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."
Very few things get me really riled up but mistreatment of animals for ANY reason is one of them. Don't get me wrong I'm no supporter of PETA or any other such outfit and I enjoy eating meat and wearing leather shoes but doing something like this is just plain wrong. I hope these hypocrites screw up and get caught and punished like they deserve.
So are cars and churches, but that has never stopped them before.
I've known several.
I'd love to own one.
Sadly, Tia is pretty broke these days.
They live for a REALLY long time, too.
( Sometimes over 100 years!)
So you need to make provisions for the bird as you get older.
What gets me is how pagan looking the killing was.
Exactly,
And if she had the bird for 8 years (and assuming it was hand raised at that) it was probably closer to her than most humans.
Sounds like someone who knew how to break her heart.
I don't know. Parrots are usually a pretty good match for cats (I'm thinking of the big, stereotypical parrots).
I have only heard Mr. Van Driesen's version.
If someone did this in the name of Christianity, they are not Christians. She has to answer for her own sins in God's time.
najida wrote:
Exactly,
And if she had the bird for 8 years (and assuming it was hand raised at that) it was probably closer to her than most humans.
Sounds like someone who knew how to break her heart.
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.
She's been the assistant national director of WARD (Witches Against Religious Discrimination), an invitee to the Pagan Summit, Director of Prison Ministry for WARD, a prison chaplain for Wiccans, and in 1998, as a director, formed the board of WARD as a non-profit with Christine Craft,and Khristine Annwn Page.
Not exactly the shy, retiring type. Still doesn't justify illegal acts against her, but considering that good people suffer at the hands of bad people every minute of every day in this country, what would a reasonable person expect?
Reality bites. Sometimes.
Probably because if it was ISLAMIC TERRORISTS they would have not bothered with the stupid bird?
Read post #35. And another thing: A LOT of Wiccans tend to be save-the-baby-whales type. But Wicca is a PC, gentrified version of a faith which does believe in ritualistic animal slaughter. (Actually, there is strong evidence that the Druids did not limit themselves to animal slaughter.) Many pet shops in areas with large numbers of wiccans have taken to meansures to ensure their pets are not used in sacrifices. Blood rituals are common.
Now that you mention it, since he (I assume) cut out the heart, he may have been an Aztec high priest jealous of the Wiccan revival....
Everyone I ever met who claimed to be into wicca also had "sexuality issues".
This event is a mystery, sort of like the Morton Downy case in the airport. (Swashtika was drawn backwards on his forhead)
Come on, lady. I know bullsh*t when I smell it.
Yep.
Was googling Darla Wynne and came across this factoid:
"Scott, Jr; Robert Owen: Robert Owen Scott, Jr: [aka Wizard] [Born: December 17, 1952-] Friends call him Wizard, He is a writer, poet, a gifted psychic, and activist for both for Pagan Civil Rights and the Gay Rights Civil Movement, he maintains several webpage's devoted to Neo-Paganism, occult gay spirituality, and a Gay Slang Dictionary. The first gay slang Dictionary to be posted to the Internet, earnings Mr. Scott a place in our history. On January 23, 1973 Scott was granted an doctor of divinity degree from the Universal Life Church, On April 26, 1976 the Church of Universal Brotherhood, Honorary Doctor Divinity Degree. He founded The Church of Wicca on June 4, 1992 in the State of Washington. He also founded the Tradition "The Golden Faeries-- Sons and Daughter of the New Moon." {as known as wizards tradition, is a gay and lesbian tradition.} Coordinator and leader of several large Pagan rituals annually in his local area of Seattle and Tacoma . Under Tony Byers, Washington State director, of WARD, Mr. Scott acted as the, [contract person] for Witches Against Religious Discrimination, in the Seattle and Tacoma and the surrounding South Sound area.Witches Against Religious Discrimination [W.A.R.D.] In October of 1998, Christine Craft, Darla Kaye Wynne and Khristine Annwn Page formed the board of National Directors of Witches Against Religious Discrimination Inc. [W.A.R.D.] as a non-profit. Mr. Scott has done interviews on radio, television and news papers Wizard, is in the "WHO'S WHO Leaders & Legends of the witchcraft, and Pagan community." "
>>She's been the assistant national director of WARD (Witches Against Religious Discrimination), an invitee to the Pagan Summit, Director of Prison Ministry for WARD, a prison chaplain for Wiccans, and in 1998, as a director, formed the board of WARD as a non-profit with Christine Craft,and Khristine Annwn Page. <<
Also, anyone crying over this poor woman should stop by Salem, Mass. Where fifty innocent Christians were slaughtered, praying to God the Father with their last breaths, Wiccans have made into virtually a holocaust shrine to their faith. These people are professional victims by nature, and a political activist such as she is certainly a professional victim. This is precisely the kind of publicity that she would kill for!
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