Oh... is that today? ;)

Life is so crazy with Big Important Life-Altering Events (tm), that I nearly forgot one little notation that really sparked it all...

Countdown

Thursday, May 31, 2001 ~~ 03:42 PM
T-minus three hours until I meet Erich.

I'm nervous as hell. But happy, too. And excited, and just warm and tingly all over.

I've missed this feeling. But I think I'm also happy that it's taken a while so that I can appreciate it that much more.

I just hope that everything works out okay tonight and that the two of us get along. Maybe it won't turn into a dating relationship... but even another cool friendship would make me very happy.

*crossing fingers*

--Mel.

Happy Anniversary, Erich. :)

(I think it's safe to say... four years later... that everything worked out okay, and that the two of us get along... yes?)

And now, to show a true example of an "activist judge"

And to think some people wonder why I get concerned about the right to practice my religion... if this type of behavior is allowed to run amuck, really... can I do anything else?

Credited to The Indiana Star:

Judge: Parents can't teach pagan beliefs
Father appeals order in divorce decree that prevents couple from exposing son to Wicca.

By Kevin Corcoran
kevin.corcoran@indystar.com
 
An Indianapolis father is appealing a Marion County judge's unusual order that prohibits him and his ex-wife from exposing their child to "non-mainstream religious beliefs and rituals."

The parents practice Wicca, a contemporary pagan religion that emphasizes a balance in nature and reverence for the earth.

Cale J. Bradford, chief judge of the Marion Superior Court, kept the unusual provision in the couple's divorce decree last year over their fierce objections, court records show. The order does not define a mainstream religion.

Bradford refused to remove the provision after the 9-year-old boy's outraged parents, Thomas E. Jones Jr. and his ex-wife, Tammie U. Bristol, protested last fall.

Through a court spokeswoman, Bradford said Wednesday he could not discuss the pending legal dispute.

The parents' Wiccan beliefs came to Bradford's attention in a confidential report prepared by the Domestic Relations Counseling Bureau, which provides recommendations to the court on child custody and visitation rights. Jones' son attends a local Catholic school.

"There is a discrepancy between Ms. Jones and Mr. Jones' lifestyle and the belief system adhered to by the parochial school. . . . Ms. Jones and Mr. Jones display little insight into the confusion these divergent belief systems will have upon (the boy) as he ages," the bureau said in its report.

But Jones, 37, Indianapolis, disputes the bureau's findings, saying he attended Bishop Chatard High School in Indianapolis as a non-Christian.

Jones has brought the case before the Indiana Court of Appeals, with help from the Indiana Civil Liberties Union. They filed their request for the appeals court to strike the one-paragraph clause in January.

"This was done without either of us requesting it and at the judge's whim," said Jones, who has organized Pagan Pride Day events in Indianapolis. "It is upsetting to our son that he cannot celebrate holidays with us, including Yule, which is winter solstice, and Ostara, which is the spring equinox."

The ICLU and Jones assert the judge's order tramples on the parents' constitutional right to expose their son to a religion of their choice. Both say the court failed to explain how exposing the boy to Wicca's beliefs and practices would harm him.

Bristol is not involved in the appeal and could not be reached for comment. She and Jones have joint custody, and the boy lives with the father on the Northside.

Jones and the ICLU also argue the order is so vague that it could lead to Jones being found in contempt and losing custody of his son.

"When they read the order to me, I said, 'You've got to be kidding,' " said Alisa G. Cohen, an Indianapolis attorney representing Jones. "Didn't the judge get the memo that it's not up to him what constitutes a valid religion?"

Some people have preconceived notions about Wicca, which has some rituals involving nudity but mostly would be inoffensive to children, said Philip Goff, director of the Center for the Study of Religion & American Culture at Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis.

"Wiccans use the language of witchcraft, but it has a different meaning to them," Goff said. "Their practices tend to be rather pacifistic. They tend to revolve around the old pagan holidays. There's not really a church of Wicca. Practices vary from region to region."

Even the U.S. military accommodates Wiccans and educates chaplains about their beliefs, said Lawrence W. Snyder, an associate professor of religious studies at Western Kentucky University.

"The federal government has given Wiccans protection under the First Amendment," Snyder said. "Unless this judge has some very specific information about activities involving the child that are harmful, the law is not on his side."

At times, divorcing parents might battle in the courts over the religion of their children. But Kenneth J. Falk, the ICLU's legal director, said he knows of no such order issued before by an Indiana court. He said his research also did not turn up such a case nationally.

"Religion comes up most frequently when there are disputes between the parents. There are lots of cases where a mom and dad are of different faiths, and they're having a tug of war over the kids," Falk said. "This is different: Their dispute is with the judge. When the government is attempting to tell people they're not allowed to engage in non-mainstream activities, that raises concerns."

Indiana law generally allows parents who are awarded physical custody of children to determine their religious training; courts step in only when the children's physical or emotional health would be endangered.

Getting the judge's religious restriction lifted should be a slam-dunk, said David Orentlicher, an Indiana University law professor and Democratic state representative from Indianapolis.

"That's blatantly unconstitutional," Orentlicher said. "Obviously, the judge can order them not to expose the child to drugs or other inappropriate conduct, but it sounds like this order was confusing or could be misconstrued."

The couple married in February 1995, and their divorce was final in February 2004.

As Wiccans, the boy's parents believe in nature-based deities and engage in worship rituals that include guided meditation that Jones says improved his son's concentration. Wicca "is an understanding that we're all connected, and respecting that," said Jones, who is a computer Web designer.

Jones said he does not consider himself a witch or practice anything resembling witchcraft.

During the divorce, he told a court official that Wiccans are not devil worshippers. And he said he does not practice a form of Wicca that involves nudity.

"I celebrate life as a duality. There's a male and female force to everything," Jones said. "I feel the Earth is a living creature. I don't believe in Satan or any creature of infinite evil."

Ahem... 1st Amendment? How exactly is this NOT breaking the 1st Amendment? The parents are both in agreement as far as religion. They didn't bring it up in their divorce hearings-- so how does it become part of the judgement of the court? And as for the confusion in going to Catholic school? Thousands of children attend Catholic schools who aren't members of the church. Since when was it a requirement to be Catholic to attend a parochial school? As long as the child isn't acting up AT school in violation of the school codes, there should be no discussion on this. It's up to the parents to determine how to religiously educate their son. Perhaps showing a balance of Christian and Pagan beliefs was their intent from the beginning. How is it wrong for parents to expose their children to different religious beliefs?

This is the kind of thing I fear. Most cases I hear about regarding Pagan parents involve a child taken away by Social Services. Whether or not there is justified abuse, I can't say. But in this case, custody was awarded to the parents. They're clearly found fit to be parents. As part of that, they should be allowed to raise their children in the religion they see fit.

I mean, really-- parents who follow white supremacist teachings are allowed to raise their children to believe vile things about their fellow human beings. But it's illegal all of a sudden to teach Wicca? And really, what is a "mainstream" religion? Are Buddhist, Hindu, or Shinto beliefs included in that? Heck, there are more Pagans than there are unltra-conservative Anabaptists in this nation (i.e. Amish and Old Order Mennonite). Their rights and practices are protected, including dictating when their children leave formal education (grade 8, at least for the Amish).

And people wonder why I'm frightened...

One step closer to Gilead...

Okay... really... we've had enough

Last night marked the second in a row that I woke up in the middle of the night as sheets of rain hammered the window. The wind was howling outside last night. And this morning, shreds of leaves are all over the place. We haven't had a weekend with sunshine this month-- and the past two weeks have been predominantly grey, gloomy, cold, and rainy. Everyone's grumpy. We just need a good dose of sunshine.

Fucking Nor'easters. Look at the calendar-- we don't want you anymore.

Of course, the sarcastic Murphy's Law worshipper in me figures that it'll stay like this until the morning Erich and I plan to move, at which time the sun will break out of the clouds, beat down on us to create 90 degree temps, and allow all of this rain to start steaming into vicious humidity. Of COURSE it will happen that way. *grumble*

I've heard a rumor that there will be some sun over the weekend. I'll believe it when I see it.

*********

The Jeep has been fixed-- turned out it was the neutral safety switch that's attached to the transmission. All good again, and thankfully wasn't expensive. The tow over there wound up being more expensive than the repair.

Thank Goddess.

I seriously was freaked out for a moment that it was something major... like the engine.

*********

I came to work this morning to find dozens of peeps lining the corridors, all leading to the dumpsters. They appear to be fleeing our current office digs. A few poor peeps have been smashed along the way. Heh. What I'm worried about, though, is that the first few peeps are leading out from MY office. I'm not sure what the meaning behind that is, unless I'm supposed to run away with them.

(Fly my pretties! Fly!)


Just another insane day in the office.

From things categorized in "I don't have time to DEAL with this right now!!!!"

Apparently there's ONE THING I haven't yet replaced on the Jeep in the last three years... because now the thing won't fucking start.

Or let me amend that-- it starts in neutral, but not in park.

Me thinks a safety switch is being triggered here.

Anyway... not taking chances, so I had it towed to the place Erich normally gets his car fixed at. I don't want to get to work and then get stuck there.

Shoot me. Shoot me now.

A quick note...

I'm "sticky"-ing this post due to circumstances going on, since many of my real-time friends read my journal...

Please don't be concerned if I don't get back to your email for a bit... I haven't had a chance to sit down and read my personal email in about 10 days now, and don't know when I'll be able to get around to it. I'm hoping that maybe this weekend I can get some of it done. If I can do some earlier, I will. The alternate (for those who know it) is my work email-- feel free to use it as you see fit, and I can guarantee I'll get back to you faster.

The office move is now only two weeks away, and I'm going insane with that. (not to mention problems in my everyday work that need fixing, and so stress my time even more).

The house move is also starting to pick up a bit-- we're beginning to box things up to move the first batch down in a couple weekends. We'll be getting the keys to the house next Tuesday, the 31st. After changing the locks, we'll start the preliminary renovations (wiring and floors) and will start getting some boxes down there. Our estimated time to be in the house is still up in the air, depending on the results of Erich's meeting with the flooring guys this morning. By the end of June is definite... the rest, I'm not sure.

Anyone who can come to Providence in June to supply drinky things, drugs, or other things to relax me.... feel free. I'm gonna need them.


(remind me why I'm doing all of this at once again? Is it a quest to be in pain?)