Day By Day© by Chris Muir.

March 21, 2008

Connecticut Legislature to Exonerate 16th Century Witches

From the "I can't believe my tax dollars are paying for this" department:

Eleven Connecticut witches executed in the 17th century would finally be exonerated under legislation pending in the Judiciary Committee.

The pending resolution would not pardon the executed colonists for the imagined crimes of 350 years ago, but would express the state's shock and distress at the state's witch trials. Committee leaders said Thursday they're likely to approve a resolution on Monday, the day of its legislative deadline.

Well, no wonder nothing ever gets done in this state...the shock and distress has been paralyzing the legislature for going on 400 years. I'm so relieved that something will finally be done about it!

Apparently some modern-day Connecticut residents will no longer have to hide their heads every time they walk down the street because their ancestors were executed for witchcraft. 14-year-old Addie Avery, whose grandmother (nine times removed) was hanged for dancing round a fire with a bottle of sack (imported Spanish white wine), will apparently no longer be a laughingstock at her school in New Preston. And Laurie B. Cayer of Mansfield can now go to the grocery store without people whispering and pointing because her ancestor, Lydia Gilbert, was convicted of being supernaturally involved in a militia accident that caused another man's death.

And I didn't realize this, but apparently the fact that Connecticut has waited this long to deal with the issue is "a huge black mark on the state of Connecticut." That's according to Bridgeport Mayor Bill Finch. He added that, "The state should apologize and, if nothing else, exonerate them." Apparently he received his perosnal epiphany when he ran into a couple of wiccans while out walking his dog and they reminded him of this distressing state of affairs.

The outcome of Kelo vs. New London and having one of the biggest wastes of space in the US Senate are not reason for Connecticut to take pause, but having hanged nine people in the name of witchcraft 350 years ago -- when nearly everyone in the Western world at the time believed in the evil of witchcraft -- is a enough to place a "big black mark" on the state's nationwide reputation.

When's the next election?