Michigan police accused of
abusing rights of Wiccan Priestess
Police Abuse: Wiccans Beware
- Your Civil Rights are not Guaranteed
by Theresa Chaze
Police ignoring civil rights
has become a harsh reality for not only Wiccans and Pagans, but also
every other minority. No longer does the First Amendment provide
freedom of religion, speech, to gather and engage in peaceful
demonstration. No longer does the Fourth Amendment guarantee your
home, car or business will not be searched without a warrant signed
by a judge. Instead, there is a growing number of law enforcement
officers who believe they are above the law; they see themselves not
as public servants, but public masters who should not be questioned
or criticized. Instead, they should be blindly and meekly obeyed. To
do otherwise is to risk being harassed, physically attacked and
jailed with little cause.
Under the banner of
self-defense, police have used traffic stops to justify warrant less
searches. Such was the case of a northern Michigan Wiccan Priestess.
Returning home from work, she was stopped. The Deputy initially
refused to disclose why she was pulled over. Instead, he ordered her
from her vehicle and searched it without her consent. In the bottom
of her purse, he found a small athame set--the largest knife was
under three inches, but it had a double edged blade. He arrested
her; however, he refused to notify her of the reason for the stop or
the arrest until they reached the jail. At that time, she was
informed she was stopped for swerving twice in the several miles he
had followed her, but she arrested and charged for felony-concealed
weapon for having daggers in her purse. She did not threaten him,
nor was she given an opportunity to explain why she had the athames.
Several attempts were made a paying her bond, however the deputies
on duty misrepresented the facts and she was held for over fifteen
hours. During such time, she was denied medication for her asthma
and proper nutrition for her hypoglycemia. Instead, the wheels of
justice rolled over her civil rights. Although she had a clean
record and the officer had a history of alcohol abuse, lying on the
stand and violence against women, her court appointed attorney
informed her that she would not win in spite of the illegal search
and her religious path. In Michigan, double edge knifes, no matter
what size are illegal. The attorney's stance was that nothing else
was pertinent to the case. Eventually the case was settled and the
charges dropped to much lesser charge. But justice was far from
being served.
Physically an athame is
usually a double edge blade of varying sized, frequently with a
black handle and a dull blade. However, its magical definition is
ritual knife that is use only for the direction of energy. It is
used in ritual for creating protective circles and calling the
elements. Using it for a mundane purpose would contaminate it and
make it unsuitable for ritual work until it had been cleansed and
reblessed. A Boline is used for cutting and all other ritual needs.
Kitchen witches are an exception to this rule; they believe that by
using their tools daily increases their connection to them. Whether
an athame or Boline, neither is to be used as a physical weapon. To
do so would destroy their positive spiritual quality and attract the
negative aspects of the universe.
In the case of the northern
Michigan Priestess, if it hadn't been for the illegal search of her
purse, the athames wouldn't have been an issue. They could have not
been produce or used to threaten the officer or anyone else without
destroying their religious power. The District Attorney's office was
informed of their religious significance; initially they agreed she
had a defense under the First Amendment, however their stance
changed without reason, claiming the Priestess told the officer they
were for self-defense. By sheer definition of her spiritual beliefs,
it is obvious that statement was untrue and the officer lied. Yet,
even though he violated her First and Fourth Amendment rights, his
word would carry more weigh by the court even though he had a
history of deceit and violence against women.
Every state has their own
laws pertaining to the legalities of what is considered a weapon.
Before carrying your religious tools make you know what the specific
requirements of your state are. In some cases, it would be wise to
obtain a concealed weapons permit if you will be traveling with your
Athame and Boline. By going to
http://pweb.netcom.com/~brlevine/sta-law.htm you can find an
abridged listing of knife laws by state. It is only a starting point
and should not be considered definitive legal advice.
About the author: To
learn more about Theresa Chaze, please visit her site at
www.theresachaze.com
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