Replies

Ah, you have a good memory.

According to Chris "Raven Moon" the Salem K of C is still renting out their hall to pagan groups. He has since been banned from the FR and I can no longer communicate with him.

Hypocrisy at the Knights of Columbus in Salem (11/20/03)
Dear Mr. Ledbetter,

This evening, November 22, at about 10pm on a tip from a friend, I drove by the Knights of Columbus hall in Salem and I would like to share with you what I saw. I saw a group of black clad Witches, draped in capes and robes, smoking on the steps of your Salem chapter's building. I had to do a double take because my understanding was that you did not want Witches to hold events in your building. I know this because you cancelled one of our events for Festival of the Dead that was to be held there on November 1 at the same hall where I saw Witches gathering this evening for what would transform your hall into "sacred space." The Salem Evening News even did a cover story on your cancellation of our event only two weeks before it was to be held, after us having had it booked there for almost eight months.

The event in question can be found at the following Web page:

http://www.lauriecabot.com/reunion2003.html

I know that this is the event that was held there because I have spoken to one of the event coordinators and to several of the attendees who informed me that they were going there. I am very likely to obtain pictures of this event as proof of the presence of this Witchcraft event for all concerned before long.

What I think everyone who has been copied on this email, which features important voices on both the Catholic and Witchcraft sides of this issue, might like to know is why you would cancel our event under the pressure of outside forces, in order to uphold a certain kind of moral code that you claim to hold true to, only to then hold another Witchcraft-related event in that same hall. I happen to know that when you cancelled our event, under pressure from groups who said that such events should not be held in your hall, that this other event was already booked and that you kept this fact from each and every protester that you made promises to that you would remove our event from your venue. So, I think it should become apparent to each and every person copied on this list that the issue was not the moral underpinnings of a Witchcraft event being held at the Knights of Columbus, but the fact that our event was public and this other event was not. Ms. Sandra M. Power's November 1 event spoke of the "power of Witchcraft." The other event in question speaks of "30 years of magick and mystery," "sacred space," "Pagan music," [which, by definition, is religious and ritualistic in tone], and "magickal door prizes." Exactly what about any of this does not sound like Witchcraft to you, Mr. Ledbetter? I am quite sure that the event held at your hall this evening was an enjoyable and magickal time for those who participated, and I have no problem with the content of their event. My problem is that your "strict moral code" found a loophole for them that you could not find for Ms. Power.

I attended a second holding of Sandra M. Power's event this evening because I missed the first one. She held it for three people who did not attend on November 1 because nobody at the Salem Knights of Columbus told them of the new location (even though they knew of it). It was a beautiful and special evening of self-help and transformation and the three attendees and I felt privileged to enjoy it in an even more intimate setting.

It deeply saddens and shocks me to discover that the staunch and rigid Catholic ethics that the Knights of Columbus claim to uphold are so easily moldable to whoever exerts the most pressure, be they Catholic or Witch. Thankfully, our event was held in spite of you, and was a meaningful and spiritual time for all involved, but it has definitely left a very bad taste in my mouth regarding how consistently you uphold the morals you claim to cling so strongly to.

Sincerely,
Christian Day
Festival of the Dead
Salem, MA

p.s. - As a minor piece of clarity for the benefit of each person copied on this email, I would like to include your words from your official release on the subject of this issue when you cancelled our event, found at:

http://www.seattlecatholic.com/misc_20031023.html

"As Knights of Columbus, the Massachusetts State Board of Officers of the Knights of Columbus states that nothing relating to witchcraft should ever be presented in a Knights of Columbus venue."

Perhaps each person copied on this email would like to know how you see a "Witches' reunion" as "nothing relating to Witchcraft."