The Ravens Nest

This is Rumor Control: These are the facts…

I won’t lie, in my last post which featured articles dated back to the very day I got my ordination credentials delivered, Stijn Fawkes, J. Ash Odinsson and I were in heavy discussion about this as elders in the Tribe of The Greyhorn Pagans. Naturally, emotions were running high, concerns were running deep and it seemed that, the more we saw (and we saw so much more than what we were able to post,) the more dire the situation looked to be.

Still, I never let a conversation where fact which I know to have evidence be dictated by a philosophy of fear and paranoia. Full credit to J. Ash Odinsson for the mention of the beginning set of facts with which I’m about to lead off and thanks to my following on social media for getting the word out on the previous article. It still doesn’t have the reach of mainstream media but it’s my hope that more people, regardless of theological differences of opinion will spread this word far and wide.

Fact #1: I need to lead out with this one because it bears repeating. You see, anytime you’re accused of a crime, even if you’re currently in jail and awaiting trial, you’re still considered innocent until proven guilty. Moving forward, everything I describe will be something to have been alleged and, as of yet, unproven in a court of law, not a court of public opinion. Let’s be very clear on that.

Fact #2: Under the Miranda Warning, you’re advised that you do have the right to remain silent. Anything (keep that in mind…anything) you say can and will be used against you in that court of law. That means nothing you say can help you and will only serve to build the case against you. Even if you were to directly speak, factually, evidence that is exculpatory, it will be written off in court as “hearsay.” Please let that be clear in your mind. This includes talking to your cellmate, over the phone from jail, to a neighbor, etc. The only person to which you discuss your case directly is your attorney and no one else.

Fact #3: Remember when I said that, going in, the #AntiPagan sentiment looked like irresponsible legal maneuvering from the defense coupled with the irresponsible reporting on part of the media? I came across this article which alleges that Richard Allen was in possession of what appears to be the murder weapon. The weapon in question was a Sig Sauer P226 handgun and while circumstantial, the tool markings match an unspent round found at the crime scene. Why would that matter? Do a comparison of that same model of handgun ejecting other spent rounds and see if they all have the same tool markings or differences, right? Even take bullets that were spent and have ballistics run on them to see if they match? That would seem reasonable and logical, however, the same article states that, allegedly, Allen was calling home to his wife and confessed killing the two girls.

Okay, huge problem, folks. You see, all phone calls from a correctional institution are recorded and monitored. Later on, the recordings can be requested from the prosecution and any incriminating testimony can be played back, actually used as evidence in court. If this is proven and it would be easy to do so, whether Allen was joking or not, whether part of the conversation is taken out of context or not, it’s still admissible as evidence against Allen. Now the legal and media maneuvering makes even more sense and, if that moment of confession is true and that handgun can be linked solidly back to the crime, then proving the means and the opportunity (as he admitted to police he was there that day, also) are already established, the motive could be something as easy as he wanted someone to set up (pagans) or he just saw an opportunity to commit a murder and took it. Motive doesn’t have to be elaborate to establish.

These three facts on their own are enough to solidify the stances we’ve posted on here, if the allegations are true.

Some have jumped to the conclusion that these allegations have been proven and thus Allen is a murderer and that may not be true. Perhaps it is. Until all the evidence is presented to a jury and, until everything, one way or another has been proven in a court of law and a final verdict rendered, I encourage everyone to go about your lives and stop letting yellow journalism dictate what you are to be afraid of next.

Fact #4: The practice of human ritual killing is no longer a thing in pagan communities. We acknowledge that this is not legal and, also, it’s murder. Even if there were a community of us similar to the Amish, Mennonite, Jacobite, etc. and one of our local warriors or heads were to be killed, many aspects of a pagan funeral may not exactly be legal. Burial with goods, weapons, etc would be fine, even acceptable. A burial mound may even be something most could accept. Cremation would even be fine. But to kill a horse by cutting it into pieces with swords or to have a woman volunteer to go with us only to be killed in one of the most brutal ways, not so much. In fact, those two aspects, even we agree on the illegality of them. We also wouldn’t murder our neighbor because, as a man, practicing magic is seen as unmanly. Many of our attitudes toward some of the old ways have changed because, upon inspection, they make no sense today. The ritual killing of animals by a Gothi (a pagan priest who presides over it, similar to Koshering) is also done in a humane way as to reduce if not eliminate the suffering of the animal to be harvested. There are very few trained in this art and that art is dying out with many Pagans simply choosing to make offerings of the harvest to their gods or daily offerings in some cases. Mileage, of course, will vary.

Fact #5: Pagans do not wish to be treated in any special way. This means we only seek equal treatment in the eyes of the law and in the eyes of our gods. Simple. You who may not be pagan are not required to condone what we think, read, say or do, let alone celebrate it. You’re not pagan, we expect that you’ll probably have a lot of questions but, to be quite straight with you, we work along side you. We have the same conversations and sometimes share interests with you. We believe in the same Constitutional principles that you do. We may differ on how we exercise them but we acknowledge that you have every bit as much a right to exist as we do and we leave you to your religion and all we ask is the same. To us, that’s fair and equitable.

I’m going to assert and even concede that this isn’t an exhaustive list of facts, but that’s what that comment section is for. Feel free to continue the discussion who knows who may benefit from it. Thanks for reading and thanks for hanging in there with us as we proceed through what we, rightfully, perceive as an attack on our faith. I close with a final fact. We will not win in this attack by losing our minds or our cool. We will not win by unleashing berzerkers. We will win by leaning on fact and evidence because, no matter how much dust hysterical people will kick up, fact and evidence shall never fade. Thank you.

Author’s Note: This content will always be 100% Free to you. There are no plans to monetize it ever. If you really want to contribute, simply comment, subscribe and share these posts with friends. If you feel like I’ve earned that something extra, hit any of the wish lists and you can send a gift or just come find me on the internet and hang out with me. If you send something, please be sure to include your name so I can personally thank you. If you don’t, then simply feel free to enjoy the content with my deepest appreciation for your visit. Thank You.