State Sen. Yancey McGill: "Wicca isn’t a religon."
Remember how I recently said that South Carolina is becoming a “hot zone” for battles over church and state? Well things aren’t going to be cooling off any time soon. The Charlotte Observer, reporting on the various religious-oriented bills winding their way through the South Carolina Legislature, captures a rare moment of honesty from a supporter of the Christianity-only “I Believe” license plate.
You see, as an elected official, I get to decide these things.
“In South Carolina, Baptists wanted the tag on cars here and pitched the idea to Republican South Carolina Lt. Gov. Andre Bauer’s chief of staff. State Sen. Yancey McGill, a Kingstree Democrat, got the bill passed in a couple of days without even having a public hearing or debate. “It’s a great idea,” McGill said Tuesday, calling it an opportunity to express beliefs. “People don’t have to buy them. But it affords them that opportunity. I welcome any religion tags.” What about Wicca, commonly referred to as witchcraft? “Well, that’s not what I consider to be a religion,” McGill said.”
Mind you this is a Democratic official here, not a Republican, who we usually expect a certain amount of Wicca-bashing from. Perhaps there isn’t too much difference in the political parties in South Carolina? In any case, there you have it, the official word. Any religion can get their own license plates, unless your not a religion as defined by politicians like State Sen. McGill. Of course his standards are different from the actual United States government, who has long acknowledged Wicca and other modern Pagan faiths as “real” religions. Heck our Wiccan vets even had their symbol approved by the VA recently, maybe he didn’t hear about it?
Perhaps Pagans and other supporters of real religious equality in South Carolina should send State Sen. McGill a note informing him that he’s a bit behind on the times, and come the next election you’ll vote for someone who respects the rights of all faiths, instead of just the ones he likes.
2 responses so far
Legislators love to hear from constituents, and deserve to hear from anyone else who may be affected by their public service. Here is Senator McGill’s page at the SC Legislature web site:
http://www.scstatehouse.net/members/bios/1249999850.html
Senator J. Yancey McGill
District 32 – Florence, Georgetown, Horry & Williamsburg Cos.
Contact Address: (H) 601 Longstreet St., Kingstree, 29556
Bus.(843) 355-7217 Home(843) 355-9157
(C)508 Gressette Bldg., Columbia, 29201
Bus.(803) 212-6132 Home(803) 779-7790
E-Mail Address: JYM@scsenate.org
Remember to be nice when you contact him. I’ve just spoken with his legislative assistant.
[...] pushing the plates under the assumption that “any” religion could have their own tags, just so long as those tags weren’t from a Pagan faith, to the fact that the judge on this case also ruled in favor of Wiccan Darla Kaye Wynne during the [...]