Maybe I’m a cynic, but I just can’t get mad at Fox News anymore. They’re not real news. It’s a terrible pity that a large number of people use them as a news source, but that doesn’t legitimize their inadequacy. They’ve shown themselves to be illogical, reactionary, unfair, and sometimes pretty bigoted. So it should come as a surprise to no one that they’ve been trashing Wiccans and Pagans this week.
In their foaming quest to make everything into the War on Christmas, they’ve singled out Mizzou (University of Missouri) for adding Pagan holidays to their exam calendar. Mizzou isn’t the first or fiftieth school to make this provision; Pagans go to college. It’s a thing. For some reason, Fox has seized on this as evidence of a liberal conspiracy to subvert the dominant paradigm, use a minority religion as an excuse to act as the “PC Police,” and accommodate an insignificant segment of the population.
Some of the charming highlights of the video clip include the talking heads exposing their pitiful ignorance and laughable prejudice about my religion. This is nothing new. Personally, I’ll never forget in October 2000 when the POTUS flat out said my religion is not a religion. I find the ignorance and ugliness of a group of actors paid to scare old people and sell ad time rather insignificant in comparison to other issues we face.
Yes, what they said is offensive and boorish and dumb. Yes, they are passing on bad information and perpetuating stereotypes about us to their viewers. Yes, this is unfair and uncouth and uncool. I guess my ever-present outrage fails me because I expect no better from this group. In fact, I think I’d be less than shocked to hear it got worse.
We are a small religion. We are no less valid or protected for our smallness. We have lawyers and advocates and eyes and ears everywhere, even (apparently) watching and listening to Fox. We are already demanding an apology; a big public mea culpa to match this gratuitous dumbfest and make things right.
But this witch is not holding her breath.
**Update: Tucker Carlson has made a couple of apologies to the community. Victory!**
