US Air Force Defends Posters Discussing Value of Faith
The US Air Force’s Air Combat Command summarily rebuffed Michael “Mikey” Weinstein’s complaint that it had “compromis[ed] the integrity of its solemn oath” and violated the First, Fifth, and Fourteenth Amendments to the US Constitution.
Because of a poster.
As reported by the Air Force Times:
A pair of posters that focus on the importance of faith, which have been on display at Air Combat Command headquarters at Joint Base Langley-Eustis, Virginia, for years, will not be altered — despite recent complaints about them — according to command officials.
The Military Religious Freedom Foundation had contacted the base about removing the posters after complaints from the Langley community.
Weinstein apparently waited for a slow news day to reveal his loss to the Air Force, given that he was initially contacted by the “client” nearly two weeks ago and he normally revels in the Air Force’s immediate reaction.
The Air Force seemed unmoved [emphasis added]:
“Air Combat Command officials have reviewed one complaint about a display of posters in one of our buildings and decided to leave the display unaltered,” said Col. Edward Sholtis, an ACC spokesman. “The posters do not officially endorse, disapprove of, or extend preferential treatment for any faith, belief or absence of belief, which is the standard established by regulation that would warrant action…”
Even better, the Air Force actually defended the virtue of the posters [emphasis added]:
“The literal meaning of the two quotes identified in the complaint — the importance of personal faith in a broad sense and the importance of an individual’s rights and freedoms — are appropriate and consistent with established traditions of using historical documents to promote reflection and inspiration.”
After the delay, why did Weinstein suddenly reveal his latest loss? Simple.
Money.
Never one to pass on an opportunity to make money, Mikey Weinstein rephrased the loss as the chance for people to help him get rid of those posters — by sending money, of course:
Help MRFF Fight to Remove These Sexist Posters of Faith by Donating to MRFF’s Crowdfunding Campaign
Mikey Weinstein has apparently been struggling to bring in cash. The “crowdfunding campaign” has been going on for more than two weeks and his supporters — which he claims number more than 50,000 “clients” — have donated a grand total of $1,203, or about 2 cents each (and $10 of that was attributed to Weinstein’s son, Curtis Weinstein).
Few people would scoff at that much money — it would pay rent for many Airmen — but for Weinstein that $1,200 in “charitable donations” will fund his salary — and only Mikey Weinstein’s salary — for a about two days. (Alternatively, it would pay Chris Rodda for nearly three weeks — which gives you an idea of how poorly he treats his sometime absent “senior research director”.)
Incidentally, come back in a year and see if you can figure out precisely how Mikey Weinstein spent the money his donors sent to help him remove those posters. The posters will still be up, and Weinstein will have said not a thing about them (except reiterating them every now and then to raise more money). The posters will join former US troops like Dustin Chalker, Justin Griffith, Brandon Longcrier, Jeremy Hall and others who were used by Mikey Weinstein as pawns to tug on heart strings and bring in cash — and then dumped. The only difference is those were human beings Weinstein was using.
The Air Force is to be commended for not only not folding to Weinstein’s demands, but also for standing up to them. For the Air Force’s culture of religious liberty and environment of tolerance, that is an encouraging step.
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I’d love to hear the AF Times defend its rationale in becoming MRFF’s press desk of late. Even the most nothing story is “reported” completely uncritically. They should be embarrassed by the way in which they’re being used by Mikey for purposes that might be good for his bottom line but bad for military religious freedom.
Slow news day? Paying him back for reporting on his sham financial oversight and unethical accounting practices a few years back? Agreement with his anti-religious viewpoint? Pure clickbait sensationalism? Whatever their reasons, it has increased the sense that the AF Times is a mere shell of its former self. Or maybe they’ve always been that hollow. Kent Miller should be ashamed of himself as a journalist if nothing else.
@Jacob Wright
Good observations on several points, including the fact that Kent Miller is essentially just publishing Weinstein’s press releases.
If you look at Weinstein’s history with press publications, you’ll find he almost always relies on certain individuals who become his conduit for a time. It would seem Mr. Miller is that individual for now.
I am glad that the Air Force is finally telling Wiener-stein to pound sand, I’m just mad that they’ve started now. The Air Force should hang their heads in shame for allowing a bigoted fascist to wield institutional power over the Military.
I don’t understand why Mr. Weinstein isn’t reflexively directed to the Judge Advocate or Public Affairs whenever he makes a fuss. That should be standard policy for any outside group that harasses an Air Force installation. Commanders should not humor him. He has no standing. He is not a retiree and has no right to be present on a military base.
His appeal to the establishment clause is, of course, also farcical. He wants to establish a state religion, namely secularism, and force it on everyone else. That people routinely lobby for atheist or secular humanist chaplains only further serves to expose the absurdity of his position.
@RSC
You are precisely correct.