Category Archives: Government and Religion

DoD Finally Severs Ties with SPLC, Hate Group Designations

After years of defending the non-governmental Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC) as a “valuable resource,” the Department of Defense has finally scrubbed the left-wing activist organization’s resources from its training materials:

Brian J. Field, assistant U.S. attorney from the Civil Division, stated that the Department of Defense (DOD) Office of Diversity Management and Equal Opportunity removed any and all references to the SPLC in training materials used by the Defense Equal Opportunity Management Institute (DEOMI), in an email obtained by The Daily Caller News Foundation from the Department of Justice.

Controversy arose in late 2013 and early 2014 when Read more

Mikey Weinstein’s Lawyer Donald Rehkopf Lies in Accusation of Lying

Michael “Mikey” Weinstein and those who work with his “charity,” the contradictorily named Military Religious Freedom Foundation, seem to have a innate problem with telling the truth. (Weinstein lackey Chris Rodda is the most famous, as she’s frequently made easily disprovable false statements in an apparent effort to defend the MRFF’s reputation.)

The most recent example of this lack of integrity came from Donald Rehkopf, the most recent legal face of Weinstein’s MRFF. (Despite being a lawyer — and the only paid member of the MRFF — Weinstein defers to others rather than act for his own organization.)

In a supreme twist of hypocrisy, Rehkopf was trying to accuse someone of lying — while not being so forthright himself.

Apparently set back on their heels by Tommy Vallejos’ defense of Sonny Hernandez, Donald Rehkopf declined to make a calm, reasoned, and rational rebuttal.  Rather, the MRFF advocate submitted a response claiming Vallejos was lying. Said Rehkopf:

It is ironic to have to remind the Rev. Tommy Vallejos of one of the Ten Commandments — not to lie.

Yet, in his Opinion letter, “Don’t persecute chaplain for practicing his faith”…he makes at least two false statements.

Rehkopf then makes his first accusation:  Read more

Sex Professor Susan Shaw Joins Mikey Weinstein’s Charity

Susan Shaw, described as the “Professor of Women, Gender, & Sexuality Studies at Oregon State University,” has joined Michael “Mikey” Weinstein’s “advisory board.”

For the most part, Weinstein’s board members have been irrelevant, except likely as sources of income for the “charity.” (To wit, Weinstein’s research assistant Chris Rodda didn’t even know who her own board members were at one point.)

Shaw, though, is particularly notable for proudly expressing bigoted views that rival Weinstein himself.

For example, earlier this year Shaw employed gross generalization, non sequiturs, prejudice and general antipathy when she attacked both Donald Trump and Christians with such statements as

Trumpian evangelicals make no attempts to mask their quest for power…Both Rep. Michele Bachmann and Rev. Franklin Graham, for example, have attributed Trump’s win to God’s intervention…[T]his [is a] modern iteration of a deuteronomic theology — God rewards the good and punishes the bad…

Shaw’s prejudice is revealed in her active omission of Read more

Senate Reaffirms Gen Dunford — Who Qualifies Transgender Support

Last week, US Marine Gen Joseph Dunford was confirmed for his second term as Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.

By voice vote on Wednesday, the Senate backed the highly respected, combat-hardened commander who’s received high marks from Republicans and Democrats.

Notably, in testimony for his re-confirmation, Gen Dunford appeared to come out against his Commander-in-Chief’s plan for banning transgenders from serving in the US military: Read more

USAFA Supe Calls for Dignity, while Others Show Disrespect

In a widely reported incident, US Air Force Academy Superintendent LtGen Jay “Tonto”* Silveria took to the staff tower at the cadet dining hall (Mitchell Hall) to tell USAFA cadets that racial slurs had been written on message boards at the nearby Academy Preparatory School, essentially a junior college for those who will eventually join the Air Force Academy.

In a five minute speech in which he notes hundreds of staff and faculty are lining the walls, LtGen Silveria eventually boiled it down to a simple statement:

If you can’t treat someone with dignity and respect, then get out.

Then he walked away.

That’s a call with which anyone can agree. Treating a Read more

Politician, Pastor Speaks Out in Defense of Sonny Hernandez

Tommy Vallejos, a local Tennessee politician, Bronze Star veteran, and care pastor with Faith Outreach Church in Clarksville, TN, wrote an opinion column in the Stars and Stripes in support of Air Force Chaplain (Capt) Sonny Hernandez entitled “Don’t persecute chaplain for practicing his faith“:

As a retired military veteran, a Hispanic, and a man of deep faith, I was shaken to my core after reading a recent story about Chaplain (Capt.) Sonny Hernandez coming under fire for sharing commonly held biblical principles with his fellow Air Force servicemembers…

Vallejos appears to note the often-missed observation that Read more

Air Force Campaign Aims to Bring Faith Back to the Force

“Spiritually strong Airmen…tend to be strong assets to their units and commanders.”

An article out of Robins AFB, Georgia, highlighted an Air Force campaign called Faith Works, which focuses on “Freedom, faith, and ministry.” Amazingly enough, it promotes the virtue of religion — based on science [emphasis added]:

The campaign, Faith Works, is based on a body of research demonstrating the positive effects religion and spirituality can have on improving health in every domain…Faith Works offers a new perspective on an old technique, focusing on the tangible, earth-bound benefits associated with developing and practicing a strong faith, religion or spirituality…

Dr. Tyler VanderWeele…and Dr. Harold Koenig…have identified physical evidence linking the practice of faith and religion to individual resiliency.

[Their] research shows that Americans who attend religious services at least once a week have a 20 percent to 30 percent reduced mortality rate over a 15-year period. In terms of mental health, regular church-goers also demonstrate more optimism and lower rates of depression.

It is a fascinating — and bold — initiative that was led Read more

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