Month: April 2012

Michael Weinstein Loses Lawsuit Against Imprecatory Chaplain

Michael Weinstein has lost his lawsuit against former Navy Chaplain Gordon Klingenschmitt.  In other words, of the 5 lawsuits the former Air Force JAG Weinstein has filed since 2005, he has won zero.  None have even survived to trial.

Weinstein filed a civil suit against Klingenschmitt in 2009 over the former chaplain’s “imprecatory prayers,” claiming they represented a “terroristic threat” and posed an “imminent danger” to him and his family.  As noted here more than two years ago, Weinstein never had a strong case to begin with.  His allegations were vague and he undermined his own cause.  For example, the only specific evidence he cited were events that occurred prior to Klingenschmitt’s public prayer.

The deposition of Michael Weinstein’s wife, Bonnie, may have done the most Read more

Congressman Calls on Military to Keep Facebook Marine

US Rep Duncan Hunter, R-CA, has called on Col Christopher Dowling to end the administrative discharge proceedings against Marine Sgt Gary Stein.  Dowling had recommended Stein be administratively separated after he allegedly violated the UCMJ in his activities on Facebook.

Hunter, a Marine reservist and combat veteran, sent a letter to Col. Christopher Dowling on Tuesday urging the Corps to withdraw the discharge proceedings against Stein.

The board was supposed to meet last Saturday but was rescheduled to later this week.

Gay Pride Events Held at Military Academies

It isn’t the first time homosexual groups have gathered together to celebrate their…sexuality?…on a military base, but the novelty of their fellowship at US military academies seems to make it newsworthy.  CNN begins it article with factual inaccuracies:

For nearly 17 years, gay and lesbian soldiers were expected to deny their sexuality under threat of dismissal as part of “don’t ask, don’t tell.”

Actually, for “nearly” 200 years, homosexuals were expected not to violate the law Read more

Fort Bragg Hosts Uneventful Atheist Festival

Fort Bragg’s Rock Beyond Belief passed quietly last Saturday.  While organizers had predicted a crowd of 5,000, Richard Dawkins, the main draw of the event whose “sell out” crowds were the justification for the attendance forecast, ultimately spoke to only “a couple hundred” spectators.  Photos of the event show Aiden, the musical act originally billed as Dawkins’ lead-in, playing to only a few dozen who had stuck out the day.  It also appeared the military base was hosting a largely civilian crowd.

Rain early in the day may have affected attendance, much as the heat affected the Christian Rock the Fort the atheist event was meant to protest.  Rock the Fort reportedly drew 3,000 to 4,000 of the forecast 10,000 (and the atheists had been quick to mock the attendance numbers of the Billy Graham Evangelical Association event).

Interestingly, Col Sicinski was on site of the event and indicated the event wasn’t the controversy it may have been made out to be:  Read more

USAFA Unveils $3.6M Artificial Turf Airfield

The US Air Force Academy recently opened its artificial turf glider landing strip, which may be one of the largest turf fields in the world.  The 1.35 million square feet is

the equivalent of about 23 NFL football fields or 16 MLS soccer fields.

For the past 50 years or so, gliders had been forced to land on the grass, which was “too bumpy.”

To be fair, the marked landing zones will help student pilots Read more

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