Hanged witch decoration in MA sparks allegations of "hate crime"

[Evenstar227]

http://wnd.com/news/article.asp?ARTICLE_ID=58142

Hanged witch in Massachusetts sparks allegation of 'hate crime'
Halloween celebrated with sorceress in noose,
pagan worshipper likens it to lynching blacks

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© 2008 WorldNetDaily.com



In the state made famous for persecuting witches in the late 17th century, a modern day sorceress in Massachusetts is burning mad about a neighbor's Halloween decoration depicting a witch hanging from a noose, calling it a hate crime against her religion.

"I want to see him take it down," said Kelly Lynch of Chicopee, Mass. "Look at what's going on in Louisiana. That would be the same thing. If a black family had ... crosses outside of their house or nooses hanging from their trees, it's basically the same thing."

The witch is hanging from wooden gallows in front of a home on East Street, but Lynch finds the decor offensive.

She told WSHM-TV she's been studying witchcraft since she was a child, and says it's her way of life.

"We're not casting spells against people, we're just worshipping the moon, the goddess, the Earth," she said. "Just like the Christians, Muslims, people have their own religion."

When Lynch saw the lifelike witch hanging in effigy in a neighbor's front yard, she went to his door to confront him.

"He told me that people should lighten up, and that it's a Halloween decoration. You know, to hang a witch from a real gallows and to have that as your only Halloween decoration, is kind of odd."

But the homeowner reportedly is not caving in. His neighbor, Kevin Belder, says he has every intention of keeping it up.

"He shouldn't take it down 'cause one person got offended or a lot of people got offended," Belder said. "I think it's funny."

If the owner doesn't remove the witch from its noose by Halloween, Lynch says she plans to protest outside his home, adding it's not only a hate crime against her religion, but offensive to the entire community.

"Why depict a violent death in your front yard for little kids to see?"

Between February 1692 and May 1693, more than 150 people in the British colony of Massachusetts were arrested and imprisoned for alleged engagement in witchcraft. Courts convicted 29 people of the capital felony of witchcraft, with 14 women and five men executed by hanging.

The King James Version of the Bible recounts an Old Testament direction to put witches to death, stating, "Thou shalt not suffer a witch to live." (Exodus 22:18)

People are getting WAY too touchy. What next? Mediums proclaiming the spirits of the dead are offended by ghostly decorations? Sheesh.

Also scary:

Seattle area school bans Hallowe'en to not offend witches

[CudleyCowlick]

Wiccans. "I'm a real witch! I'm offended!"

[Type 97 Chi-ha]

Believe it or not, this sort of thing is hardly new. Years ago in my locale, they had annual Halloween witch burnings, only to be stopped by complaints from the local Wiccans.

Fortunately, they haven't complained about the "Broom-Hilda" comic strip yet (which runs in the Chicago Tribune).

[Ninjinister]

I call balderdash and shenanigans.

http://wnd.com/news/article.asp?ARTICLE_ID=41029

Lordy, this is in my neck of the woods... though I'd like to punch whoever wrote it in the face. Puyallup is hardly "Seattle area"... if anything, it would be "Tacoma area" since it's in the same county. I'm sure this is the same way any article is written about something that occurs in a city with a population of less than eleven godzillion. But seriously... Seattle = Washington, but Washington =/= Seattle.

[GK Punk]

Originally Posted by The S

I call balderdash and shenanigans.

You just won me over by saying that.

[Evenstar227]

Originally Posted by GK

You just won me over by saying that.

Awww! When's the wedding gonna be? Am I invited??

[Raph's Girl]

Originally Posted by The S

Lordy, this is in my neck of the woods... though I'd like to punch whoever wrote it in the face. Puyallup is hardly "Seattle area"...

*lol* I know there are some Wiccans in the area (they've been on Northwest Afternoon) and there's a Wiccan "church" north of Seattle but come on. Let the kids have their fun. PC'ing Halloween (a stupid holiday to begin with) to not offend the witch's and wiccans is just lame.

I totally agree tho.. Puyallup is nowhere near Seattle! WTF?

[Drtooth]

Originally Posted by CrazyCowboyDion

Wiccans. "I'm a real witch! I'm offended!"

Quote of the day! I don't wanna get up anyone's butt, but how many Wiccans that complain about this stuff are really Wiccans and not posers? I knew quite a few posers back in the day.

And besides... Witch, while in the olden days did pertain to some people who practiced, was basically an umbrella term for anyone who knew the Earth was round and bothered inventing stuff. And of course, let's not forget those people who just shouted witch because they just plain didn't like them.

This is even worse than the "Controversy" over the Samantha from Bewitched statue in Salem. Damnit... anyone ever been to Salem? it's like Disney World, only with Witches instead of anthropomorphic mice!

[Aelia]

I'm not concerned about the fact that it's a witch, I'm concerned about the fact that it's depicting a hanging. Of course, there are much worse decorations where I live. The yard of one of my neighbors is littered with dismembered body parts. Does that mean he supports the actions of real life serial killers? Heck no, he's just into celebrating Halloween by scaring the heck outta people. Therefore, this so called Wiccan needs to chill out and stop forcing her religion on otherwise nice folks.

[Type 97 Chi-ha]

Originally Posted by Drtooth

Quote of the day! I don't wanna get up anyone's butt, but how many Wiccans that complain about this stuff are really Wiccans and not posers? I knew quite a few posers back in the day.

And besides... Witch, while in the olden days did pertain to some people who practiced, was basically an umbrella term for anyone who knew the Earth was round and bothered inventing stuff. And of course, let's not forget those people who just shouted witch because they just plain didn't like them.

This is even worse than the "Controversy" over the Samantha from Bewitched statue in Salem. Damnit... anyone ever been to Salem? it's like Disney World, only with Witches instead of anthropomorphic mice!

Actually, contrary to popular myth, science and technology did not vanish in Europe during the Middle Ages. The steel-tipped plow, which revolutionised agriculture, was invented in that era. Also, it was the Catholic Church, using scientific observation methods, which determined the exact length of one year.

And another myth is that when Columbus made his famous voyage of 1492, he didn't do that to prove the Earth was round. That fact happened to be already well known even in that era. (His purpose was to prove the Earth could practically be circumnavigated.)

[Sewer Bull]

In the state made famous for persecuting witches in the late 17th century, a modern day sorceress in Massachusetts is burning mad about a neighbor's Halloween decoration depicting a witch hanging from a noose, calling it a hate crime against her religion.

I can relate, I wouldn't like to have such **** next to my house as well.

[KROW]

Originally Posted by Sewer Bull

I can relate, I wouldn't like to have such **** next to my house as well.

I agree in the way that I wouldn't want to see anything hanging by a noose in my neighborhood.

In the state made famous for persecuting witches in the late 17th century, a modern day sorceress in Massachusetts is burning mad about a neighbor's Halloween decoration depicting a witch hanging from a noose, calling it a hate crime against her religion.

Article writer gets brownie points for this.

[Sewer Bull]

Originally Posted by KROW

I agree in the way that I wouldn't want to see anything hanging by a noose in my neighborhood.

Indeed, that's what I exactly meant. PC or not, it's just tasteless.

[Evenstar227]

A figure hanging by a noose in someone's yard as a Hallowe'en decoration can be gross, scary, or tacky, but not offensive. If you ban a hanged witch or skeleton or ghost, then where would it end? Fake blood because it imitates an injured or dead body? Vampires because they're d*amned creatures who prey on the living? The PC wackos would destroy the holiday.

I did an image search of decorations that feature hanging. There were a couple that I found to be really creepy and scary. I wouldn't want to see that in someone's yard, because the figure is horrific, not because it depicts a method of execution.

By far, this is the scariest use of a noose I found.

[Ninjinister]

Originally Posted by Evenstar227

A figure hanging by a noose in someone's yard as a Hallowe'en decoration can be gross, scary, or tacky, but not offensive. If you ban a hanged witch or skeleton or ghost, then where would it end? Fake blood because it imitates an injured or dead body? Vampires because they're d*amned creatures who prey on the living? The PC wackos would destroy the holiday.

I did an image search of decorations that feature hanging. There were a couple that I found to be really creepy and scary. I wouldn't want to see that in someone's yard, because the figure is horrific, not because it depicts a method of execution.

By far, this is the scariest use of a noose I found.

Ahhhhhhhh! My eyes! My eyes! You know there's too much pink when it blinds a Kirby fan....

[KROW]

Originally Posted by Evenstar227

A figure hanging by a noose in someone's yard as a Hallowe'en decoration can be gross, scary, or tacky, but not offensive. If you ban a hanged witch or skeleton or ghost, then where would it end? Fake blood because it imitates an injured or dead body? Vampires because they're d*amned creatures who prey on the living? The PC wackos would destroy the holiday.

Tackiness offends me.