Much has been made of Texas Governor Rick Perry’s latest campaign commercial saying he would “end Obama’s war on religion.” What is interesting is how he chose to characterize that fight against religion:
There’s something wrong in this country when gays can serve openly in the military but our kids can’t openly celebrate Christmas or pray in school…
Governor Perry associated the open service of Read more
Update: More than 20,000 people signed a petition in less than 24 hours to “help end the ban” on Bibles at Walter Reed.
A US Army officer “in disbelief” forwarded a Walter Reed National Military Medical Center memorandum regarding patient visitation to the Family Research Council. The memorandum said:
f. No religious items (i.e. Bibles, reading material, and/or artifacts) are allowed to be given away or used during a visit.
The ban was so broadly written it would prevent even families from providing Bibles to their wounded family members, and it banned priests from bringing the eucharist or providing last rites. Notably, while the policy banned all religious items, the Bible was the only religious text specifically mentioned.
The FRC circulated the memorandum at Capitol Hill, and Rep Steve King (R-Iowa) took to the House floor and “blasted” the policy:
Mr. Speaker, these military men and women who are recovering at Walter Reed and Bethesda have given their all for America…They’ve Read more
Update: The Pentagon has said bestiality would still be impermissible. Aides in Congress are saying the repeal may not stand anyway.
US Senator Roger Wicker (R-MS) successfully submitted an amendment to the 2012 Defense Authorization Act that would explicitly protect US military chaplains in regard to homosexual marriage:
The Wicker legislation would prevent military chaplains from being forced to perform a marriage ceremony if the chaplain objects for reasons of conscience…
“This amendment will allow the chaplains of our Armed Forces to maintain the freedom of conscience necessary to serve both their Nation and their religion without conflict,” Wicker said.
Nothing officially requires chaplains to perform Read more
A few websites have noted Tennessee State Representative Rick Womick’s statement to ThinkProgress interviewers that Muslims should be removed from the US military. The video is available on YouTube.
It’s worth noting Womick’s political position has been somewhat inflated in a few reports. For example, ThinkProgress suffixed his name with (R-TN), as did some others, which is inaccurate. The “party-state” designation is used for members of the US House; it is redundant to say “Tennessee state rep (R-TN).” The more accurate description is (R-34) or R-Rockvale, as Womick represents District 34 in the Tennessee State House. As a state representative, Womick has no influence over the US military. (As an aside, Rep Womick was an F-15 fighter pilot during Operation Desert Storm.)
That said, his comments were widely reported and not well received (with one exception). He’s been described as un-American and said to be “defaming all members of the military.”
Womick uses US Army Major Nidal Malik Hasan and PFC Naser Abdo (though he forgets his name) as support for his position, saying they are examples of the Islamic inconsistency with military service.
Ironically, it seems Rep Womick agrees with religious freedom critic Michael Read more
A variety of websites reported 8 US servicemembers have sued the US government for failing to recognize their same-sex relationship as a marriage, as prohibited by the Defense of Marriage Act, thus denying them the benefits of married military members.
“This case is about one thing…justice for gay and lesbian servicemembers and their families,” said Aubrey Sarvis, executive director of the Servicemembers Legal Defense Network, a gay-rights group that filed the lawsuit. “These couples are in long-term, committed and legally recognized marriages, and the military should not be forced to turn its back on them because the federal government refuses to recognize their families.”
Sarvis leaves out the fact the relationships are not Read more
In an apparent effort to help homosexual military members gain access to the most benefits they legally can, the Defense Department issued a “reminder” that some benefits are “member-designated.” These benefits can go to any person, regardless of relationship (and thus avoid the restrictions of, say, the Defense of Marriage Act).
The DoD “identified” 14 benefits that can be designated to any person: Read more
The US Army Chief of Staff, General Ray Odierno, has said he wants an expanded role for women in combat units:
“We need them there. We need their talent,” he said. “This is about managing talent. We have incredibly talented females who should be in those positions.”
As with prior discussions, the article seems to place more emphasis on the “lost opportunities” for career advancement due to the lack of combat experience Read more
The Associated Press notes the Blue Alliance, a “gay and lesbian alumni group” of “almost 100” US Air Force Academy graduates, will host a tailgate party at the Air Force-Army football game next month. They will also have their annual dinner on the USAFA campus. Despite their small size, they will have some interesting guests: Read more