"Meet The Wiccan Witch Who Took On Scott Walker"

[niyad]

"Meet The Wiccan Witch Who Took On Scott Walker"




On September 28, 2001, a group of Wisconsin legislators introduced a resolution memorializing the tragic attacks 17 days before and saluting “the unity and patriotism of the American people, who hold diverse religious beliefs and represent diverse ethnic heritages.” Six weeks later, one of the resolution’s co-authors — then Wisconsin Assemblyman Scott Walker (R) — posted an alliterative press release, titled “Walker Questions Need for Wiccan Witch of Waupun.” He was chairman of the Wisconsin Assembly’s Committee on Corrections and the Courts and was upset that the Rev. Jamyi Witch had been hired as a full-time chaplain at the maximum-security Waupun Correctional Institution. His reason: her Wiccan faith.
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Walker’s stated objection were entirely based on her religion. Announcing that his committee could investigate her hiring, Walker said, “I can’t imagine that most of the inmates would feel particularly comfortable going to that individual … I would think, in some ways from a religious standpoint, it might actually put inmates in a position that talking to [a Wiccan] is contrary to what some of their own religious beliefs might be.” In addition to considering eliminating the funds for Witch’s post, Walker also suggested he might consider a likely unconstitutional idea: allocating chaplain positions in proportion to the religious faiths of the prison population. “It just seems to be impractical to have someone in that position who admittedly can only provide those sorts of services to roughly 30 people in the entire prison,” Walker said.
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But Walker’s disparagement went beyond merely suggesting that Witch would not be able to serve non-Wiccan prisoners. “Witch’s hiring raises both personal and political concerns,” Walker explained, adding, “Not only does she practice a different religion than most of the inmates, she practices a religion that actually offends people of many other faiths, including Christians, Muslims and Jews.”

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Since becoming governor in 2011, Walker has spoken multiple times about the importance of freedom of religion and religious diversity. As a candidate for governor in 2006, he made his support for greater cooperation between government and faith-based organizations a key campaign plank, boasting of his work on “prison ministries” during his tenure in the legislature. And, after a 2012 massacre at a Wisconsin Sikh temple, Walker used his weekly radio address to denounce “discrimination and violence targeted toward a specific ethnic or religious group” as “contrary to America’s core ideals.” “By placing it in the First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution,” he said, “our founding fathers placed special emphasis on protecting religious freedom for all Americans. We must show constant vigilance in defending our founding principles.”
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http://thinkprogress.org/election/2015/03/20/3636478/scott-walker-witch-hunt/?utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=tptop3

[niyad]

1. . . .

[Trillo]

2. Always a good reminder for all of us,

no matter our personal beliefs.

[niyad]

3. very true.

[niyad]

4. . .