S.C. prayer plaintiff faces wrath of community over lawsuit.A South Carolina South Carolina, state of the SE United States. It is bordered by North Carolina (N), the Atlantic Ocean (SE), and Georgia (SW). Facts and Figures Area, 31,055 sq mi (80,432 sq km). Pop. (2000) 4,012,012, a 15. woman who filed a successful lawsuit challenging government-sponsored prayers in the town of Great Falls Great Falls, city (1990 pop. 55,097), seat of Cascade co., N central Mont., second largest city in the state, at the confluence of the Missouri and Sun rivers and near the falls that give the city its name; inc. 1888. has become a target for harassment and intimidation. Darla Kaye Wynne, a Wiccan, filed suit challenging the Great Falls Town Council's practice of opening its sessions with Christian prayer. In July, the 4th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ruled in her favor, holding that town officials may continue offering invocations but may not consistently employ Christian prayer. Some people in town have not reacted well to the controversy. In August, someone broke into Wynne's home and beheaded be·head tr.v. be·head·ed, be·head·ing, be·heads To separate the head from; decapitate. [Middle English biheden, from Old English beh her pet parrot. Next to the dead bird was a note reading, "You're next!" Wynne says she won't be driven out of town. "I've been devastated dev·as·tate tr.v. dev·as·tat·ed, dev·as·tat·ing, dev·as·tates 1. To lay waste; destroy. 2. To overwhelm; confound; stun: was devastated by the rude remark. by all of this here," she told the Columbia State. "People have asked me why I don't just leave, but if I left, it would be like the people who did this won. You couldn't pry me out of this town now." Wynne, who has several pets, said some of her cats have been killed and her Yorkshire terriers were beaten. Police officials in town say they are investigating the incidents. Town officials also condemned the harassment. Wynne, who moved to Great Falls from North Carolina North Carolina, state in the SE United States. It is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean (E), South Carolina and Georgia (S), Tennessee (W), and Virginia (N). Facts and Figures Area, 52,586 sq mi (136,198 sq km). Pop. in 1998 after a divorce, said she first attended a council meeting to inquire about getting drug dealers off her block. She says she ended up being quizzed about the bumper stickers on her truck that promote Wicca, a pre-Christian nature-based religion. Raised a Southern Baptist in Louisiana, Wynne converted to Wicca in her 20s and is now a high priestess. Wynne said she continued attending council meetings but grew uncomfortable with the Christian prayers. She suggested that the council shift to a non-sectarian prayer or that members of other faiths be allowed to give invocations, but the council refused. In 2001, she filed a lawsuit and won backing from the American Civil Liberties Union American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), nonpartisan organization devoted to the preservation and extension of the basic rights set forth in the U.S. Constitution. . (Americans United filed a friend-of-the-court brief on her behalf.) Great Falls officials have asked the entire 4th Circuit, which consists of 14 judges, to rehear re·hear tr.v. re·heard , re·hear·ing, re·hears 1. To hear again. 2. Law To give a new hearing to (a case) by the same court. Verb 1. the case. In the meantime Adv. 1. in the meantime - during the intervening time; "meanwhile I will not think about the problem"; "meantime he was attentive to his other interests"; "in the meantime the police were notified" meantime, meanwhile , the council is offering invocations that invoke God but not Jesus. The council has also approved a new religious diversity policy. It states in part, "The town of Great Falls believes in the freedom of religion and welcomes into its community persons of any and all religious faiths and persons who hold no religious beliefs." |
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