Lately since the last horrid incident on May 26th attack on Ronald Poppo a 65-year-old homeless man who was brutally mauled by then Rudy Eugene age 31. What has been interesting enough that many of the headlines are as follows. “Naked cannibal in Miami” the “Miami Zombie” from abc news, to cbs news, to the National post, bloggers, web crazed zombie enthusiasts and even other countries like Canada and the U.K. talking about the zombie from Miami.
Are you getting the picture? Their have been unsubstantiated reports that this was either drugs or Vodou related. Hmmm? Now let me get this straight a news reporter with maybe a Ba in journalism and a lot of foot work in the field of reporting decided that this would make headlines to fuel what? Ratings or maybe 5 minutes of fame trying to put down a whole culture of priests and priestesses alike for a story?
Because of the sensitivity of the matter news propagandists and ultra christian groups eat this type of story up, No pun intended. Haiti and the Haitian plight since the era of Napoleons rule had to fight for their independence. Not even Africa could not shake off the ties of colonial imperialism and rule. But Haiti did with culture, ritual and practice. Erzulie Dantor Petro Kongo deity was appeased and brought forth the revolution. The Haitian Revolution was influential in slave rebellions in the United States and British colonies.
“According to Haitian writer Michael J. Dash, the U.S. government feared that a successful slave revolt in Haiti would inspire a similar revolt in the United States”
Unfortunately the Miami incident fuels a lot of negative press to any of our spiritual concepts and ritual rites. What is most disheartening to all this that the victims on both sides are subsequently in shock and where is the justice for them? Who has the answers the media? Breeding dumb ideas of a zombie Apocalypse or better still it was a supernatural force that took over him. Even if that were the case we will never know because he is dead now. We need to start having the media represent us in a better light and with factual accounts and not lurid ideas of fantasy and Hollywood hocus pocus. Movie magic is wonderful for the theater but not in real life.
Recently I just reached out to a reporter named Beth Winegarner who worked at the San Francisco examiner and is a blogger as well. She pointed me to an article she wrote for journalists on stopping misinformation when reporting on the occult. I am going to post her link up because we need more of this if we as practitioners of any formed nature based religion wants to start getting some credibility back. We need to take it out of the hands of people who are misinformed and their experts are really just a Joe Shmoe with no prior knowledge of any occulted and african based and or traditional practices. Vodun, Palo, Orisha, Wiccan and chaos magic and any ritual form of practice will benefit from her website Malembe . Tata Musitu
Here is the Link for Beth Winegarner(all rights reserved).
http://www.poynter.org/how-tos/newsgathering-storytelling/diversity-at-work/168154/how-journalists-can-stop-the-spread-of-misinformation-stereotypes-when-reporting-on-occult-crimes/