Fall 2002 Lady Liberty League Report Published in CIRCLE Magazine Freedom Fund Update Children's Book Battle in Connecticut Pagan Pride in Every State Pagan Unity Campaign Update Pledge of Allegiance Wording Use this list to link directly to the article you wish to read, or simply scroll down for all articles   Freedom Fund Update At this year's Pagan Spirit Gathering, $2278 was raised for the Lady Liberty League Freedom Fund. Thanks to Shel Brainard and Shawn Skau for coordinating this effort. Freedom Fund money is being used to help cover the costs of phone calls, postage, computer upgrade, travel, and other office expenses incurred by Circle Sanctuary in its religious freedom work through LLL. Thanks to all who contributed thus far. We are continuing to accept donations by mail and by credit card via the phone. Donations are tax deductible in the US. Send to: LLL, Circle Sanctuary, PO Box 219, Mt. Horeb, WI 53572 USA. Children's Book Battle in Connecticut In Cromwell, Connecticut, a local middle school is resisting a call from some Christian parents to ban certain award winning children's books, including The Witch of Blackbird Pond and Harry Potter novels, incorrectly claiming that these books are promoting the Wiccan religion. This anti-Witch book controversy has attracted media attention, including articles in print in the Hartford Couirant (July 17, 2002) and on-line at CNSNNews.com (July 19). The parents leading the anti-Witch book campaign also object to students taking a historical field trip to Salem, Massachusetts, because they fear that this might cause students to become Witches themselves. In his article in the July 18, 2002 Middletown Press, journalist Jim Hickey writes, "Just as a group determined to have all materials dealing with Witches or Witchcraft removed were petitioning for their cause on Tuesday, an overwhelming number of responses through media outlets and web sites were blasting the group's efforts." The Christian parents group is currently distributing a petition asking the school to ban a list of "offensive" materials and programs they feel promote Witchcraft. This list includes such things as an information sheet on the practices supposedly used by people accused of being Witches in the Salem Witch trials. Because of its title, they even want to ban the effective learning aid, "To Cast a Spell," which is used to introduce spelling techniques in grades one through eight. Since the reports of the group's plans appeared in The Press, the newspaper's web site has been swamped with hundreds of communications denouncing the group and its goals. Hickey reported, "Of those communications, not a single letter or message was in support of the group's plans. Most of the messages indignantly accuse the group of censorship and ignorance." According to the Middletown Press, there is currently no policy in place that would force the school board to change or even examine materials taught in the school system. However, the school board plans to listen to the group and others at their meeting in late August and may review some material to ensure that they are appropriate for the students. Lady Liberty League has been providing advising and networking support to some Connecticut Pagans who plan to attend the school board meeting to voice their concerns over the slurs against the Wiccan religion as well as their opposition to the proposed censorship. On his show in early August, Rapid Freeman of the Witchin' Hour, a weekly Pagan cable television program, exchanged viewpoints with one of the Christian parents active in the anti-Witch campaign. Please send newsclippings and other media reports to LLL on further developments in this case so that we can use these in future updates. Pagan Pride in Every State Cecylyna Dewr, Executive Director of the Pagan Pride Project, wants to fulfill the goal of having a Pagan Pride event in every state in the USA this year, but they're six states short! If anyone would be interested in hosting a Pagan Pride event in Maine, Vermont, Louisiana, Oklahoma, South Dakota, or Wyoming, please go to www.paganpride.org/do/planning.html, read the policies, and fill out a coordinator interest form right away. Pagan Unity Campaign Update The Pagan Unity Campaign (PUC) staged its second annual "I AM" post card campaign on Summer Solstice 2002. Pagans from all over the United States sent thousands of post cards to elected officials in Washington, DC. The postcards, signed with the simple statement, "I am a Pagan" are intended to make officials aware that Pagans are among their constituents. PUC is now moving into their two year long "So Vote It Be" campaign to promote voter education and registration. "So Vote It Be" was launched on July 4th, 2002 and will continue until election day in 2004. More info is on-line: www.paganunitycampaign.org. Pledge of Allegiance Wording The 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals declared the Pledge of Allegiance unconstitutional because it included the phrase one nation "under God," which was added by an act of Congress in 1954. The Court ruled that the inclusion of the "under God" phrase violates the separation of church and state mandated by the US Constitution. As a result of this ruling, school children may no longer recite the pledge in the nine western states covered by the Court (Alaska, Arizona, California, Hawaii, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, Oregon, and Washington). The ruling does not take effect for several months in order to allow further appeals. The ruling has generated national debate, pro and con. On July 4, 2002, more than forty Pagan leaders, including some LLL activists, authored and signed a news release in support of the Court of Appeals decision. The release is being circulated to the media, Senators, and Congress people. To view the text of the release and who signed it, see the Witches Voice website: www.witchvox.com/wren/wn_detail.html?id=4471. © 2002, Circle Sanctuary. LLL Report is published quarterly in CIRCLE Magazine. Click here for Subscription Information.