Posted on 01/14/2009 4:34:52 PM PST by Global2010
By Terry Dillman Of the News-Times
Lincoln County District Attorney Rob Bovett wanted his first week in office to herald a new beginning.
Instead, a seemingly innocent "cleansing ceremony" muddied already somewhat troubled waters, and ended up with many calling Bovett guilty of violating the legal and political separation of church and state as outlined in the First Amendment of the U.S. Constitution.
Bovett arranged for his friend Walt Klamath of Siletz, a member of the Confederated Tribes of Siletz Indians, to perform a smudging ceremony at the DA's office the morning of Jan. 5. Klamath is involved in keeping Siletz tribal traditions alive, among them smudging.
In Native American tradition, smudging is a ritual way to cleanse a person, place, or an object of negative energies, spirits, or influences. The smudging ceremony involves burning sacred plants - generally sage, cedar, or sweetgrass - then either passing an object through the smoke, or fanning the smoke around a person or place. The spirit of the plant is said to purify whatever is being smudged.
"The purpose of the ceremony was a symbolic fresh start," Bovett told the News-Times on Tuesday. "I certainly didn't mean to offend anyone, and I apologize if anyone was offended." He said he has since apologized directly to the entire DA staff.
Smudging is a form of religious expression protected by the First Amendment, in which Thomas Jefferson wrote about creating a "wall of separation' between religion and government, church and state.
Bovett said no one expressed any objections about the ceremony to him, either during or after. Then a producer at the Lars Larson radio show called him
Friday afternoon, Jan. 9, and Bovett went on air with a live interview with Larson.
"Until that time, I was not aware of any controversy surrounding the cleansing ceremony," he told the News-Times.
Bovett acknowledged that the rite had taken place, hedged on whether it was religious or not, and said it was needed to "try to cleanse any bad spirits" due to a history of internal strife among and between Lincoln County law enforcement agencies, and between the district attorney's office and law enforcement leaders. He said it was a way to engender "a clean, fresh start" and get everyone working together again "so we can serve the people of Lincoln County."
When Larson quizzed Bovett about the legality of burning anything inside a public building now that smoking is outlawed in all public places, the district attorney noted what he deemed "an exception for religious ceremonies."
Larson also asked Bovett whether he had dismissed anyone from his staff.
Bovett told the News-Times Tuesday that Office Manager Vicki Galusha had been placed on administrative leave at the time of Larson's interview, and has since been fired. He could not discuss the reason behind it, other than to say it "had nothing to do with the cleansing ceremony" as others have implied.
Instead, Bovett said his adversaries are using the ceremony to blow smoke and "undermine my administration."
"This controversy is being orchestrated by former Lincoln County District Attorney Bernice Barnett, apparently with the assistance of Clatsop County District Attorney Josh Marquis, former Lincoln County Deputy District Attorney Gerad Egan" and Galusha, he noted, citing an e-mail "mistakenly sent" from Barnett to Galusha at the office manager's former e-mail address at work. Bovett provided a copy of the message to the News-Times.
In it, Barnett indicates that Larson had e-mailed Marquis, indicating he was upset that "no one called him back." She urged Galusha to call and let Larson ask questions.
"You can describe what happened and all of the smoke," Barnett wrote. "And confirm that there are upset employees scared to complain. You can state that he fired you before you ever worked for him.
Don't repeat what he accused you of if asked, just say I believe it was because I supported his opponent DA Bernice Barnett. I don't think he will ask about the reasons but the truth is you never got a chance to work for Rob. And you supported me. Just say that. It would be good if you can call. It will keep this going."
Barnett told the News-Times during a Tuesday afternoon telephone interview that Galusha did call and talk to Larson on the air.
She said she initially thought people had overreacted to the ceremony, but her entire attitude changed when she learned Bovett had "fired a long-time (11 years) county employee for no reason, except that she supported me." Barnett said the e-mail's only purpose was to "make sure she (Galusha) only describe what she saw, and she not tell any lies about why she was fired."
Barnett said the DA's office is no longer her concern, but the firing of an employee "who would be loyal to anybody" without just cause is a concern. She said Bovett is simply using her attempt to right that injustice to blow smoke in her direction, turn the issue around, and make the story about her, rather than owning up to what he did to Galusha.
As for the smudging ceremony, she wondered what Bovett was thinking when he opted to have the ceremony performed, which she and others say is a clear violation of the separation of church and state. Egan agreed.
"It would be just as wrong to bring a Catholic priest into the district attorney's office to spread holy water," he stated in a letter to the editor sent to the News-Times.
"During the ceremony, the religious leader burned sage and sweetgrass, wafted smoke into the faces of DA employees, touched employees' shoulders with feathers, and gave a blessing. Bovett's decision to use a religious leader and his group in this way was a terrible idea."
Native American tradition calls smudging a ceremony that "must be done with care." The ritual involves "entering into a relationship with the unseen power of the plants" and with the spirits of the ceremony, and - as with all good relationships - there must be "respect and honor" if the relationship is to work. This one fell short.
Having received a much different type of smudging than he intended, Bovett said, "If I had it to do over again, I wouldn't have the ceremony. I thought it was a good idea at the time, a way to make a symbolic fresh start."
Still this is Oregon and he's darned lucky they didn't send him out for "assisted suicide" or something.
Bunch of bigots out there if you've ever seen any ~ they've got'em everywhere.
So I have my Catholic priest come conduct a blessing of the offices and sprinkle Holy Water and let’s see what happens.
We had several guys who could pray up a storm.
This is called religious freedom ~ and NOT EVERYTHING that goes on in a government facility is PUBLIC. Public employees are free to pee and eat and bend over and touch toes, or whatever they wish ~ and they are free to pray, read the Bible, quote from the Koran, puke in the aisle, or bring in a friend to do a purification ceremony.
We had one old gal used to bring in a can of air freshener for the purpose ~ so why not a shaman.
We once had a luncheon where one of the ladies had a priest and a nun in to discuss what we'd done to help their efforts in SE DC and with Bosnian refugees.
Took place at lunch time. As I recall we made the priest say grace.
I was prepared to fight to the death anyone who proposed restricting my right to free speech or religion on or off the job.
she wondered what Bovett was thinking when he opted to have the ceremony performed, which she and others say is a clear violation of the separation of church and state.
Whenb the public employees are compelled to participate in your or my religious freedom on Public time in the Public facility, then you are establishing and that is wrong.
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