Bubble, Bubble, Toil And Trouble

Dear Ann: I am writing in regard to your answer to “J.F. in Philadelphia,” whose “Aunt Di” was behaving in an ill-tempered and childish manner. The first sentence of your response was “Aunt Di sounds like a witch.”

As a minister of the Old Religion, whose priests and priestesses call themselves witches, I take issue with your derogatory characterization of witches. It was not only unfair but inaccurate.

While it is true that the word “witch” has the connotation of an evil person, that stereotype is no more accurate than the long outdated stereotypes of blacks or Jews. Yet, 50 years ago, such characterizations were common in our language. It took sensitivity and understanding of the harm done by such stereotyping before the public stopped using those characterizations. And because blacks and Jews were vocal about their objections to such stereotyping, they were able to educate the public.

Witches are members of a religion that predates Christianity in Europe. We worship both a male deity and a female deity. We strive to understand the connections between all things, and we respect and honor nature as the expression of divinity and of those connections. To continue to equate us in the popular mind with evil and unkind behavior does us a grave disservice and perpetuates an unfair and false image.

I know from many years of reading your column that you are not a prejudiced person. Please educate yourself on the subject of witches and refrain from continuing a damaging stereotype. - Rev. C.P., St. Louis Park, Minn.

Dear Rev. C.P.: Thank you for your letter. What you have written will surely help educate the public. While I am responsible for what appears under my byline, there’s a back end to the story that I would like to share with you.

The word I originally used began with a “B.” My editor said, “You can’t use that word in the column. I’m changing it to witch.” I reluctantly agreed. In retrospect, I wish I had used the “B” word.

Dear Ann Landers: My wife told us old goats who watch baseball and football that you would help us out by printing this letter.

We’ve had to resort to turning on the radio while watching the games on TV because the announcers are all a bunch of yakkers. The one exception is John Madden. He shuts his mouth when the referee is announcing the infractions so we can hear as well as see what’s going on. All the other TV announcers are so busy jabbering about the player’s former wife or what a nerd he was in high school that we miss the action on the field.

Another beef: the cameraman. He is so busy showing a player who is spitting tobacco in the dugout or focusing on some other weird thing that we miss the big plays.

You might say, “So what?” Well, we do buy merchandise advertised on TV, and if we get mad enough, we will just stop buying it. The sponsors will get the message. Sign this letter - Old Goats in North Bay, Calif.

Dear Old Goats: You can be sure your letter will be seen by sports casters around the globe. Whether or not it will help rein in the rhetoric, I don’t know, but you can bet your bottom dollar that John Madden will love it.

xxxx