Paul Loebe is the former active duty Marine atheist who is now Mikey Weinstein’s newest “special assistant.” He posted this after successfully instigating the removal of the Nativity at Shaw Air Force Base.
Hypocrisy: a feigning to be what one is not or to believe what one does not…
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Think what you will about Fox’s Bill O’Reilly, but this was actually fairly entertaining. Discussing the removal of Nativity scenes at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, an unusually calm O’Reilly faced off with the predictably verbose Weinstein, who was more interested in hitting his talking points than addressing the question. So O’Reilly cut off his audio — but Weinstein’s mouth kept moving…
O’Reilly called the decision to pull the Nativities “cowardly,” and noted that they recognized the occurrence of a national holiday.
Video and transcript here.
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Michael “Mikey” Weinstein targeted two Nativities erected on Guantánamo Bay, Cuba.
A pair of Nativity scenes, one in the dining room for prison camp guards, are apparently causing a bit of a stir among a few troops at this remote outpost…
Ironically, Weinstein’s own letter undermined his cause, when one of an anonymous 18 complainants wrote [emphasis added]:
When they finally have time to relax with their military family they should not have to feel uncomfortable, out of place, or insignificant because their beliefs are not represented.
So its not about the presence of the Nativity, but the absence of other beliefs? Odd thing is, no one has complained that GTMO prohibited other displays, though its unclear what other belief systems celebrate Christmas. (GTMO residents say the base has been fairly public about several holidays, including Ramadan and Hanukkah.)
Weinstein, a former lawyer, called the displays “wholly Read more
It seems the US military can’t please those who criticize its tolerance of religion, no matter what it does.
Over the past week, the Air Force was hammered for bowing to Michael “Mikey” Weinstein — again — and pulling down a Nativity next to the base Christmas tree.
One of the official Air Force positions was that because the Nativity was the “sole display,” it had to be taken down. Many who supported the MRFF’s position similarly claimed it would have been acceptable if other viewpoints had been included.
Those critics either missed or ignored the fact others were invited to participate — and chose not to.
The Travis AFB Christmas tree, flanked by a Menorah, as well as the Nativity the MRFF apparently missed.
Even when an Air Force Base goes out of its way to be inclusive of other displays, however, they still get taken to task.
A few weeks ago this site raised the open question about whether Menorahs would come out on military bases as part of a traditional “holiday season,” even though Hanukkah fell much earlier this year and would be over by the time most Christmas decorations came out.
It seems a pre-offended MRFF member was eagerly waiting for a Menorah to appear, and contacted the MRFF because a Menorah popped up at the Travis Air Force Base Christmas tree lighting on December 5th — the last day of Hanukkah, when the displays are normally removed, not lit.
Proving that even when the military is inclusive its not really inclusive, Rodda was ecstatic, saying in a little-noticed post [formatting original]: Read more
The 2014 National Defense Authorization Act that came out of the congressional conference committee last week strengthens language protecting religious liberty in the US military — and implicitly scolds the Department of Defense for not implementing such guidance already.
The House has already passed the new bill. In short, if the Senate passes the bill and President Obama signs it, which seems to be expected (excepting the new controversy over retiree benefits), the Department of Defense will be required to accommodate not merely belief, but also expressions of belief, to the extent that it does not adversely affect the mission. The Act amends Section 533 of the last NDAA to read [changes emphasized]:
Unless it could have an adverse impact on military readiness, unit cohesion, and good order and discipline, the Armed Forces shall accommodate individual expressions of belief of a member of the armed forces reflecting the sincerely held conscience, moral Read more
Does it pass the Air Force common sense test that a Nativity is officially removed because no one else wants to put up another display alongside it?
In an event that drew national attention — including from the US Congress — Shaw Air Force Base erected a plastic figurine Nativity in front of the base’s Palmetto Chapel. As predicted, it was placed in its traditional location from years past: Read more
Following the revelation that Shaw Air Force Base had removed a Nativity scene immediately following Michael “Mikey” Weinstein’s request, public outcry has left the Air Force “mulling” how to respond to the other side of the issue — those who view such a move as both unconstitutional and a questionably inappropriate relationship with Weinstein.
Though Weinstein was able to get action from the Air Force in “two hours and 15 minutes,” other normal Americans and a few reporters had trouble even getting a statement — which inspired Fox News columnist Todd Starnes to publish the (publicly available) phone numbers and emails of Shaw Public Affairs to see if others would have more success (they didn’t). This may be because most people did try to go through Public Affairs — while Weinstein had managed to get connected through the Base Command Post. (In what is unlikely a coincidence, Shaw AFB removed their Command Post phone number from their website yesterday.)
Shaw has subsequently clarified the situation, noting that a Shaw AFB chapel congregation put the Nativity up next to the Base Christmas tree, which Read more
President Obama has nominated BGen Chris Burne to be the next The JAG of the Air Force (TJAG):
Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel announced today that the president has made the following nominations:
Air Force Brig. Gen. Christopher F. Burne has been nominated for appointment to the rank of lieutenant general and for assignment as the judge advocate general, Headquarters U.S. Air Force, Pentagon, Washington, D.C. Burne is currently serving as the staff judge advocate, Headquarters Air Combat Command, Joint Base Langley-Eustis, Va.
Like the retiring LtGen Richard Harding, whom he will replace, BrigGen Burne will skip his second star and go directly to his third.
General Harding is one of the last senior officers from the tenure of former Chief of Staff General Norton Schwartz — and one of the last to have a long running, if tenuous, relationship with military religious freedom critic Michael “Mikey” Weinstein. (General Read more