Sitting here on the fringe with my kid, looking at the view

[beetiger]

While I was out in Florida taking my kid to Disney World, a totally canonical American family activity, I got email from Marie, the woman who runs the Sampler project I was raving about. She'd been receiving a number of emails, LJ comments in her community, and an anonymous return of one of the pins I sent for the May Sampler, which had this design. I'd cleared them with her before sending, as she does in fact reserve the right to not accept submissions that she thinks might be offensive. She didn't believe they were. However, some people, or maybe someone and zir posse, did. I can't see the comments, as she deleted them, but they were apparently very inflammatory. When she physically got the return, she decided to contact me in case the people had also been contacting me directly. (They hadn't.)

After a friendly if somewhat confused email from me in response, she agreed to let me keep contributing to the Sampler, though she suggested I not preview my items on the LJ community. ("That might not be good.")

She did send me a summary of the complaints, as follows:
1) satanic symbolism
2) items inappropriate for a child
3) their christian ethics being insulted
4) the business name promotes the demonization of children


Usual policy for the Sampler is that if you receive something not to your liking, you should pass it on or trade it. If it's something you really think no one should have, just throw it out and say "Eww" or something.

This is really a trendy arty community, and I really thought hard to figure out what might have a high "cute" factor even if you weren't pagan.

Then I wake up this morning to find my friends' page splattered all over with this case from Indiana where as part of a divorce settlement, the custodial parents of a boy aren't allowed to teach him their Wiccan beliefs -- when this was not otherwise an issue in the divorce settlement, just the judge's personal thing.

I keep trying to get my head around the idea that people think I'm dangerous to kids, just by existing. I start to get worried that I'm setting my little boy up for trouble, as soon as he opens his little mouth to talk about his day to day life. But when he looks down at his shirt and says "Cat! Star!" and laughs a lot, I just can't see any peril there. And the fact that someone can makes me profoundly sad.

Comments

Life Is Offensive

[awolf.livejournal.com]

She did send me a summary of the complaints, as follows:
1) satanic symbolism
2) items inappropriate for a child
3) their christian ethics being insulted
4) the business name promotes the demonization of children

1) pagan != satan
2) essentialistic labeling
3) By merely being reminded of other faiths?
4) pagan != demon

I keep trying to get my head around the idea that people think I'm dangerous to kids, just by existing.

Most of those people are simply ignorant. I've been to churches (large ones, with thousands of members and television cameras) that claim *anything* other than Southern Baptist is the same as Satanic. They also claim there's a grand Satanic conspiracy out there trying to convert people to organized acts of murder, torture, and sexual abuse.

In any case, I can identify with your sentiment. I'm in the sort of situation where I have to come to terms with the fact that although I have a gorgeous bathing suit, I can never wear it in public without being arrested. I can never visit a waterpark again. Nothing about my body is considered "acceptable" for public display. Maybe someday people will be more tolerant, but it'll be a long road. At least things are better today than they were thirty years ago, and for the most part this change is due to people such as ourselves who continue to exist dispite the easily offended sensibilities of others.

Trickster

Re: Life Is Offensive

[chipuni.livejournal.com]

Trickster --

You are dangerous just by existing. You show that there's more options than the mainstream wants to recognize.

You're intelligent, well-spoken, and far outside normal roles in many ways.

And that's extremely dangerous.

Re: Life Is Offensive

[kensan-oni.livejournal.com]

I don't really have time to respond to anything, but while I do agree with you, your perceptions according to the evangelicals that I know of would be a little off.

1) pagan != satan

There are only 2 forces in the universe (Ignoring the Trinity and Judism for the moment). There is God, and then there is the Fallen One. Anything that distracts you from the Faith of God is attributed to the Fallen One, therefore any other religion belongs to that enity. (Which is complete bull... but that is the view point)

3) By merely being reminded of other faiths?

As above, there is no other faith except that of Jehovah. Therefore any percieved symbology become Icons, and must be destroyed.


4) pagan != demon

Absolutly. However Demonized doesn't really mean that your child is becoming a devil, last time I checked. All that it really means is that the person is wallowing in sin, typically in a violent manner. My definition however may vary.

While I understand that this shirt can scare die-hard christian groups out there, I tend to think of them as a whole over react and tend to let others do the thinking for them.

In Anycase, your milage will vary, and I'm sorry for any trouble this might have caused.