October 22nd, 2010 § § permalink
Another case has been filed in US Federal Court against prohibitions on fortune telling. This case involves Candice Wohlfeil, a tarot reader from East Ridge, Tennessee.
She’s been reading cards from a booth at a flea market since 2007. In 2008 a Codes Enforcer came by and told her she was in violation of a local ordinance banning fortune-telling. She questioned the constitutionality of the law and was told the City would look into it and get back to her. They didn’t, until this past September when she was told that if she didn’t stop reading cards, she’d be fined $500 per violation. She closed down her booth.
After attempting to contact the City Attorney with no success, Wohlfeil approached the American Civil Liberties Union of Tennessee. They’ve taken up her case and brought it to Federal Court.
As reported by WDEF.com, ACL-TN Cooperating Attorney Donna Roberts of Stites & Harbison PLLC said, “The First Amendment precludes the government from declaring which ideas are acceptable or not. Our client has the right to make predictions, whether for fun or profit, without the government discriminating against the content of her speech.”
I couldn’t agree more. Power to you Candice!
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October 21st, 2010 § § permalink
White House Diary
I haven’t had the chance to read Jimmy Carter’s newest book, White House Diary yet, but apparently, he has some good things to say about the CIA using parapsychology for intelligence gathering.
According to Politico.com, an entry from his diary on April 11, 1979 says “Both we and the Soviets use these parapsychologists on occasion to help us with sensitive intelligence matters, and the results are unbelievable.”
Later in the book while reflecting on this point, Carter comments, “The proven results of these exchanges between our intelligence services and parapsychologists raise some of the most intriguing and unanswerable questions of my presidency. They defy logic, but the facts are undeniable.”
Of course the CIA is adamant that they no longer engage in any sort of parapsychology research. But I wonder … did they tell us they were using it last time they did?
Anyway, good stuff Jimmy! I can’t wait to read the book.
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October 19th, 2010 § § permalink
The State Duma in Russia has taken the first steps to forbid the promotion of ‘mystical’ services through the mass media. According to The Moscow News, at present, such advertising is all over the printed press and TV.
Promising the return of lost love, money spells and cures for illness, shady fortune-tellers are duping the public. At least that’s how the government sees it and they want it to stop.
All healers who claim to use any unconventional or occult methods in their work would be affected by the new law. An exception will be made, however, for those who obtain a valid state license.
The Russian Orthodox Church supports the move. According to RT.com, the Moscow Patriarchate said in a public statement, ‘No civilized country can allow such a rampancy of self-advertising ‘magicians’ and ‘miracle-workers.'”
They too however accepted the possibility that some people may possess certain healing powers, but that their qualifications and methods of work would have to be scientifically confirmed to be accepted as real.
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September 19th, 2010 § § permalink
Romanian witches and fortune tellers are not to be messed with.
The senate there recently rejected a move by Alin Popoviciu, of the ruling Democrat Liberal Party to tax witches and fortune tellers and to make them liable for flawed predictions. According to Popovicu, the senate rejected the proposition because they were afraid angry seers might retaliate and curse the whole lot of them.
Click here for the full story.
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