A Time Magazine article
written on 10/28/2014 says:
“Witches, like terrorists, “threaten to wipe
out everything you believe in. If they could, they would overthrow your
government, overturn your faith, and destroy your society,” [Emerson] Baker
writes.”
Huh, well, that really
sounds like a lot of work, and I have some laundry to do, and I haven’t had my
coffee yet….
Jennifer Latson’s
article for the “pop culture” of the 10/28/2014 issue of Time Magazine (note
the proximity to Halloween, folks) has certainly stirred up quite a hot
cauldron of debate in the Pagan community. Her quotes and comments about
Witches not being real or, if they were, equating them with terrorists has
numerous Witches and groups of Witches calling for an apology from Time
Magazine for posting what they consider to be an inflammatory and degrading
article. I am not among that group. My thoughts are:
Lighten up..
Now, if you read
the article, actually read it, you will notice that there are really only 2
types of Witches that Ms. Latson is discussing: The Hollywood variety and the
1600’s Puritanical variety. Neither of those Witches exist today. Though
America certainly still has a way to go when it comes to the religious freedoms
of non-Christians, it is most certainly no longer a Puritanical society. And, no
matter how much you would like to think those AHS: Coven chicks are actually
chilling in the Big Easy, they really aren’t.
The other things
you need to really notice about the article is the fact that it is a poorly put
together piece of crap that was probably crafted because her editor told her he
needed something on Witches because it was Halloween week (look at the date the
article was posted, folks). She probably googled some stuff, downloaded a few
books to her Kindle and wrote the article without really giving much thought to
it. It is choppy, lacks flow, lacked strong source material, and would get a C
from me for a lack of original writing (the article was heavy on quotes from
pretty much one source).
And this article
really only gained attention because someone got their panties in a twist about
it. The article probably would have just faded into the whackadoo/mediocre
writing pile if someone, somewhere, hadn’t have gotten their nose out of joint
over it.
I have been an
actual, non-hollywood Witch for 27 year, with an every-day job and a pretty
standard life. I am also a community leader and leader of a coven. And my nose
is not out of joint one bit. Why? Because it is a crap article with a very
limited scope and source material. Nowhere in that article was an interview
with an actual practicing Witch. You want to see me get pissed about an
article? Write one with multiple sources, first-person interviews and a really
inflammatory spin on Witches, something with more credibility than some 4th
stringer in the “pop culture” section of a magazine. Then, you may actually get
my attention. This article is not worth our outrage or our time, and should be
treated as it deserves, as a poorly written piece of bird cage lining. Save
your outrage for when we are really under attack, my friends.
