in Pickens County described by some parents as promoting witchcraft has been canceled.
You Never Know at Your Library is a summer mystery and suspense series for students in grades 5 and higher.
The 7-week sessions included a variety of activities, including palmistry, tarot card reading, T-shirt tie-dying and scrapbooking.
Additional Article Link: [Click HERE]
| Options: [Read Full Story] [Comments Locked]
[Email to a Friend]
|
|
Community Thoughts: There are 34 comments posted | Reverse Sort |
| Couldn't They... | Jun 8th. at 10:46:32 pm EDT
|
Lea (Cedar Park, Texas) - Email Me
simply pull their kids out without making them pull the entire program.
Ignorance breeds fear which breeds violence.
Think we can stop christians from having Purity Balls by doing the same thing?
|
| I'd Like To Know More About This | Jun 8th. at 2:13:17 am EDT
|
Chatoyancy (Louisville, Tennessee) - Email Me
I've worked in public libraries in the South for almost 10 years. Summer Reading programs are a huge deal for the kids and the libraries. You don't get rich as a librarian and you work your @ss off for your community. Most city and town administrations put a huge burden on libraries to constantly justify their existence, and so Summer Reading has to be bigger and better every year and outdo the year before. Does the city expand the staff or increase the wages from near-poverty when their library exceeds all expectations? Rarely. They're lucky if they get an increased book budget.
I'm thinking there must have been more programs and activities available for the children besides the "evil" ones listed in the article. (Excepting the scrap booking.) I'm wondering why they couldn't compromise and drop the palmistry and tarot while keeping everything else. The kids are truly having no Summer Reading program at all because of a few activities the public rejected? Gotta get out of the South someday...
|
| How Very Very Sad... | Jun 7th. at 6:32:44 pm EDT
|
GreeneDragon (Palmdale, California) - Email Me
when Libraries which are centers of Knowlege and rational Enlightenment become controlled by Fear and Ignorance.
|
| Something Else Dangerous | Jun 7th. at 1:15:29 pm EDT
|
Mysteries Child (Garfield, Arkansas) - Email Me
Once again, the real loser isn't someone's religious viewpoint (or lack thereof) .
The real losers are the kids, who were going to have a summer library program, and now don't.
Some of whom, I'm sure, are now going to be left to their own devices for another hour, getting bored and having yet another opportunity to end up learning about thigs that are a holy heck of a lot more potentially damaging than Tarot cards.
Grrrrrrrr.
|
| The BREAK Down | Jun 7th. at 11:33:34 am EDT
|
Fraoch (Shelby, North Carolina) - Email Me
No one was teaching anything, so that's not an issue. No Pagan's right's were violated so that's not an issue. It isn't even a Pagan issue at all. It's just silly. The point here is that most of us know the key behind these arts, and see this gross over reaction for what it is. So, in our responses, we use a little over the top humor to match the over the top reactions.
In my opinion, it would have paid off for folks to have done a little thinking before launching loudly into assumptions from their portable pulpits. Sermons about subjects about which you are completely unknowledgeable, where your research is from one perspective (shoddy) , or you just live a fantasy in which you have been bestowed with great wisdom, do not give you the right to ruin other people's good fun. Fun is imagination, the very core of magic, and it shouldn't be taken away.
Yes, Tarot, Astrology, and Palmistry are serious matters, but who among us doesn't believe that Those Who Watch wouldn't be looking after those little ones if they were truly fascinated? Those that say that the kids would have been in danger are just as bad as the people posting at the paper's site, and I think that's a load of tosh. All children believe in magic.
Man, I would have jived on that program when I was a kid.
|
| My Complaint | Jun 7th. at 9:27:51 am EDT
|
Storm Raven (Mountain Home AFB, Idaho) - Email Me
Isn't with the article. I'm not happy about them pulling the program, but without more info, I really can't have an opinion on that.
My complain is with the commenteres in the newspaper that said these things are dangerous.
First reaction? "A religion that believes a man can talk to a burning bush and believe it's god claim cards are dangerous. Yeah. Uh huh."
Does that ring a bell with anyone? OR was it just me? Maybe I should think of how a man almost sacrificed his only son for his love of god, and god's 'mercy' came down to tell him he didn't need to.
Yep. Cards are real dangerous compared to that.
|
| I Was Introduced... | Jun 7th. at 7:31:44 am EDT
|
Erihu (Sunset Beach, North Carolina) - Email Me
to Astrology at that age, and suffered no ill effects, I doubt that a fluff course on palmistry and tarot would harm them any. I suspect that those were the objectionable items, not scrapbooking and tie dye, lol. The fundies overreacting again.
That said, the Greenville area has a rather large Pagan community, and it they really want their kids to learn these things, they can certainly organize something themselves.
|
| Well... | Jun 7th. at 1:35:38 am EDT
|
MoonCat (White Haven/Gettysburg, Pennsylvania) - Email Me
Considering the article doesn't look as if it is complete there' not much that can be judged. What I can say is I don't why the library was offering palmistry and Tarot cards. If this is a library sponsired event I would hope they would promote reading and creativity. Divination is a little much for kids in fifth grade.
|
| I Guess... | Jun 6th. at 11:41:45 pm EDT
|
bigcat (peoria, Illinois) - Email Me
They figured that since nobody else spoke up in favor of what was offered, then it wasn't wanted.
Either that-or they ignored those that did speak up for it.
|
| Ridikulus... | Jun 6th. at 11:01:34 pm EDT
|
Moro NightBird (Carbondale, Illinois) - Email Me
Some of the only good memories from home involve tye-dying tees and tarot readings and other such things.
Since i'm adorable, i would have gone and sat on the steps to the libary, crying, and when someone asks me why, *sob*, they cancalled the program and I was so looking forward to it......
Penguins,
Moro NightBird
|
| Hey, Maybe This Library Has A..... | Jun 6th. at 9:54:04 pm EDT
|
Richard Brownbear (North Wilkesboro, North Carolina) - Email Me
.........."GET A LIFE" program for these kinds of people.
I can't help but think these are the kinds of people Ferris Buehler described on his day off........................"If you were to stick a lump of coal up their @$$, in two weeks you would have a diamond!!!"
|
| Scrapbooking | Jun 6th. at 9:48:59 pm EDT
|
Shadowbear (Hillsboro, Oregon) - Email Me
You know scrapbooking is just another way to make a book of shadows. We are sneaking into mainstream culture by the back door!
|
| Found Out! | Jun 6th. at 8:48:32 pm EDT
|
Robert Hyrneson (Haysville, Kansas) - Email Me
SCRAPBOOKING?
Oh that heathen scrapbooking will give us away every time! :p
|
| PULL THEM! PULL THEM ALL! | Jun 6th. at 8:04:24 pm EDT
|
Eric Wolfborn (Jenkintown, Pennsylvania) - Email Me
Well, sh*t...I'm gonna pull my kids from summer TV watching. They might see something to teach them how to murder.
|
| In Any Event... | Jun 6th. at 7:49:40 pm EDT
|
Fraoch (Shelby, North Carolina) - Email Me
I think equating tarot cards, palmistry, and astrology with mystery and suspense is really um... well... let me use a pop cultural expression "so 1300's" (except that they didn't have Tarot cards as we know them) . Then there's tie-dying... I don't get that? Maybe that reminded the good Rev. of his days back in the 60's partaking of substances that are actually addictive.
I don't mean to discredit the beauty behind tarot; I bought Tarot of the Old Path when I was 15, and have been reading them since. Love the tarot. I appreciate astrology and palmistry, but I'm not so well versed in those fields of psychic crafting. However, these arts have been in the public, folks have been exposed.
While I really and truly doubt they were teaching these kids how to read Tarot, because I really and truly doubt the people running the program knew how to read Tarot (Notice that no specifically has been called out. If this changes, then that's going to be different) . The problem lies within common sense. It's Pickens, SC. What kind of reaction were these people expecting.
"Mom! We learned about Tarot cards today. There these cards that can predict the future," quoth little Suzie
"My, that is interesting, isn't honey?" so sayeth little Suzie's mom.
"Cards that can predict the future... Sure is," thus spake little Suzie's Dad.
That wouldn't happen, and besides, Tarot cards can't accurately predict the future. The future is always changing, not to mention the whole plethora of uses for Tarot cards that folks in the camp probably don't know about.
|
Disclaimer: The Witches' Voice inc does not verify the accuracy of the details stated in this listing, nor do we vouch for the value of the goods or services presented here... As with all contacts and financial dealings in cyberspace, we encourage you to use caution and wisdom in your dealings with strangers.
Political Statements: Any and all personal political opinions expressed in the public listing sections (including, but not restricted to, personals, events, groups, shops, Wren's Nest, etc.) are solely those of the author(s) and do not reflect the opinion of The Witches' Voice, Inc. TWV is a non-profit, non-partisan educational organization.
|
State/Country flags created by 3dflags.com and are used with permission
Web Site Content (including: text - graphics - html - look & feel)
Copyright 1997-2009 The Witches' Voice Inc. All rights reserved
Note: Authors & Artists retain the copyright for their work(s) on this website.
Unauthorized reproduction without prior permission is a violation of copyright laws.
Website structure, evolution and php coding by Fritz Jung on a Macintosh G5.
Any and all personal political opinions expressed in the public listing sections (including, but not restricted to, personals, events, groups, shops, Wren’s Nest, etc.) are solely those of the author(s) and do not reflect the opinion of The Witches’ Voice, Inc. TWV is a nonprofit, nonpartisan educational organization.
Sponsorship: Visit the Witches' Voice Sponsor Page for info on how you
can help support this Community Resource. Donations ARE Tax Deductible.
The Witches' Voice carries a 501(c)(3) certificate and a Federal Tax ID.
Mail Us: The Witches' Voice Inc., P.O. Box 341018, Tampa, Florida 33694-1018 U.S.A.
| |
