My sister dabbles in Wicca. Actually she may be pretty well into it now, I suspect I'm kind of out of the loop. And she really doesn't talk about it. One thing I'm sure of ... Wiccans don't fit the Monty Python model of being a witch.
Yet, the TSA, a federal government agency ... fits the Monty Python mold for finding one apparently.
Carole Smith who, until recently was a crack TSA employee is now fired. Not because of what she did do as a Witch, but because of what she might do as a witch. Because of what one of her fellow employees was afraid she could do as a witch.
"(Smith) was in the top 10 percent in Albany at catching weapons on the X-ray machine. She passed her skills test on the first try. She caught a woman on her way to Vietnam with $30,000 in cash.
(...)
The assistant director told her he was investigating a threat of workplace violence. He said that her former mentor in on-the-job training, officer Mary Bagnoli, reported that she was afraid of Smith because she was a witch who practiced witchcraft. She accused Smith of following her on the highway one snowy evening after work and casting a spell on the heater of her car, causing it not to work."
Higher up, TSA assistant director, Matthew W. Lloyd suggest that Carole go into a mediation meeting with the bewitched Ms. Bagnoli. That way she could explain her religion to the woman. I don't know, beg for forgiveness and humiliate herself until the good christian woman gave her consent.
"I'm like, 'No.' I refused to do that. It's not up to me to teach her my religion. I mean, would I have to go down and sit with her if I was Jewish?”
So the TSA had no choice, but to De-Wiccanize the Albany Airport. Carole Smith was unceremoniously fired.
Who can say if it really had anything to do with the religious bullying Ms. Smith suffered for, and whistle-blew months before her firing, over which she begged for some intervention. The constant, torturous jokes about brooms and pointy hats. The unending embarrassment because of plain old American ignorance.
"While still unaware of the complaint about witchcraft, Smith reported the harassment in an e-mail on March 5 to the big boss, the TSA federal security director at Albany, Brian Johansson. She asked for his help, and she told him she had reported the harassment to the ombudsman of the TSA, an informal counselor who is supposed to help employees resolve problems in a safe space outside of the chain of command."
Our Constitution forbids the setting up of a religion by government. But if exorcising out all the evil Witch demons so good white god fearing christian folk can worship in peace on the tax payer's dime, hey. What are you going to do, put a spell on them?
All I can really speak to as far as Wicca is concerned is my sister. She's my only exposure to it. I don't know if you can even call it a religion! Near as I can tell (and I know there are myriad Wiccans here - delightful people - who will say more on the topic) Wicca is a form of Paeganism. And god knows those christians just hate the Paegans! Liking Spring. Paying attention to ungoldy things like ... time. Decorating trees. Ick! Evil!
But now I ask ya. Does Carole Smith, now former TSA employee, look like someone occult obsessed christians should be afraid of?
Well.
I did do the nose.