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Witch Trials
Oct. 16th, 2004 07:58 pmI just watched the most disturbing thing I've ever seen. It wasn't about a murder, or a crime; it didn't involve blood or gore. It involved religion. I'm still shaking, half with distress and half with anger.
It was an episode of Judging Amy. I don't normally watch the show, but it was repeat and there was nothing else on. The pain plot revolved around the court case that Amy was judging. A father had brought his ex-wife (who had gotten sole custody of their son after the divorce) to court, with the charges she was an unfit mother because she practiced witchcraft. I'll give the writers credit, they did their research and got it spot on. But the trial was such an ordeal for the mother, that she finally gave up, she couldn't take the aligations and fear others had for her simply because of what she believed in...she left the state, giving custody to her ex-husband, even though Amy was going dismiss the aligations as unfounded. What disturbed me is that things like this still happen. Witch hunts still exist in this supposedly 'free' continent. Freedom of religion quickly becomes a joke. She was charged as being an unfit mother simply because she was a witch! And the fear and misunderstanding of the witnesses and fellow parents that heard about the trial was so very sad. We're not really a forward civilization, are we? We're not educated, are we? We're not free, are we?
I just want to curl up somewhere and forget the world; a world that fears what I am. The truth is, this affected me more than I would have thought; it's a clear reminder that even though this is North America...I can still be in danger for what I believe.
Will I ever live to see a day when I can volunteer to tell strangers that I'm a witch without the fear that they will run, or that they'll think I'm a 'satan' worshipper? I'm beginning to think not.
I hate this world, more often than not.
It was an episode of Judging Amy. I don't normally watch the show, but it was repeat and there was nothing else on. The pain plot revolved around the court case that Amy was judging. A father had brought his ex-wife (who had gotten sole custody of their son after the divorce) to court, with the charges she was an unfit mother because she practiced witchcraft. I'll give the writers credit, they did their research and got it spot on. But the trial was such an ordeal for the mother, that she finally gave up, she couldn't take the aligations and fear others had for her simply because of what she believed in...she left the state, giving custody to her ex-husband, even though Amy was going dismiss the aligations as unfounded. What disturbed me is that things like this still happen. Witch hunts still exist in this supposedly 'free' continent. Freedom of religion quickly becomes a joke. She was charged as being an unfit mother simply because she was a witch! And the fear and misunderstanding of the witnesses and fellow parents that heard about the trial was so very sad. We're not really a forward civilization, are we? We're not educated, are we? We're not free, are we?
I just want to curl up somewhere and forget the world; a world that fears what I am. The truth is, this affected me more than I would have thought; it's a clear reminder that even though this is North America...I can still be in danger for what I believe.
Will I ever live to see a day when I can volunteer to tell strangers that I'm a witch without the fear that they will run, or that they'll think I'm a 'satan' worshipper? I'm beginning to think not.
I hate this world, more often than not.
