Archive for July 7, 2006

I straightened out the mess I made of August

I accidentally scheduled two events for the same weekend, which frightens me about my brain. It’s all fixed, and thank you Crystal Fox for being accomodating about the brain thing.

Progressives (and others) support Pagans

You’ve probably already read the WaPo story (or a similar one) on the VA’s refusal to allow a Wiccan symbol to be used on military graves and memorials, including that of Sgt. Patrick D. Stewart, killed in Afghanistan last year.

At the Veterans Memorial Cemetery in the small town of Fernley, Nev., there is a wall of brass plaques for local heroes. But one space is blank. There is no memorial for Sgt. Patrick D. Stewart.

That’s because Stewart was a Wiccan, and the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs has refused to allow a symbol of the Wicca religion — a five-pointed star within a circle, called a pentacle — to be inscribed on U.S. military memorials or grave markers.

So, you’ve read it, I don’t need to tell you about how appalling it is. What I want to talk about instead is the remarkable level of support, no, of acknowledgement, this story has received. Oh, sure, the media has to write about it; dead soldier, wartime, human interest, big stink. But I tell you, ten years ago, we would not have had so many non-Pagans rallying to our support.

Among the surprises are Christianity Today and the ultra-conservative Rutherford Institute.

The blogosphere has been rockin’ on this as well. Shakespeare’s Sister isn’t Pagan. Pandagon isn’t Pagan. The Carpetbagger isn’t Pagan. These people aren’t blogging to support their own community, they’re blogging to support the rights of everyone, and they’re acknowledging that Pagans are included in “everyone.” Lefties and progressives all over the map are taking this issue on as their own, just as heterosexuals are taking on gay marriage as their own.

Folks, that’s new. That’s news. And in these dark times, I am all about celebrating the good news when it deigns to show up.

Friday Kittenblogging: In the Box

He’s just so damn cute. Unfortunately, as you’ll note in the picture, he’s gnawing on the box. The gnawing is less cute than the jumping into things.

In the Box
Cat-in-the-Box