Posted on 08/20/2004 11:59:43 AM PDT by Between the Lines
GREAT FALLS -- About a dozen pagans gathered at Town Hall on Monday to show support for Great Falls resident Darla Wynne. Last week, Wynne returned home from dinner with a friend and discovered one of her parrots had been beheaded and his heart cut out, she said.
A note attached to the back of Little One, Wynne's 8-year-old African gray parrot, said, "You're next!"
"I was frantic looking for his little head, and later I did find his heart," Wynne said tearfully. "They want me to leave this town. I feel so responsible for this. I shouldn't have gone out to dinner."
Great Falls Police Chief Mike Revels confirmed the threatening message to Wynne and said an investigation continues. Police found no evidence of a burglary and were unable to collect fingerprints, Revels said.
"Forensic evidence on the note was destroyed and there was no other physical evidence found," Revels said. "The case is ongoing."
Wynne, a Wiccan high priestess, filed a lawsuit in 2001 against Great Falls for invoking the name of Jesus Christ in council prayers. Federal courts ruled in favor of Wynne, saying the prayers were unconstitutional. Town officials, who have the support of the state attorney general, have appealed the case.
Last week's incident was one of a string of break-ins at Wynne's home. Great Falls police have responded to at least 10 calls of reported vandalism at her residence in the past year or so, Revels said.
"She's had a lot of problems," Revels said. "But we haven't been able to link anybody to any of the incidents."
Many of the town's 2,200 residents regard Wynne as a witch and disapprove of her pagan faith, she said. The vandalism has ranged from destruction of her cars to several of her animals being poisoned, Wynne said.
"No one will say anything," Wynne said. "They think they're protecting their own."
Katie Glenn of Asheville, N.C., said she was in Great Falls on Monday to support Darla and "let everyone know we're human."
"I find it deplorable to see other people, who come in the name of Christianity, judge others so harshly," Glenn said.
Wynne said she has endured numerous verbal and written threats. She received by mail a booklet, "Thou Shalt not Suffer a Witch to Live," and said a man yelled at her, "Witch, you're going down."
Twice last week before her bird was killed, Wynne said she received threats in the mail.
During Monday's Town Council meeting, about a half-dozen supporters gathered with Wynne outside Town Hall. Several more attended the meeting inside. Wynne's friends posted an e-mail about the beheading of her bird and people from both Carolinas, Texas and Detroit came to offer support.
Revels and several uniformed officers attended the meeting to keep everyone safe, the chief said.
Wynne's friend Donna Hudson of Columbia said Wynne has been persecuted by town officials.
"I believe all pagans, basically all Americans, should be concerned about the situation that has developed here," Hudson said. "The very community that should be supporting her is violating her rights."
Mayor H.C. "Speedy" Starnes wouldn't comment directly on the incident, saying only he believed the town still has a strong case.
Wynne said she will continue her court battle and won't leave town. She said she is saddened that her remaining parrot, Baby, is lonely for his companion.
"Birds mimic what they hear," Wynne said. "Baby cries because he's heard me crying and he's lonely for his friend, Little One."
OK, a $5 chicken is one thing,
a $2000 bird is another.
Blood is blood---I'd go for cheap. If she had bought the bird last week, I might could see it (personally, a chicken would have been cheaper and supper afterwards).
What Tia and I are saying is that these birds are not only expensive, but very, very smart and affectionate. To the point of being clingy in their need to be around you.
A dog wanders off, a cat is independent, but these big fids are just that--feathered kids. I shudder to think how I would react if I came home and found one of mine like that.
Complicit media? Yep.
Anything to tweak the nose, tap the rudder, obfuscate the course, and they're willing to do it.
She's got more willing accomplices than her Wiccan support group could ever provide.
Exactly.
Depends on the type.
Usually it's big fat pushy gals, with little skinny male partners who looks as if they don't get fed.
I have been wavering in my opinion of this news item- but years ago I dated a 'Wiccan priestess'. I think that your assessment is correct. Most of them that I have met just aren't wired that way. They'll beleive all sorts of screwy stuff, but they aren't the 'direct action' type. I think some jackass in the community went overboard and pulled this stunt.
I'll take answer C.
C.) The bird died of natural causes and the owner decided to see how much milage she could get out of the loss.
"Polly wants a guillotine"...
I love birds.
But, in this case, It seems to me that Darla is trying to get sympathizers.
The mentality of a Pagan is to do what ever is needed to get what you want.
I bet she or one of her cohorts offed the bird
Englebert's version is played during the closing credits.
Druidism was a different thing. And generally unclean.
The Romans wiped it out where ever they found it.
And yes, the Druids did human sacrifice. Often through the Burning Man method, or simply by slitting some poor fellow's head and dumping his body in a bog.
While many wiccans use "druidic" trappings, it AIN'T the same.
Neither is wicca the same as Santeria, voodun ( different religions and those DO use blood)
And then there is plain, old-fashioned Satanism, and that's just plain evil, but again, not the same.
Whereas women pagans tend do tend to the tree-hugging, animal-loving type, male pagans are often exceptionally violent and sadistic towards animals. There is a reason why the witches in "Charmed" are depicted so positively, but why the show insists that warlocks are, universally, sadistic and psychopathic murderers.
Whereas women made to feel powerless often retreat into fancy and delusion, men made to feel powerless often lash out in horrific violence.
[To go further into the witchy terror of warlocks, consider also "Buffy the Vampire Slayer." Rupert Giles routinely uses magic, but is never identified as a witch or warlock. His role is merely supportive, that of a coach, or in some ways, a priest. Even where the show has had the good guys use vampires as allies and demons as usable stooges, warlocks have always been presented as arch-nemeses.]
That's a relationship with "issues", as well. In either case, if backlash occurs it's going to be nasty.
ColoCdn wrote:
Darla Wynne isn't just another small town citizen who is being persecuted by the green-teethed locals, an impression that the article seems to leave.
So I've heard.
I'm from Rocky Mount, BTW.
Slaughtering a parrot. Hmmm, now there's Christian charity at work!
Terribly sad about the parrot. But I have no sympathy for the freak. None. These people attack and attack Christianity and NORMAL people (there, I said it!) and expect us to bend over and take it. While the retaliation against the poor parrot was misguided in the extreme this woman should expect retaliation for her attacks against the faith and traditions of normal people. You have to understand that 'tolerance' is a one-way street: we have to tolerate them while they hound the crap out of us.
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