First off, what's the deal with all the nooses everywhere lately?

Secondly - what is a self-proclaimed witch? Is that something like a self -proclaimed Christian, and, if so, why don't you ever see it written like that?

"BAKERSFIELD, Calif. -- A hangman's noose was found outside a spiritual bookstore in Bakersfield run by a self-proclaimed witch.

Police are calling the noose discovered at Altar Bookshoppe, which sells occult books and supplies in Old Town Kern suspicious."

No mention of it being called a hate crime, or counted as one. I guess that is how you know your particular 'group' is REALLY a persecuted minority. KGET first did a story about local residents who practice witchcraft on Halloween, they say shortly after the story aired, a noose was hung on their door.

Olviares says the hangman's noose hung on her Old Town Kern Book Shop is a hate crime.

But it's not being classified as a hate crime because, she says, the store is not considered a place of worship. Word in the pagan community is that this particular police department has been very lax about even looking into crimes against pagans.