Sitting On a News Story
Editorial By Christopher Blackwell

I start out not knowing what articles I will be doing for an issue. Getting enough articles is he hard part, when most of the time I am going write most, if not, all the articles.

So the hardest thing to do is sit on a story as I did with the news about Darla running for office. But running for office in a town that had been so dangerous to live in once she was outed as a Pagan by the town council was a consideration, and I didn’t want to stir up trouble for Darla. So I held my breath and wondered what would happen, as did several other people that knew about it.

Those that have followed Darla's story understand our concern. Even Darla did not know what might happen. So I sat on the story while she ran for office. Nothing negative happened, though she didn't win the election this time.

But the story was not winning or losing the election, it was the change from having trouble with the town council to trying to direct change by running for office. I doubt many of us would have even tried if we have gone through the troubles that Darla went though.

Yet if we are going to become respected members of the community we have to rise above being the victim. Victims get no respect. Only when they refuse to be victims, even at great risk, do they get respect. Certainly those of us old enough to remember the civil rights movement saw that. The same will be true for Pagans. Some Pagans will have to rise up from victimhood, and become activists.

That is what this whole issue has been about, those willing to take risks to get done what needed to be done. I realize not all of us can do this for a variety of reasons, but some of us must. We don't always have to reveal that we are Pagan to be activists for our cause. But it is the open Pagan doing it that will earn respect in our society.

It will also make people watch us more carefully. Each of us must avoid foolish mistakes that diminish that hard-won respect. If you can't handle the responsibility for the image of our entire community, please stay in the closet. If you become an open Pagan, please remember your responsibility to the rest of the community.

That is what being a community is all about - each member being personally responsible for everything they say or do. The Pagan community will always need more such people.