Halloween 2007: A Commentary

Wed, 31 Oct 2007 11:37:56 -0400 by Bull

Welcome, and Blessed Be!

Another year has past us by and for us Pagans, be they Heathens, Wiccans, or otherwise, it is New Years Eve, (give or take a day or three). The Pagan term for Halloween is Samhain, a day when the Veil between this mortal realm and the next is at its thinnest. The Bull is not writing today for the edification of the populace on matters Pagan. I am writing in disgust with America’s complete lack of perspective on Freedom. Particularly when it comes to the matters of Faith.

Our Freedoms - all of them - are precious things. Bought and paid for with the blood and sacrifice of brave men and women for well over two Centuries. Hundreds of thousands of now-immortal Heroes gave their very lives that we might be Free to live as each of us may wish - within the boundaries of polite Society, of course.The Bull submits that America has forgotten the meaning of sacrifice and has long since begun the process of trading off essential Freedoms for a little portion of security. Our forefathers warned against such an action. Ben Franklin himself said it best.

Those who would give up essential liberty to purchase a little temporary safety deserve neither liberty nor safety.

Despite this, and other warnings, from the very men that built the framework for the greatest Nation the world has ever seen, our populace sees fit to bicker over matters of only minor, (if any), import when the very foundations of Freedom are being undermined from both without and within.

As I alluded to above, let me use the matter of Faith as a case-in-point…
Today for many Pagans is Samhain. The Christian world’s Halloween. Stories, of course, abound in the media of all things ‘witch’ related. Two big stories I noted as I watched the news were as follows:

A self-professed ‘Witch’ sues neighbor over a Halloween decoration depicting a cartoon-styled witch being hanged.
A mid-America town is up in arms over a school being opened that will serve the Pagan community, (the students being the children of Pagan families), despite the jobs and revenue it will bring to the town.

This is “news”? Why? Moreover, why is either action being taken?

Let me address the second action first.
America was first colonized on the principle of religious freedom. It is one of our most cherished Freedoms, guaranteed in our Constitution. Government schools are available for all American children, yet many Christian churches sponsor schools in every city The Bull has ever visited, both North and South. The Catholic church especially devotes massive amounts of church funds into the education of children both here in America, and Worldwide. Those not agreeing with Catholic tradition simply do not send their children to Catholic schools. Pagan schools are no different. So, if you don’t want your children educated at a Pagan-operated school simply exercise your Right to Freedom of Religion and send your kids elsewhere!

Now for the first matter…
As oft stated, The Bull is unabashedly Pagan. Even so, I am embarrassed by the actions of a fellow Pagan so insecure in her Faith as to feel threatened by a simple Halloween decoration. The thought of actually suing a neighbor over something so silly makes me want desperately to apologize for such stupidity. If ever there was such a thing as a frivolous law suit, Dear Reader, this is it! As an American, faith is protected. Faith is also a personal, private matter. There is no guarantee that your neighbors will share your beliefs. I’d like to point out to this ‘lady’ that contentment with one’s neighborhood begins in one’s own home. Further, let me quote ol’ Ben once again…

The Constitution only guarantees the American people the right to pursue happiness. You have to catch it yourself.

Holidays, or rather ‘Holy Days’, have wide and varied meanings in such a multicultural nation as America. Only tolerance of the Faith of others,the constant reminder that one’s beliefs are his/hers alone and not to forced upon those of different belief systems, will keep the peace and maintain that most precious Freedom. Never forget that the war we fight today and those lives lost on 9/11 and since are due to the religious intolerance of radical Islam. One faith demanding dominance over, (and the destruction of), other Faiths. Lady, get a Life!

Mean time, while America’s mind is on such matters, our Nation is being raped by do-nothing politicians in Washington, D.C. and the Constitution is being slowly gutted. What a waste!

Beware, America! You stand at the brink of a long and terrible fall! Survival of such a tumble would be largely a matter of sheer luck.

Bull, out.