NY Pagans Bothered by Witch-Burning Display

I agree that calling the police was overkill…no law had been broken, and I am with you in thinking that when people decorate for the Holidays, especially this one..they want it to be scary..so maybe the sight of Witches hanging is something they find scary ….I know I do! I think these days we are all a little skittish when it comes to the discussion of our beliefs and the misunderstanding the rest of the world has for them…but if we keep it in perspective, we will come out looking like we really are..level headed peace loving and giving people that only want a fair amount of publicity…to be acknowledged in the way we really are and not hindered by other constricting belief systems that think they are more important than ours…I know all I want is for people to understand that I am a giving loving loyal friend and I take very good care of the Earth and it’s surroundings )O( Brightest Blessings!! Thanks for your posts and Blogs Patty!! I use them everyday! )O( DarkStar

Were they her neighbors or did they live across town? If they didn’t know the offended family then it is just a whatever thing…but, on the other hand, if the people knew the family was pagan then maybe they were sending a sort of message.

Has the offended family ever received any sort of anti-pagan messages before?

These are questions that must be answered before I make my assessment

I dont think that they are purposley trying to hurt any one in the pagan/wiccan community- most people dont realize we exist!They just go off all the halloween lore, movies etc ( and maybe all the true stories of the witch trials)one of my c0-workers spent his child hood thinking witches on broom sticks lived on the moon! but seriously people just dont get it and dont put any thought into decorating, but i would probably just laugh if it was my neighbor!An i wouldnt go running to call the police because then they may provoke you on purpose from that day one….like little children (lol) eee hee hee hee!(cackle)

Can you imagine if the “witches” had black skin? Or wore a Star of David on their arms? What makes this display OK? I don’t think it was right to call the police, but I hope there is less of this kind of thing in the future.

-Braggi

I agree that calling the police was overkill. I had a similar situation in my own neighborhood. A neighbor took a witch decoration and hung it by a noose from their porch. At first I was horrified, the noose being offensive enough, but I think you are right, they had no intention to offend, it was purely ignorance that it would be offensive to some. So I left it alone. I did want to sneak over there and cut her down though!

I live near Canandaigua and although I didn’t see the display myself, a member of my Circle did and she was very offended. I don’t think calling the police was necessary, but what do you think would happen if instead of witches hanging from a tree it were African Americans? Those people would be arrested for a hate crime. So what’s the difference? Both groups were publicly hated, persecuted and hung for simply being themselves, but you’ll never see public outcry for the witch display.

I agree, calling the police was a little extreme. Most people who decorate their lawns are trying to make a scary impact for the trick or treaters, not a religious statement. If it were me, I’d just have let it go. Certainly I don’t feel that a green faced, warty nosed decoration is a true representation of myself.

I agree with Braggi. Although calling the police was taking it a little too far. My granddaughter was taught a song in daycare that started out with “I’m a mean ugly witch…” We’re trying to teach her the pagan path and what it means to be a witch and we felt that teaching her this song was not helping her see that witches aren’t old, ugly and evil. My daughter explained this to her teacher who totally understood and changed the words to “I’m a cute little witch…”. Score one for us!

Christians hang pictures of their god dead and nailed to a tree, so I take no offense to it.

I think it depends on a lot of things.
1) Do the people who put it up even know that anyone in the area is a witch?
2)How close is the decoration to the offended person’s home? (This only matters if the decorator knows the person complaining is a witch, but the closer they live to each other, the more likely they are to know)
3) How long before (and after) Halloween is this decoration up? If it’s more than a month either way, I’d complain to the neighbor (again, only if they were aware that I was a witch)
4) Has the neighbor made any anti-pagan remarks in the past? Generally people who commit hate crimes, of any variety, don’t start out with a huge crime, but with negative comments, and it escalates from there.
I wouldn’t take it to the police unless the answer to questions 1 and 4 were “yes”. I might take it up with the neighbor though, if I felt they were making a statement towards me.

I agree with you Patti, that calling the police was not appropriate. I think there are times when the Polictical Correctedness “syndrome” goes overboard. I am a witch, but I do not find the witchy halloween stuff offensive, and since many people do not even understand that witchcraft is a religion, intentional insult most likely did not occur. Everyone could use a dose of “lighten up” when it comes to gauging this type of display.

The decorations are just that, decorations. The sign that said “burn her” may be another thing; that could very well be verging on a hate crime. But, not knowing the circumstances and where their mind set is — I’d be inclined to leave things alone unless other things popped up later. No sense leaving a bad impression of witches where one didn’t actually exist before.

I think the display was inappropriate. Because as another person commented, if it were a black doll… it would be a news media nightmare. But calling the police? Yeah that’s a bit much. Usually talking to a neighbor will work. Or just let it go. But the other thing that bothers me is, we deserve no less respect then an african american or a jewish person. So what I would like to know is why don’t more pagans stand up for their religion. The image of the scary witch is infact an offense. Women and men of pagan heritage died looking like that because they were beat so bad it made them “ugly”. The pagan communioty suffered the same fate and still suffers similar fate and I believe its because we all still take a passive stance. So I commend this woman for taking action. Even if a bit much. Its a definite sign that she felt it was not right and she, in a way. Was right in thinking so. Trying to educate people via media like tv news broadcast might be a better way to go about it, and making an example out of some poor ignorant neighbor might not.

I think that most people are really ignorant about true wiccans. They think we sit around muttering curses and sticking pins into voodoo dolls. If They only knew the love and peace found in wiccan practices they would be amazed. I am new to the practice and already I am finding a new more positive side to life.

In my part of the State, Pagans aren’t taken too seriously – it’s as if many of us are just “playing at being Wiccan.” So were someone in this neck of the woods present such a display, it would be out of their perception of their “Halloween,” and not of my religious beliefs. Calling the police simply drew attention to a situation that could just as easily have been ignored. True, were it a black witch, or one dressed in a nun’s habit, it would have been national news – but the African American community and the Catholic Church ARE taken seriously, whereas here, Wicca and Witchcraft are not.

Being offended is a choice. Why give others that power over you? Act instead of react.

I think it was taken to the extreme by calling the police..although I would have thought to myself wow that is very hateful. We have the right to freedom of speech but the lady that displayed such vulgar comments in her yard should think about others and have some heart.

I have to disagree with most of the board. While Christianity may be a widely acknowledged faith, they have lied, cheated and killed to get there. Furthermore, hate crimes take all sorts of horrible forms. Today it’s an effigy; what is stopping it from being a violent crime tomorrow? As far as the decoration goes, it is highly offensive. This year it started as a witch hanging in a noose that grew to an effigy of a witch reading “Burn Her.” By not stopping this now, what could have this scenario have been in the near future? I’d hate for the little things to go unchecked for so long that they escalate into a dangerous scenario. Isn’t this kind of how the Burning Times started?

What makes this even more disturbing is that I see a few of the respondents on this board have children. I understand that this issue may not threaten you because you are mature enough to take care of yourself. What about your children? They will find it far more difficult to defend against their peers in school or, Goddess forbid, some radical adult that has bad intentions toward witches. It is hard enough to be different in school, why shouldn’t we help them every step along the way to make their futures’ brighter? I feel that the pagan parents that called the police did the right thing. It may have been an “innocent” decoration, but the family that put up the decoration will be much more aware in the future that we do exist. Little steps along the way will help our faith to return to the respect it once had.
Happy post-Samhain Blessing to All!

A lot of people don’t even know that witches exist. I never get offended by Hallowe’en decorations because people don’t know any better. They don’t know anything about witches, witchcraft, Wicca, or Paganism. To be offended is a choice. Your life isn’t determined by your circumstances, or what happens around you. It is determined by your reaction to what happens around you. So you choose your reaction. Me, I would have let it go. I love looking at all the Hallowe’en displays, and some years I even dress up as the stereotypical witch. Some people are just so uptight!

I agree with the people that point out, “what if it was a black man?” It is offensive but I also except that for most people it’s part of Halloween to villainies the witch. I tell most people I am pagan and only those closest to me that I am a witch. The term is used by to many cultures to mean a whole rainbow of different concepts, most of them not good.
What I find more offense is when in schools they have kids sing Christmas songs. In that situation the school is being offensive to a many different groups of people and they know it. In the issues of witches hanging at Halloween I think its more likely the person was just in the sprite of the Halloween tradition. The fact we use a term that in any other culture is seen as a descriptor of a person that practice some form of black arts and we want it to mean a nature worshiping, life loving, peace monger is bond to lead to some issues at Halloween.
I’m pagan. A follower of old beliefs made new. I will use the word witch when I am talking with other like minded people but I know the way I use that word has nothing to do with the ladies hanging in those trees. Even pagans put to much weight into that image as a symbol of what we are. Those crones have nothing to do with being pagan. Mother goddess is a beautiful women in all her forms no matter if she is young or old as all women are. That green skinned hag is not how anyone looks and is nothing for a pagan to relate to.

William

I agree that if it was a black person hanging, it would have been considered a hate crime. I would also like to add that I believe it would have been considered a hate crime if instead, it was a scene depicting early Christians being fed to lions; as was done in times past, perhaps with the slogan of “Mischievous Superstition” as the official government of the time labeled such people before feeding the kitties.

I am more offended by someone running for office and calling us baby killers and satanists than I am over some halloween decorations… Ignorance comes in all forms and that is exactly what it is…Education is key here folks. There is religious persecution in all religions, it’s sad but true. What a shame it is that religions (all religions) don’t teach tolerance of others in their beliefs and ways of life. Seems funny that Pegans/ Wiccans do not force their religious beliefs on others and from all my experiences are the most tolerant of any religion I have ever known, and yet we are one of the most persecuted and most misunderstood….guess I will never understand why people who have no real knowledge of a given subject are the first ones to point fingers, call names and make false statements about something they know nothing about. Ignorance must surely be bliss because it is these people who live in their own little worlds and small minds, that are unwilling to learn, unwilling to understand, yet judge others for their ignorance.

After reading all the posts, I think JeffO came closest to what I think of this issue. I am offended by the desciption of the hanging-witch display and the epithet “Burn Her” added to it.

But, for argument’s sake, let’s turn it around in another direction…being a solitary Wiccan now (but formerly brought up Baptist), would I be castigated by my Christian neighbors if at Easter time I put up on display a figure of Jesus nailed to a cross? I definitely think so. Then, add to this the next day a sign saying “Jews did this to our Savior”…I would surely be demanded to take it down and surely be the leading story on the 6 o’clock news being reported as a Hate Crime! And then, perhaps, legally prosecuted under the Hate Crimes law, if someone wanted to be hard-assed about it. So, in essence, it’s all a matter of degree. So, should we get upset about witch decorations? No. But, add a hanging scenario and the words “Burn Her”…then, yes, by my view as a Wiccan AND a woman, it becomes discriminatory and hateful.

It is just one more reason for people to hate each other. Fear carries a mighty sword. This has made me think about if it was Jewish people hanging in the yard, then that would be religion based hatred. Many people think Wicca is a joke and getting people rilled up about it isn’t going to help the cause. Fight fear and ignorance with love and education. Using Wiccan’s as a scapegoat has always been an out for people with an agenda and a need to blame someone other then themselves. Anger begets anger. Why not leave some nice flowers for the people with the offensive witches and leave a note telling the offenders you wish they had pretty witches sitting around having tea in their yard instead.

Your taking the benefit of a doubt a little too far, hanging Witches from a tree is more then offensive it is condoning what happened to Witches in the past.
Just because they may or may not know any better does not make it ok.
As to the little green witches not represent us, well I know they dont but that is exactly why they were created.

Let us not forget the burning times that were not really that long ago where innocent women, children and men were burned alive, hung, tortured and more. I find the “Burn her!” epithet highly offensive! Would a cross burning in a front yard mean the same thing and would it be tolerated? No. I wonder if the people who wrote that were even the ones who put up the hanging witch. It may have been pranksters/kids. Then the family could be absolved since it was Halloween and offensive objects are the norm. This is why we wiccans stay in the proverbial closet. Even Sybil Leek was threatened in her New York and Florida residences, but not in her native England. Remember those who burned!

I think blythespiritus brings up another point: “… Halloween and offensive objects are the norm.” In my faith, this is the most sacred time for witches. We should be honoring our ancestors, thanking the gods for the gifts of the year, reflecting on the experiences and lessons we have lived and planning/wishing for the upcoming year. Samhain should not be a time of horror and mischief. It is an affront to our beliefs to continue to be apathetic about the nature that the general (ignorant) population has been cattled in to. Just because most people don’t know any better and Hallmark writes them a “get away with being naughty” pass, doesn’t make it right. If we were running around with bloodied masks, guts hanging out and egging peoples’ homes during the time the Catholic Church chose to mark Jesus’ birth, would that be just as offensive? I think so. As is in accordance with the Wiccan Rede, though, I would never do such a thing because I respect people the choice to practice and honor their beliefs. Pagans should be calmly spreading the word that when people do things like exhibited in this article, they are offending a group of people. Don’t get violent or create a heated argument over it. Just politely bring it to the offending party’s attention. Even if it doesn’t look like they take it to heart while you have the discussion, it may echo in their hearts the next time they go to do something.

Personally i find the whole display offensive and the people that put it up are probably hate filled towards pagans/witches to even contemplate putting up such a display. I’m sure the people putting up this display know all about the deaths during the witch trials and are insensitive bigoted jerks.
Gale i is correct, if this was aimed at christians it would be a HUGE deal but since it’s aimed at a minority religion were supposed to suck it up and have a sense of humor about it, it’s all in the fun of the holiday. If we keep letting people get away with things like this things will never change.

We all have to admit we have at some point in our lives have celebrated the commercial version of Halloween unless we were a Jehovah Witness before practicing our current religious belief system. We all have seen the green ugly warty witches that people hang in their yards. If its one of the green and ugly witches that had a “burn her” sign hanging on it we don’t have space to be offended. We all know that we don’t dress like that and put on green makeup and fake warts to do any of our rituals and it isn’t a direct reference to us and our spirituality. If they put it on a human dummy and put it out in the yard with the sign (and maybe even added a cheap pentacle/pentagram) we would have space to be offended since we would then know it was not only a direct reference to us but also to the burning times.

I’m more concerned about the “request” for violence but the sign. The decor is what it is, yard decoration but the call for “Burn Her” is disturbing, but unfortunately not illegal.

Did Ms. O’Brien have any display in her yard that might in some way counter the negativity of the other yard, even if she lives clear across town. For many, many years witches have been the center of my display. I always show them in a positive vain (example: This year it was a Witches’ Tea Party [a slight political view on my part]). It’s how you present yourself to the public all the time, not just a couple days of the year. It’s also how you raise your children that will pass the true pagan idea on to the next generation.

Well, I agree that calling the police was a little over kill, but to what end do we say what is a hate crime or not. The fact that there was a sign stating “burn her” by the witch decoration is pretty conclusive on my part. That is where I would say we have to draw the line. I agree, if it was a Muslim figure, an African American figure, or anything else, the offending party would have been hauled off to jail. Why should we be treated any differently. We are still a member of society are we not? Prick us with a pin, do we not bleed? Why should we have to tolerate things like this when no one else is expected to. I understand that the public may not know what we are all about, but whose fault is that. We have to help others understand, starting with people like this. Explain to this person what it represents and then see what they are willing to do. I believe that most people would take down the offending signage, and if they won’t, then you know that the sign should be taken as a warning. It saddens me that this type of thing still goes on in modern times. My only hope is that the general public becomes more educated and more tolerant of different religions and beliefs. With our help, it can happen.

As I’ve said before on these posts … you have to pick your battles. Yes, it was insensitive and thoughtless. I’m certain they had no thought of how much people suffered when being burned to death (though most were killed in another way first, then burned). They were probably just thinking “Halloween” and “scary” and “give the kids a real Boo!” I would give it a pass. I know people need to be educated but to try to do it in such an entrenched holiday would just be pointless.

I’m from Australia where we have slowly started celebrating Halloween as a nation here. and after reading this, i felt a little denigrated that this is what people think, but at the same time i also believe it was overkill to call the law in over something that can be just accepted as naieve banter of which they don;t understand the spiritual beliefs that might be connected. so i say that people who look too deeply into it, might need to check within themselves how compfortable they are within their own beliefs. For if you are compfortable there should be no hate crime seen by this decoration.

So are you saying it’s ok to put out an occupied cross at Easter along with a sign saying ‘hang him’?

How about quit turning the other cheek, tell Hollywood to quit dishing out their green monsters, and stop picking on someone’s religion?

I once had all my pagan bumper stickers torn and scratched off my car. It turned out some ten-year old little girl did it because her parents and preacher told her witches were evil satan worshippers. The mother was rightly embarrassed when the identification of the offender came to light.

We hear stories all the time about people who took a concept a little too far and hurt someone in the process. What if some self-righteous person took the sign to ‘burn her’ a little too seriously? I’d say such a sign qualifies as a hate-crime, just as much as putting a swastika on a Jewish temple, store or home.

Start defending your rights and your religion.

And take down the dang-blasted green witches and other ‘holiday’ decorations. Such things are NOT what Samhain is about.

Be empathetic to the igonorance of the unknowing

Let’s put a inverted cross with jesus upside down on it covered in fake blood and see how well that would go down! I’m so sick of people only caring about their religion and none others. I have a neighbour who is a pastor and i don’t really care until on hallow’s eve he sent his child who gave my husband a anti-halloween booklet saying it was a holiday that satan uses to promote devil worship and follow jesue and crap like that – at least that’s what husband said because i only read as far as the word ‘jesus’ and had to put it down. I was sooo disgusted i sent it back with a note saying ‘nothing like this better tarnish my property again, thankyou and happy beltane- and he better heed the warning that’s all i can say :p )o(

Is satire completely missed here? I remember Monty Python’s Holy Grail. The whole flick was Religious satire and I still think it’s funny. Communication is the best way to handle it. Don’t hide behind your doors and deny you beliefs. “They” can’t eat you. Once others around you understand the basics of how we believe and your actions show how peaceful it really is, it makes it more difficult to deny our existence as a real belief system. This is sometimes very hard in the ‘buckle’ of the Bible belt. You just have to show your own conviction to the way you see the world around you, not by having a knee jerk reaction to the ignorance of others. I try not to fall into the ‘lowest common denominator’.

Calling the police was overkill. Perhaps she could have used this as an opportunity to let people know that witches are real and nothing like the legends. I’m sure a pamphlet of that sort could be obtained or made easily.

It’s uncomfortable enough that Halloween encourages the image of a witch as an evil hag with a wart on her nose, riding a broom across the skies, but do we really have to accept reminders of the Burning Times?

What do you think would happen if Witches started a campaign against Christianity because much of their beliefs are based on the human sacrifice of Jesus!

I live in South Afrika where people are still very conservative,I am both wiccan and pagan,if somebody must come into my home they will be frightend,I also had a holloween pumken that burned right threw the night on porth,up to now nobody complained but i think they are a bit scared of me.calling the police?
I think that is ridiculous!

The thing is, if these people had hung something that looked like a black person from their trees, they’d be in court right now.

Not to belittle what slaves went through, but I feel it is the same level of ignorance and insensitivity (when you look at the Inquisition and what witches went through). That’s our version of the Holocaust and I feel people need to be made aware of that.

I have a problem with my neighbors about this every year. The first halloween I lived in my new neighborhood I put a happy witch sign in my front yard. The fundamentalist who lives across the street knocked on my front door and demanded that I take it down. It seems that her homeschoolers where asking to many questions about witches. I explained that I did not object to her navitity scene so why should she care about my stuff. The look on her face was so shocked, her reply to me was how could any Christian be upset about a Navitiy scene. I said because I am not a Christian. She looked at me like she could not image that. We grumble about it every year. I can imagine that she would call the police on me if it would do her anygood.

I do not believe we can know what was in the heart of the people that displayed the burn her sign with the hanging witches. I know that there is a group in my town that is aware of the growing move towards spiritual awareness and away from the one god track that has a burn the witch party every year. They do not let their children trick or treat and openly oppose Samhain. This is a growing movement in our country. The god fearing good people want to let us know that we are not welcome and they want us gone. I now have to get permission and pay for permits to have bonfires in my field. When dead cats turn up on my lawn it is ok with the local sherrif, and when I wake up to a box of religious pamphlets strewn across my lawn that is not littering. I have security cameras and the footage is never “clear” to the local sherrif. So if this was personal, yes call the police and insist on a report and get a copy. If it was not then don’t be an alarmist. There are plenty of reasons to be alarmed, but decorations may or may not be one of them. If the hanging witch, or in my case, the burning witch, has a picture of your face on it, then you can be alarmed.

I can understand the womans feelings, however most people dont realize that Halloween is a special time. Its mostly thought of as a “fun” time for kids.
I grew up with decorations like that and my family would never physicaly harm anyone. Some people just dont know.

I think we can and should make a very important distinction – black people were tormented for being really and truly black. Witches were tormented for what other people ACCUSED them of being. Any Hallowe’en decor that suggests victimizing witches is actually attacking what the decorator’s PERCEPTION of witches is or is even totally being done in a mindset that these people don’t exist anyway. And as far as I know, they don’t. By getting upset over it, you are now identifying with their perception of witches as evil warty green skinned hags who cast hexes, ride brooms through the air, and send their spirits to suck out men’s souls. Is that really what you are? As a pagan or wiccan I for one would join in the call to get rid of that nasty perception of witches or even get rid of any witches who truly self identify with it. Yes, burn her indeed and show the world what Wiccans really are! Turn this back on itself. We have to replace that ancient fairy tale scapegoat of a town’s sins with the concept of what Wiccans and Pagans are now. That warty old woman is NOT our ancestry and has nothing to do with who we are. Although I have indeed become a warty old woman… But I’m not green and don’t cast hexes!!

I say that, if I were to see that i would go to the persons door, knock, and tell them how i felt about it and ask if they could remove a portion of it so its not as offensive. Bringing in the law was too much, we just have to let people know and if they choose to ignore our request then we should ignore them simple -.- there is my input on that

Did anyone ever think to contact the homeowner and ask them? Did they mean offense to begin with? If offense was taken why not just tell the homeowner instead of calling the police?

Has anyone given thought to the “burn her” as a political statement? Maybe the witches were an innocent (to them) decoration. Someone could have put the sign on in reference to the candidate who “dabbled in witchcraft”. After all, it didn’t say burn “them”.

I believe in the seems like little used notion of live and let live. While its ignorant and annoying that there are people out there that would display such a thing. I don’t care whats on their lawn. However, with that said, I wonder what the response would be if there was a display of say…. a nativity scene that was treated similarly. Thought provoking. I bet it would have stirred the pot for sure.

I AGREE WITH JEFF O, YOU TOOK THE WORDS RIGHT OUT OF MY MOUTH,…. What about those of us who have children? or grandchildren ? Should we not stand up for our beliefs in the proper manner to help our children to stand tall for their beliefs?? Otherwise it looks like we tuck our capes , hats and run?? We can stand tall in pride and intelligence for our beliefs. I believe if the fellow wiccans were offended by this , then they should of called the police.
Happy Samhain to all,
Blessed BE fellow Wiccans….

I think this is horrible and I agree with the complaint. Imagine if the display was a black being whipped? or if the maniken had a star of David on it? The police would have made them take this down then because of the threat of civil unrest. This is a definite representation of a dark time in history that people should be ashamed of and not re-creating in the name of fun. I hope that this abomination has since been removed. It sounds like these people are neighbors and adding “Burn Her” just adds more “fuel to the fire.”

Cheers to you Patti,I agree with you.I just mind my own business,and wish others would do the same,now if they put stuff that offended me in my yard that would be different.It was probably not meant to be offensive,even if it was,this world is full of hate and I do not see it ending in my life time,we can only not add to that number.Peace to all.

Recreating a bias crime is not cool, but the vast majority of Halloween decor is focused on some form of death and its cause, although that has never been the style I display. The depiction of the witch as the nordic or Scottish bogey Annis has been with us for a thousand years. It is an old demonization of hel and her priestesses, and not too recent an invention, although a recent association with us as we see ourselves.
Whenever I see the classic depiction of the green witch broomriding past the moon, and I own it and consider it the green goddess triumphant. I do laugh at the decorations that depict the clumsy flyer striking trees and doors, because I kind dive tht way, and suspect I would plant myself if iin the wall the same way if I could fly.
But hanging and burning images aren’t good in any circumstance.

I was sorry to read about the hanging witch with the sign “burn her” but I’m not offendeded so much as sad to see that ignorance is still here in this day and age. It’s fun I know to decorate for Samhain [I do it myself] but it’s sad to know my christian neighbors are living in ignorance of my religion. That however is partly my own fault for alowing equally ignorant Priests and pastors of christian religions telling them what WE believe instead of telling them myself. I know of people who are actually afraid of me when they find out I’m pegan how sad is that? Yet I can live with them if I choose in a closet of my own making or quietly come out of the closet and make my beliefs known. I belong to two organizations predominately christian. IOOF and OES. I use Samhain to help educate them. Perhaps we need to quit being afraid of the Burning Times and get rid of the closet we’ve crawled into. Ignorance is not bliss it is deadly.

I agree with pretty much what everyone else has said, however I would like to bring up one point about the example some of used about Jesus on the cross being the same.

From what I know about Christianity Jesus on the cross while violent & horrific, is not seen in that way. It is not to scare or appall. The image is to remind Christians of his personal sacrifice for their sins. It also reminds them of the resurrection (a major part of their faith). It has a positive aspect to it.

What is positive about someone being hung & burned?
It is purely an act of violence & nothing else, so therefore can not be put in the same category as Jesus on the cross.

Well, as I’ve been reading all the comments, my thoughts on this matter have gone from one side to the other and back again.
Obviously, it does matter if the neighbor knows about your religion, and whether or not he/she is tolerant or not to your religion.
Part of me feels like, hey, it’s halloween… it’s just a decoration~ no big deal…
And yet, I would definately be offended if a neighbor put something like that up – especially if I knew that the neighbor knew I was a witch! AND I would call the police!
And as JeffO talked about the whole, one little thing today can become a huge thing tomorrow if left unchecked ~ I completely agree!
So, how do we get the message across to the masses that this is our religion, we love nature, and all living things, and it’s important to us. How do we convince them we are not ‘baby killers’ if we stay in our broom closet and say nothing??? How do we convey the truths about us without sounding and acting like those tv evangelists??
Because from what I see, they are coming at us from all angles… we need to do something!

I guess I’m alittle different then most of the commenters here. I have a black-clothed, green warty witch that hangs out during Samhain season. Its a private joke between me and those who know my beliefs, and everyone else just thinks its funny. But then, I also leave my life-sized skeleton in the hall closet year round. Luckily, my Goddess and God seem to understand my sense of humor just fine.

I completely agree that calling the police was overkill and calling it a hate crime was overkill. But my question is this: since when does having a picture of a burning witch that says “Burn her” fit in the with fun, good natured spirit of Halloween? To anyone who isn’t pagan (and even to those who are), Halloween is a time where kids run around in costumes scaring each other, collecting candy, and just having an overall good time. While this neighbor has every right to put this sort of thing up, I don’t find it at all appropriate.

Well I for one am offended I live in New Zealand where the holloween tradition isnt as big as it is in your country and yet the site of children dressing up as warty old hags annoys me. The hanging witch could be recieved as just ignorance but the burn her sign is just awful. Here the ignorance of what witches are is just as bad I think as well as comming out of the broom closet we have a duty to put right the misconceptions. I wonder how do most catholic people cope when its a fact some priests do molest children,they go out and prove otherwise through love and good works and open communication,they stand strong on what they believe why doesnt someone start a line of true witch dolls to be displyed at halloween take away the stigma of scary and make it what it is a beautiful way to live and let live

I think it was as much a simple tastless peice of decoration as anything else displayed around that time of year. If she was really upset she should have just tried talking to the people that put it up.

Though the display may have been offensive it appears there was no malice to it. Some people don’t understand. I have gone to many haunted hayrides and haunted house depicting witches being burned at the stake. I was upset but took it for what it was a depiction of horror and history. It made me remember from where I came and the uneducated people not knowing it is offensive to some. I didn’t feel the need to call the police. Now if there was a history of problems between the neighbor and a pattern of hate then I would called to file a report. It doesn’t appear this is the case here.

Hmmm. . . How did they know it was supposed to be hanging witches? If it was those green faced, typical Halloween decorations then I can let that pass. I know what they represent to some of us (a remembrance of the burning times) but part of tolerance is realizing that not everyone looks at a situation the way you do. I also think it’s our job to educate everyone about what we really are, but to insist they give up their traditions for us is a little wrong, as well.

Calling the cops is a little extreme, but I do see why the woman was upset. You don’t know if the display was put up by a Witch-hating religious zealot who was aware of the local Wiccan community and meant it as a warning. Or possibly it was only meant to scare the crap out of her trick or treaters. Without knowing more about the situation, could I call it a hate crime? Not really.

I also do think the “burn her” sign is in poor taste, and I do find that offensive. Would I ask them to remove it? Probably not. Live and let live. If I met the homeowners in the future would I open my mouth about it? Possibly. I think it would depend on what kind of people they were. I think it would be more rewarding to talk to them and see that they weren’t bad people then to go through life assuming they had it out for you. Blessed Be.