Pagan Priestess Living in Smalltown USA
Posted by Hazel | Posted in Women's Spirituality | Posted on 20-11-2009
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“I don’t know what made me stand up at that moment” says Deborah Faye Winslow* when asked what brought her to launch a law suit against the local town council due to their use of sectarian invocations at the opening of their meetings. Deborah Faye not only launched the law suit, she won the law suit. The town council appealed the verdict all the way to the Supreme Court. The Supreme Court declined to hear the case which meant the ruling of the Federal Appellate Court would stand. Deborah Faye won the war, but the battles took their toll on this Pagan in a town of approximately 2,000.
Deborah Faye found herself in this small town after the break up of a long term relationship. She choose the area because it was close to where her mom lived. Her mom needed help with driving around so it seemed like the ideal thing to do. Deborah had bought for herself a 1995 GMC Sonoma pickup, and it was the closest thing to a new vehicle she had ever owned. The year was 2001, and Deborah was proud of her pickup and some of the local men were leaning up against it discussing her bumper sticker. The bumper sticker said “Witches Heal.” The conversation didn’t so much bother Deborah, but she asked them to stop leaning on her truck. Their cuff links scratched the truck. There in a convenience store a local minister made rude comments. It didn’t discourage Deborah. She liked her new home but things would soon get worse, alot worse.
The jeers and rude comments soon turned to threats. She attended a town council meeting to learn a little more about the people and give them the chance to know her. Perhaps she could get help that way. The council opens with a prayer to Jesus that was directed against her! That was the breaking point for Deborah. She knew she had to act. It was then that she filed the lawsuit.
The grandson of the mayor threatened to burn her out. Deborah took the threat seriously. The police didn’t help her so she turned to the mayor and asked for help. He smiled and told her, “Well maybe you should take heed.” The vandalism to her home became a regular thing then the unthinkable happened. Deborah came in from supper with a friend and found her beloved African Gray Parrot beheaded and his heart cut out. There was a note beside the body that said, “You are next.” She had to search for the head which was found elsewhere in the home. Imagine how ominous this was to Deborah. “No respect for people or lives, it’s normal here,” says Deborah about the atmosphere.
“It wasn’t about the Pagan community, it was what was happening to me. It was standing up for me. I think as a woman I had to,” says Deborah. She filed a law suit against the council. Deborah’s goal was not to convert anyone to her faith or to be disrespectful of anyone else’s beliefs, but she had been harassed and terrorized to the point she had to put a stop to that because she was literally in fear for her own life. The law suit was the only action she could take and she did. It was a fight that was fought alone. “Supporters didn’t come out until I had one the final case,” and even then there weren’t many. Even after the victory, the threats continued. One person threatened her with a shotgun. Nothing came of that even though he was a convicted felon who was such due to his drug charges.
Some time has passed and this Priestess is still living in the town. The vandalism to her home was so great that it was not livable. She was able to get financing for a house that was for sale very close by and lives there now. At the age of 45, she is a full-time student working towards a Bachelor’s degree which she hopes to complete next year. The town clerk who had once been a bitter enemy, will now stop and speak pleasantly and politely in the local grocery store. Deborah is still very cautious as she tells about how she still gets crazy calls and things in the mail sometimes. I asked if she thought tolerance would ever come and Deborah said, “I think it will be a long time.” I think she is right.
This is over and done with for the most part and Deborah is glad. “If I knew then, what I know now, I don’t know that I would have put myself out there.” She is proud of the fact that she dispelled the myth of you can’t fight city hall. She did. Now she will occasionally get calls from the locals when they have a problem with city government. Deborah also has thought of writing a book about her story. She plans to title it Hate… A Proud Southern Tradition. Sadly hatred is a tradition. A tradition that will be here for a long time but a tradition that needs to be banished. Those of us in the broom closet out of necessity respect Deborah for her strength in standing up for herself. We can all feel pain for the suffering she has faced.
As women we should all look inside ourselves and ask what can we do to lessen the hatred in the world around us. That is so complicated and I don’t know what the ultimate answer is, I just know we should all practice acts of love, kindness, and patience whenever possible. I also know that some are in a position that openly standing up would literally endanger lives. It’s not just overseas. It’s here. I chose to change the name of the person this happend to out of concern for her safety. Her story needed to be told, but not at the expense of exposing her to such atrocities again. When you are at your altar’s light a candle for those who can’t openly practice or express their religon. I offer my own blessing for this lady who got caught up in a storm, and that is Walk in peace, Walk in love, and Walk in the light Deborah Faye Winslow, you have seen the horrors of life now may you see the beauty. Blessed Be!
* The name of the Priestess and the exact dates and location have been changed to protect her privacy and prevent these awful acts from beginning again.
These same haters are the first ones to ask me to “put the whammy” on THEIR neighbor!