Thank You

Published On: April 23, 2012|Categories: MRFF's Inbox|0 Comments|

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Dear MRFF,

Thank you for taking my call earlier today. As I mentioned on the phone, the “Crusader” issue raises some problems (religion withstanding) when are fighting wars against Islamic Terrorist and to advocate its removal can be argued on a common sense basis.

However I do think your organization is making a mistake with the crosses at Camp Pendleton.

That is a memorial to Marines who gave their lives fighting not for a religion, spreading democracy, or any of the other purported some reasons some people assert, rather they/we fought for their fellow Marines.

They dragged the first log up that hill and erected the memorial not because they are religious zealots but because they wanted to remember the fallen (all of them not matter what faith, race, or political affiliation).

You claim that your mission is to fight “the far-right militant radical evangelical religious fundamentalists”. Explain to me how this memorial to the dead is related to “far right military radical evangelical religious fundamentalist,” or how 4 Marines who initially dragged that up the hill only to be killed later fighting are part of this group your organization is bent on “defeating”?

I have reviewed the various cases you have taken up (many of which make sense) and I do not see anything where you have advocated the removal of a memorial to the dead and I believe that is why this is different.

By advocating its removal, you cross the line, you are in essence demanding the removal of a memorial to the dead, those who died fighting for their fellow Americans

The wife of one of the fallen Marines is fighting to keep this memorial to her dead husband standing and yet this has no bearing on your “crusade?”

People often associate religious organizations as being “crusaders,” but in light of your attempts to remove a memorial to the dead, I would argue that your organization is a crusader to a different cause, blinded by a fanatical obsession that has prevented you from seeing the Camp Pendelton cross for it is, not a religious display but a memorial erected by the dead for the dead.

To think that your organization would reverse course on this matter is unimaginable and that is unfortunate.

(name withheld)


Hi (name withheld),

My name is Rick Baker and I volunteer for MRFF to help make sure all mail to MRFF has a timely and courteous response.

As to issue #1 concerning the “Crusader” fighter squadron, we must remember that the US Government has not identified the actions in the mid east as a war against “Islamic” terrorists but rather a “War on Terrorism.” To engage the use of patently Christian devices and nomenclature would be an escalation of the combat to religious rather than political nature,

As to the crosses at Pendleton, please remember that memorials to our lost comrades must be as diverse as their religions and non-beliefs were. A cross would be a fitting memorial to Christians only. But when a number of our fallen comrades were of diverse beliefs, then a generic memorial containing all of the religious symbols must be rendered. In a case where Christians, Jews, Muslims, Hindus or other belief systems were represented the religious preferences are easily ascertained from records and the appropriate memorial undertaken.

Imagine, if you would, a young Christian widow and aging Christian parents of a fallen soldier at his graveside and at the blessing the religious figure says: “Allah is great! May Mohammed guide this young soldier to paradise.” UH OH!

The religious symbol has to match the beliefs. The cross does not cover the whole spectrum.

Thank you for your concern which is the sign of patriotism.

Rick Baker
Former Air Force Officer
Rescue Pilot

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