As reported by the Associated Press, victims and surviving family members of the 2009 Fort Hood massacre have filed a lawsuit against the US government alleging negligence and shirking of responsibility. They claim the government is attempting to avoid liability by referring to the attack as “workplace violence” rather than terrorism:
The lawsuit alleging negligence by the government said that the Defense Read more
David Fitzkee (Maj, USA, Retired) is a law professor at the US Air Force Academy. In the fall of 2011 he had an article published in Parameters (vol. 41, no. 3), (“The US Army’s Senior Professional Journal”) entitled “Religious Speech in the Military: Freedoms and Limitations.”
The 14-page essay is an interesting read, and it opens with a strong premise:
It is crucial that military leaders understand and respect the scope of religious speech rights. Honoring the constitutional rights of subordinates is inherently the “right thing to do” in a society and military governed by the rule of law, particularly when all military leaders take an oath to support the Constitution.
Unfortunately, the very next paragraph of the introduction sets a poor tone for the paper:
Failure to understand the rights and limits concerning religious speech can adversely affect the mission…It can result in internal investigations into allegations of violations or even lawsuits against the military, both of which entail substantial time, effort, and distraction from the mission.
Maj Fitzkee aptly notes that “investigations into allegations of violations” can “distract from the mission” — but he illogically assumes Read more
The Mojave Cross on Sunrise Rock in the remote Mojave National Preserve will finally be re-erected in a Veterans’ Day ceremony this weekend.
The cross had become the focus of a legal case brought by the American Civil Liberties Union in 2000. The ACLU sued the federal government, asking that the cross be removed because the Christian symbol Read more
US Air Force Academy PA Don Branum writes a post-event update on last week’s Religious Respect Conference, and it contains some amazingly positive comments on the environment of religious freedom at USAFA [emphasis added]:
Cadet 4th Class Wasim Soomro [from a Muslim family] captured the attention of the attendees with a recollection of his experiences.
Soomro didn’t have to put his faith aside for BCT. The military guidance officer for Soomro’s unit, Cadet Squadron 39, visited him on his second night of basic cadet training. The officer knew from Soomro’s biography that he was Muslim and wanted to know how to meet his religious needs.
“He asked me what times of day I was supposed to pray,” Soomro said. “I told him the morning was huge, and then the midday…” Read more
The Colorado Springs Gazette, local to the US Air Force Academy, carried a variety of positive comments from participants in USAFA’s second Religious Respect Conference. In fact, USAFA chaplains are advocating for their programs to be implemented Air Force-wide. In “AFA religious respect program could soon go service-wide,” reporter Erin Prater noted
Chaplains hope to transition the Religious Respect Training Program throughout the Air Force as soon as possible, chaplain Maj. Shawn Menchion said…
David Oringderff, a local Wiccan leader, had high praise for USAFA’s efforts: Read more
The US Air Force Academy is holding a Religious Respect Conference this week, inviting “religious and First Amendment advocacy groups” to meet with cadets and chaplains on the topics of religious tolerance and dignity.
On the topic of training in religious respect, the Academy had a noble goal for its future officers:
“The…goal is teaching an ethic of respect regardless of who people are, whether they follow one faith or another faith or no faith at all,” said Chaplain (Col.) Robert Bruno…”What we are trying to teach is a fundamental ethic of respect. We recognize the inherent dignity of every human being…”
“We agree to disagree agreeably, civilly, respectfully, professionally,” he said.
On accommodation, Jewish Chaplain (Maj) Joshua Narrowe made an Read more
Michael Weinstein, frequent critic of religious freedom in the US military, has often tried to lend weight to his vitriolic attacks by saying he served “10 years as an Air Force JAG.” (In fact, his website still carries the assertion.) As has been noted here before, given the dates he entered and left the Air Force, that claim takes a bit of creative math. Weinstein finally felt the heat and recently began qualifying Read more
Floyd Corkins is the man who allegedly tried to enter the Family Research Council’s building in Washington, DC, with 15 Chick-FIL-A sandwiches, a gun, and 50 rounds of ammunition. He wounded a guard before he was wrestled to the ground. He claimed he didn’t like the FRC’s politics.
He has been charged with domestic terrorism.
Corkins, of Herndon, Virginia, pleaded not guilty in a brief hearing before U.S. District Judge Richard Roberts. The charges include committing an act of terrorism Read more