Category Archives: Government and Religion

Happy Independence Day 2011

Today we celebrate the 235th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence, the document that set into motion the creation of the United States of America.

We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness…

We, therefore, the Representatives of the united States of America, in General Congress, Assembled, appealing to the Supreme Judge of the world for the rectitude of our intentions, do, in the Name, and by Authority of the good People of these Colonies, solemnly publish and declare, That these United Colonies are, and of Right ought to be Free and Independent States…

The Declaration was signed by 56 men, including Read more

Muslim Marine Charged with Firing on Pentagon, Military Bldgs

Yonathan Melaku, a Marine Corps reservist, has been arrested and connected to a string of shootings at military buildings in the DC area:

Federal prosecutors said…they found bomb-making materials in Melaku’s backpack and later, inside his home, found a typewritten list of potential bomb components.

Investigators also found a video he took of himself firing shots outside the National Museum of the Marine Corps last fall and repeatedly saying the Arabic words “Allahu Akbar,” which Read more

Army Islamic Objector Charged with Child Pornography

According to a variety of websites (including his own Facebook page), US Army PFC Nasser Abdo was granted status as a conscientious objector.  (His case was previously noted.)

Two days later, his discharge was put on hold as he was charged with possession of child pornography as a result of 34 images on his government-issued computer.  The criminal investigation has reportedly been going on for months; Abdo claims the charges are part of a continuing pattern of discrimination.

As discussed previously, Michael Weinstein has remained silent during Abdo’s application for discharge (even after Abdo became his “fan” on Facebook) — despite the Read more

IG: Pentagon DADT Report had “Pro-Repeal Agenda”?

The Department of Defense Inspector General recently issued a report of its investigation into the improper “leak” last fall of the DoD survey on the policy most often known as “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell.”  (Ironically, the publicized IG report — available on a public website — is also annotated “For Official Use Only,” as was the leaked survey.)

The DoD IG appears to have come to the same conclusion as many critics of the report did last year:  the statistics were creatively Read more

US Army Soldier, Sikh Answers His Calling

A US Army article again highlights SPC Simranpreet Singh Lamba, the sole non-medical Sikh Soldier granted a waiver of uniform standards so he may adhere to his religious dress requirements.

The article again documents the difficulty Lamba had in having his enlistment accepted.  It also repeats the prior news that Lamba has had no significant issues either with the institutional Army or with individual Soldiers, despite his (significantly) minority faith:  Read more

More Airmen Request DADT Discharges

According to the Stars and Stripes, three more members of the US Air Force have requested discharge due to their homosexuality:

According to the Air Force, during the past month two female staff sergeants and a male 2nd lieutenant made statements identifying themselves as gay and asked to be separated quickly from the service.

While these discharges were once non-events, they are now front page news because of their rarity and the fact the Secretary of the Air Force has to approve them.

As with the other recent case, the article indicates these Airmen wanted to be discharged, and to be discharged quickly, before the repeal of DADT.  While homosexual advocacy groups have made much of the “victimization” Read more

MRFF Supporters Validate Weinstein’s Agenda

Want to know what Michael Weinstein and his self-founded Military Religious Freedom Foundation stand for?  Ask his staff and supporters.

GodDiscussion.com, which has a close relationship with Leah Burton — one of two members of Michael Weinstein’s MRFF board — recently hosted a fundraiser for the MRFF in coordination with the Fort Bragg “Rock Beyond Belief.”  They were bringing in money for three reasons, in their own words:

(1) the soliders [sic] at Ft. Bragg who face potential legal challenges in having their Rock Beyond Belief secular alternative to Frankin Graham’s Rock the Fort proselytizing concert

(2) legal representation of service members nationwide who face discriminatory “Spiritual Fitness Tests” and

(3) the general fight against Christian extremism within the Armed Forces.

It’s interesting they’d raise funds for Read more

1 … 298 299 300 301 302 … 369