Air Force “Reviews” Article after Mikey Weinstein Complains

Air Force Reserve Command is reviewing a public affairs news release after Michael “Mikey” Weinstein called it

a “shameless and incredibly prominent and public promotion” of religion…

The article is not unlike many that the Air Force produces highlighting the humanitarian or other off-duty activities of its Airmen. In this case, the story is about SMSgt Larry Gallo and his family, who dedicate their Christmas each year to providing “medical and spiritual aid” in other countries:

“Seven years ago my family and I started giving up our commercial Christmases to do something different, since then, we never looked back,” Gallo said. “These trips allow everyone to slow down and realize that some of the stress we put on ourselves is uncalled for once we put things in perspective.

“We have so much in the United States, and we are blessed as a nation. There is no guilt in being blessed. The guilt comes when we complain and grumble and take for granted the things we do have and not use those blessings to help others who are burdened.”

Pretty horrible stuff, right?

To its credit, the Air Force didn’t pull the article right away (they did add a “disclaimer”), which might have explained Weinstein’s reticence to talk about it, since he couldn’t brag about the timeline in which he achieved a reaction. When the Air Force Times published the story last Thursday, it noted that Weinstein “declined to comment.” Weinstein not having something to say is like the ocean not having water. In fact, Weinstein did have something to say, and he provided several comments and private email traffic to Bryant Jordan of Military.com in an article published the next day.

Rather than having no comment, it would seem Weinstein is giving Stephen Losey at the Air Force Times — the person who published the expose on Weinstein “cashing in” using his charity — the silent treatment.

When Weinstein did finally speak, he was characteristically vitriolic:

Highlighting Gallo’s work with an evangelical Christian organization sends the wrong kind of message. It “emboldens our Islamic enemies because we look like Crusaders and it enrages our Islamic allies.”

Weinstein called the episode “a textbook example of a violation of Air Force regulations,” he said. “Whoever allowed this should be punished.”

“You know if this guy was Muslim, and doing this for a group pushing Islam the same way T.I.M.E. for Christ is pushing Christianity, there would be blood in the streets,” he said.

Most average Americans would probably view Weinstein’s assertion as utterly moronic. More to the point, the US military routinely puts out such human interest stories covering everything from hobbies to body building, philosophy to religion.

In one example, the Air Force even wrote such a human interest story on homosexuality.  Note the article contains no disclaimer, nor did Weinstein claim that the celebration of this homosexual couple by the Air Force would “embolden our Islamic enemies,” despite the fact that homosexuality merits a death sentence in their Islam and is a sign of the “progressive” Western culture to which those extremists object.

In another example, the Marines wrote an article about how the US military supports Islamic troops who make the hajj — paid for by the government of Saudi Arabia.  That’s the officially Islamic government that hands out 1,000 lashes for insulting Islam and won’t let women drive.  Weinstein doesn’t seem to think that was “prominent and public promotion” of religion.

Weinstein is only upset in this case, not the others, because this Air Force sergeant has a quality that Weinstein says makes him unfit to be in the US military:

He’s a Christian.

Perhaps someday we’ll reach a point where the Weinstein’s voice will fade back into the cacophany of prejudicial extremists, as opposed to letting it rise to the top and get attention.

Until then, members of the US military will continue to be attacked by Mikey Weinstein for nothing more than the exercise of their religious beliefs.  Hopefully, the US military will protect US troops and their liberties from his vile assaults.

Also at the Christian Examiner and WND.

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