Festival Denied Flyby over Religious Content
Several sources report that the Nampa, Idaho, God and Country Festival that occurs annually during the Independence Day holiday was again denied a flyby by US military aircraft because of the religious content of its festivities. The festival was denied the flyover for the first time in over four decades just last year. The policies relating to the decision-making process can be seen in the discussion on the original controversy.
Interestingly, the organizers have pointed out that they probably could have gotten a flyover if they’d minimized religion within their event. Still, they note the military is supporting the event with other means, including administering the oath of enlistment, and the theme of this year’s event is “honoring our nation’s WWII veterans,” a decidedly patriotic purpose.