tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7294505416127496842.post1385552381384263521..comments2024-03-25T14:09:59.347-05:00Comments on Augoeides: Wiccan Fired Over Non-Existent SpellScott Stenwickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12389664381513219613noreply@blogger.comBlogger3125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7294505416127496842.post-40989198025012505962011-03-31T00:17:17.641-05:002011-03-31T00:17:17.641-05:00I think the "deeply stupid" bit needs to...I think the "deeply stupid" bit needs to be emphasized here. Honestly, the (publicly released) accusations, defenses, and justifications sound like the arguments of schoolchildren, with about as much logical backing. You'd have thought we'd have moved on by now.<br /><br />I'm also rather disturbed that these people are responsible for the safety of others. They seem about on par with the lot who <a href="http://www.engadget.com/2008/03/10/tsa-cant-believe-macbook-air-is-a-real-laptop-causes-owner-to/" rel="nofollow">detained a dude for owning a MacBook Air</a>.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15009778570667265968noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7294505416127496842.post-20104131747266619682011-03-30T10:35:35.123-05:002011-03-30T10:35:35.123-05:00Don't get me wrong, I'm not trying to make...Don't get me wrong, I'm not trying to make Smith out to be some sort of hero. She's as ignorant as I find most non-practitioners to be, and clearly doesn't know what she's talking about as far as even her own religion goes. I do see her as a victim, though, of people who are not only just as ignorant but deeply stupid to boot.<br /><br />As I see it Smith's understanding of her beliefs is not really the point. I don't care what kind of a person she is, nobody deserves the level of workplace harassment she has endured over this nonsense. Creating a hostile and discriminatory work environment is both illegal and to my way of thinking profoundly unethical, especially since with the way our society is set up you pretty much need a job in order to survive. Bosses need to know that they're going to be held accountable if crap like this goes down on their watch.<br /><br />Also, I'm not sure from the quote that she was necessarily villifying Voodoo practitioners. All she said is that she thinks they cast spells, which as I understand it is true. While she mentions "black magic" in the same sentence, to me it didn't read like she was trying to equate the two ("or" rather than "and"). Also, the "or something" construction at the end of her sentence is normally used to communicate to the listener that you are well aware that you don't really know what you're talking about. I'd like to see the full context of her statement before drawing a firm conclusion about what she was or wasn't trying to do.Scott Stenwickhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12389664381513219613noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7294505416127496842.post-79628483797307049922011-03-29T16:29:10.844-05:002011-03-29T16:29:10.844-05:00Sadly Carol Smith perfectly illustrates some of my...Sadly Carol Smith perfectly illustrates some of my issues and fears about non-practitioners. First she goes to the media making a blanket statement about Wiccans, that they don't cast spells, which is entirely untrue and I'm sure offensive to the many Wiccans that do practice magic and cast spells. Secondly she tries to vilify another religion which she doesn't like, in this case Voodoo, using the same prejudice and ignorance that's being used against her right now. She's throwing others under the bus because they're marginalized and believe something different than she does.<br /><br />From a purely legal standpoint, I think she needs to appeal and win her case because otherwise it sets a precedence for workplace discrimination that hurts all of us. On a personal level though, I think Smith deserves everything that's being done to her. It's perfectly just that she faces the same prejudiced ignorance that she feels the need to cast upon others. <br /><br />At this point I don't think there is a win available for the magical community. If Smith loses, it's a bad legal precedence, albeit won made in a lower court fortunately. If she wins though, especially if we support her, it gives this horrible woman some validity as a spokeswoman for all of us, and it lets her off the hook for the punishment she clearly deserves. At the very least we should be trying to distance ourselves, as a community, from people like Smith. Sadly I think that the community is going to try to make her out as a victim and a hero and gloss over her ignorant and prejudiced remarks.<br /><br />Also Wicca isn't a recognized religion, at least not in the United States where this case is taking place. The United States doesn't recognize any religion, at least in terms of constitutional protection, because that would give the government the power to indirectly restrict some first amendment rights. The only test that the courts require is sincerity of belief, not the validity of the religion.<br /><br />It's amazing this hasn't really been pointed out, or that this TSA manager didn't have enough diversity training to know that the exact religions or beliefs of his employees are inconsequential to their protected status.Robhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15339922041233122021noreply@blogger.com