  Version 8.2 |
|
|
|
|
<-- WNest 2.1|
|
Wren's Wrants
& Wramblings
|
Features... News Links Who Is Wren W Nest Logos |
Go to the... |
| Witchvox Chapter: Wren's Nest News | Chapter Page Views: 56,552,277 |
 Noose Found At Spiritual Bookstore Author: TurnTo23.com Source: TurnTo23.com Title: NOOSE FOUND AT SPIRITUAL BOOKSTORE A hangman's noose was found outside a spiritual bookstore in Bakersfield run by a self-proclaimed witch. Police are calling the noose discovered at Altar Bookshoppe, which sells occult books and supplies in Old Town Kern suspicious. Police are still investigating and said it's too early to tell if the occurrence is a hate crime. Submitted by and Thanks to: Kate | |
| Community Thoughts: There are 20 comments posted | Reverse Sort |
| Captain Obvious Here. | Nov 16th. at 8:45:27 am EST |
|
Chris Johnson (Weymouth, Massachusetts) - Email Me Why isn't anyone ever called a self-proclaimed Christian? |
| The Noose Again? | Nov 15th. at 1:44:39 pm EST |
|
Moonlight Wolf (Bradford, England) - Email Me The noose seems to crop up everywhere lately. However I agree that it is suspicious appearing in a Witch's bookshop. At least if it is a threat or a hate crime then she isn't letting it get to her. Hats off to her. |
| Hate? Yes. Crime? No. | Nov 15th. at 12:13:37 am EST |
|
Nocturnal Light (Camp Humphreys, Kansas) - Email Me As tastless as this is, all he/she really did was put a knotted rope on the doorstep. For all I know it could have just been some bored teenager looking for attention. Everyone always forgets that freedom of speech cuts both ways. If you want freedom of expression then you also have to allow the same freedom to someone who may hate your guts. As long as he/she doesn't actually do anything to that person then they are in the green as far as the law is concerned. Our police and government have much more important things to focus on than some guy's anti-witchcraft statement. It's when people start wanting the government to solve all their daily fueds that we'll get a eventually Big Brother-ish control state. |
| Here We Go Again With The Nooses | Nov 14th. at 11:05:58 pm EST |
|
Shadowbear (Hillsboro, Oregon) - Email Me I still don't believe in a separate category of "hate crime" - the actual crime, if there is one, is enough for me since no crime is usually committed out of love. If the noose was intended to threaten or intimidate then that is usually a crime. There is the problem of finding the criminal and proving that it was intended as a threat - halloween is past, this was put at the store, not on someone else's property - so I would vote for a threat or attempt to intimidate. If they find the person who did it he/she/it should be prosecuted. If, however, the noose is around your own neck, maybe it isn't a racist comment or other hate crime. I am really glad that there are members of the non-pagan community supporting this shop. |
| NO WAR | Nov 14th. at 10:56:33 pm EST |
|
Pranxtor (Denham Springs, Louisiana) - Email Me I know yet agian I'm breaking the don't comment on others comments rule but I'll feel proud if I get banned for this. I have only one thing I wish to talk about. We Make No Wars. To make war for religion is one of the mistakes of the mono religions. We are a strong and hearty people, who can survive by defending ourselves on a case to case basis. To attack physically or mentally is not only agianst all morals it is below us. I will say agian I understand your frustration but look how far we've come without war. Please stay the course and do not seek war agian. |
| Yes, It Is A Hate Crime... | Nov 14th. at 2:44:33 pm EST |
|
bigcat (peoria, Illinois) - Email Me Because of the brou ha-ha connected with a Halloween decoration, someone thought to use it as a threat now. I've a feeling that this is going to happen more often, because the people that are doing this sort of thing are usually lacking in imagination-if not in hate. Besides, I have to ask, how could it not be considered a hate crime- since the noose was of a type that hung people in the past. The only reason that someone who hung it there past Halloween is a direct threat of a lynching! |
| And Here We Go... | Nov 14th. at 1:08:29 pm EST |
|
Young Coyote (W. Hempstead, California) - Email Me I agree with one of the posters below that this is a copy cat crime, at least to some degree. One witch gets all uppity over a dumb Halloween decoration and makes enough fuss (or it was a slow enough news day) to give the story large enough press. Now anyone that has a problem with pagans is gonna take that symbol and use it. It doesn't help that the decoration that started this mess was destroyed. This may just be a dumb prank but don't be surprised when these noose incidents become more common. |
| Thanks For The Support | Nov 14th. at 12:30:55 pm EST |
|
IttyBittyWitch (kernville, California) - Email Me Thanks for this forum. Its really helpful for me to see outside interpretations. What is not being reported by the ABC station is that the NBC station aired a segment /the previous week/ about Witchcraft which featured interviews, a short ritual and (gasp!) my children's book about the craft. Not a hate crime? It seems obvious to me. I don't want this to turn into a cop-bashing opportunity. They get enough bad press. (. . . and I happen to be very-much in love with a police officer!) I see this as a potential opportunity to dispel some myths and foster some acceptance, which is why I consented to the original interview. Yes- we have done some protection work and more is flooding in from the local community, witches and otherwise. Take good care, Self-Proclaimed (blechh!) Katie Olivares |
| Ugh...Take II | Nov 14th. at 12:04:59 pm EST |
|
Greymist (Alexandria, Virginia) - Email Me (I'm such a doof, let me try this again) A hangman's noose was found outside a spiritual bookstore in Bakersfield and was reported to Channel 23 News by a Self-Proclaimed journalist |
| ... | Nov 14th. at 11:58:47 am EST |
|
Greymist (Alexandria, Virginia) - Email Me Woman in Bakersfield loses discrimination lawsuit as reported by a Self-Proclaimed journalist. |
| -sigh Indeed- | Nov 14th. at 11:15:59 am EST |
|
Kiya (Tucson, Arizona) - Email Me I definitely don't think it was a coincidence... sadly we're still not accepted by everyone and someone might have done that as some kind of a 'warning'. It saddens me to know people can be so ignorant, so immature and so hateful. Alas, that's life. I hope whoever did this turns up again just so the police can deal with them, and I hope everything works out for the best with the store and the owners. |
| *ruefully Shaking Head* | Nov 14th. at 11:15:20 am EST |
|
Sea Raven (New Haven, Connecticut) - Email Me The phrase for the day is "copy-cat crime." The second the Jena story hit the news media, I knew there would be a slew of uninformed idiots who would copy this act. I'm not sure how others' local media present this sort of story, but my local TV station sensationalizes everything. It's not what they report, but the way they speak when they report a story and the sheer number of times they repeat a story. The more sensational coverage a story gets, the more likely someone will repeat or copy the crime. I am glad this shop owner is standing her ground and has community support. The fact that the police are not sure if they should treat it as a hate crime gives me a headache. Of course it's a hate crime, but it's also a copy-cat crime and the police should give every effort to find the moron (s) who perpetrated it. Now, if the media would only resist trying to make the perpetrator (s) famous! *exasperated sigh* |
| "and You Proper Hangmans Noose Has Seven Turns..." | Nov 14th. at 11:10:43 am EST |
|
Bellagunn (fairmont, West Virginia) - Email Me An immature message.........I would say prank but that would imply that there was some humor involved, you need a little creativity to be humorous and there was absolutely nothing creative about this act. Just a little creepy........I find the police's description of the item as "suspicious" interesting.....suspect how? It seems to be a pretty clear message to me, now whether or not some one would attempt to carry out such an idle threat.......well you never know. They are doing well to watch out for each other, noose or no noose....its not such a nice world. |
| OK Folks | Nov 14th. at 11:08:42 am EST |
|
Mysteries Child (Garfield, Arkansas) - Email Me I have been diagnosed as having Asperger's Syndrome. I believe in that diagnosis. I can make the following distinction with little, if any, effort: Noose in front yard of private home at Halloween: Probably an innocent, if potentially tasteless, decoration. Noose at minority bookshop, not as integrated part of seasonal display established by owners/affiliates, in the wake of noose-in-front-yard outcry: Probably a hate crime; definitely a behavior to be vigorously discouraged. If I, in all my neurosubtypical glory, can manage to make this distinction, it should not be that difficult for the rest of the populace. It's not about 'us' or 'them.' Our world will be a better place when, and *only* when, everyone learns to see everyone else, largely irrespective of differences, as a member of some general 'us-ness' and to cease and desist from engaging in reactionary behavior. |
| *sigh* | Nov 14th. at 10:56:47 am EST |
|
Devi Spring (Toronto, Ontario) - Email Me If a noose was found outside an African American's place of business, I bet there wouldn't be much of a debate as to whether or not that was a hate crime. Hopefully we're making strides in having some equality when it comes to stuff like this, and one day there won't have to be debate about whether or not something counts as disciminatory against NeoPagans. In the meantime, that person or persons that left that shouldn't be surprised when a whole bunch of negativity comes rebounding back at them. You can bet that if I owned that shop that there would be some serious protective and reflective magick being done!! |
 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Copyright 1997-2010 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.