From Selena Fox: Help for NC Pagans in Church-State Conflict

I received the following by email from Selena Fox of Circle Sanctuary, who requests that it be shared:

Please send blessings of Protection, Healing & Well-being to Ginger Strivelli of Weaverville, North Carolina & her family.

Ginger is co-founding priestess of The Appalachian Pagan Alliance. Her writings have appeared in CIRCLE Magazine and other publications. She lives with her husband and six children in rural North Carolina near Asheville.

Last month, Ginger challenged the policy that permitted distribution of Gideon Bibles at the local elementary school after her fifth grade son came home with one on December 19, 2011. When the school stated that any religious literature could be available for students to pick up, Ginger brought Pagan books to the school for distribution. However, the school refused to accept these books and have them distributed in the same way they had been distributing the Bibles, indicating that a new policy was being crafted.

This separation of church and state situation has been covered in various media reports for several weeks, and on Thursday was covered by national/global television news:
http://www.foxnews.com/us/2012/01/18/pagan-mom-challenges-bibles-in-north-carolina-school/

That evening, Ginger received a death threat phone call while at home with her family. She immediately contacted the police who have begun investigating. A news article has just been published:
http://www.citizen-times.com/article/20120121/NEWS/301210018/School-Bible-giveaway-protester-reports-threats?odyssey=tab%7Ctopnews%7Ctext%7CFrontpage

Lady Liberty League is among those in the coalition that has formed to provide support to the Strivelli family and the quest for fair and equal treatment of students of all beliefs in the local school system. Byron Ballard, a writer & Wiccan priestess from Asheville, North Carolina, is coordinating the coalition and helping to administer the Strivelli Family Support page on Facebook.

HOW TO HELP:

(1) Do prayers, meditations, rituals of Protection, Healing, & Well-being to Ginger Strivelli & her family.
(2) Learn more & Post words of support for Ginger & her family on their support page on Facebook:
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Strivelli-Family-Support-Page/300249743360631?sk=wall
(3) Speak out in support of separation of church & state in comments sections of media sites carrying news and editorials about this issue.
(4) Those with interfaith and/or law enforcement contacts in North Carolina interested in working with Lady Liberty League in providing support to the family and this situation should contact:liberty@circlesanctuary.org as soon as possible.
(5) Share this email & support page link with others - by email, through social networking sites, on blogs & websites.

Thanks!
Selena
Selena Fox
Lady Liberty League & Circle Sanctuary
www.circlesanctuary.org
(608) 924-2216
PO Box 9, Barneveld, WI 53507 USA

Saturday, January 21, 2012