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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

MRFF Contact: Bekki Miller
Tel. (337) 356-8696
bekki.miller@militaryreligiousfreedom.org

IN STRIKING ABOUT-FACE,
TRAVIS AIR FORCE BASE DRAMATICALLY ALTERS
RELIGIOUS DISPLAY LIGHTING WHILE USAF LEADERSHIP REQUESTS MEETING WITH MRFF PRESIDENT MIKEY WEINSTEIN

Thursday, December 22, 2011

• Days after a refusal to back away from unconstitutional display, Air Force leadership appear to be shrinking in the face of pressure from a range of critics and organizations opposed to U.S. military intrusion into religious affairs.

• In pursuit of full Constitutional compliance, international law firm Jones Day responds to Air Force offer of meeting between MRFF leadership and USAF's Air Mobility Command Staff with request to meet with top Commanding Officers.

Excerpt from Jones Day letter:

"Dear Gentlemen:

We have received your letters dated December 21, 2011. In response to Mr. Von Wald's letter suggesting an in-person meeting at Scott AFB, Illinois, Mr. Michael L. "Mikey" Weinstein, as Founder and President of the Military Religious Freedom Foundation (MRFF), accepts your offer to meet with Air Mobility Command staff, Hq AMC/JA/HC. However, because Hq AMC/JA/HC are merely advisors to Commanders—and MRFF wants to maximize its time at Scott AFB—Mr. Weinstein would also like to meet with decision makers, i.e., Commanding Officers. As such, we require that some representative constituency of AMC/CC/CV and 18AF/CC/CV be present at this critically-important meeting. We anticipate that Gen Johns, Lt Gen Allardice, MGen Ramsey, and BGen Martin would be most interested in our views, as we are likewise interested in theirs. A combined meeting with all is perfectly acceptable to MRFF, but if one is not possible, it is more important that MRFF meet with the Commanders than with the staff..."

Click here to read Jones Day letter

TRAVIS AFB: "Success! (partially)"

Wednesday, December 21, 2011

Mr. Weinstein,

I just drove on base here at Travis AFB to check on our Travis Atheist Community sign, as we members are aware that we have been having problems with vandalism to our sign lately. I was very surprised when I arrived, because the situation has changed so drastically! Please see the attachment, which includes two photos (the "before" and "after") of the incredibly telling change. The Air Force, previous to tonight, provided four large lights that illuminated the nativity scene very brightly. Most of the other signs, including ours and the Jewish Menorah were illuminated with a dim light which utterly paled in comparison to the completely radiant Nativity. Tonight, the Nativity has only one light, and EVERY SINGLE DISPLAY is now illuminated equally.

It is apparent to me that they understand that allowing the Nativity to be illuminated so much more brilliantly is wrong. Mr. Weinstein, they have altered the lighting entirely!! Virtually eliminating the discrimination in brightness that was formally obvious! Please accept my most sincere gratitude for representing us. I never dreamed that we would have so much success, and it heartens me to think that we may possibly be convincing them to do the right, American, Constitutionally-correct thing! If we could simply now convince them to move to the Chapel. I think we will have won a great victory for a just cause!

Very Exuberantly,

(USAF Member/MRFF Client's name, rank, AFSC, military unit withheld)

Click to read this letter, see photos

Click here to read many more emails MRFF
has received in the "MRFF's Inbox" archive

Featured Recent Inbox Posting: "Man in the Mirror"

RELIGIOUS RIGHT CALLS
FOR CONGRESSIONAL INVESTIGATION OF
MRFF FOUNDER AND
PRESIDENT MIKEY WEINSTEIN

Wednesday, December 21, 2011

Alliance Defense Fund and Chaplain Alliance for Religious Liberty commend unconstitutional religious displays at Travis AFB, call for investigation of MRFF leadership

Selected Excerpt:

"Our military personnel should not be coerced to abandon their religious heritage simply to appease someone's political agenda," said CH (COL) Ron Crews, an Army chaplain who served 28 years and is now executive director for the Chaplain Alliance for Religious Liberty.

"This latest attempt by the Military Religious Freedom Foundation to intimidate military personnel by threat of lawsuit must be challenged," Crews said. "We are concerned at the apparent open access Mikey Weinstein has to senior Pentagon leaders and call for Congress to investigate his relationship, particularly to Air Force officials."

Mikey Weinstein, an Air Force Academy graduate, has been an outspoken critic of any public display of America's religious heritage.

"Someone must confront the assault by Mr. Weinstein on our constitutionally guaranteed religious liberties," said Crews. "The Chaplain Alliance for Religious Liberty will take that stand."

Click here to read ADF/CARL press release

Selected Commentary Excerpts:

• As an infamous statement from the past says, "I fear that we may have awakened a sleeping giant and filled him with a terrible resolve." I pray this may be applicable, in retrospect, for the Christian and Jewish communities to The Military Religious Freedom Foundation, which is wanting to remove holy season displays on Travis Air Force Base ("Group wants Travis Air Force base to remove nativity, menorah displays," Dec. 15).

• The taking of religious symbols out of certain public places may happen, but individual freedoms still allow us to put faith symbols on our land, homes, vehicles and person. This can be the answer for the Travis Christmas and Hanukkah rebuff, as well as for all those who stand in support of our military, Christian and Jewish heritages.

Click to read this article at The Reporter

MRFF CLIENT AND RETIRED
TRAVIS USAF OFFICER
DAVID HORN RESPONDS

Response Letter to
The Vacaville Reporter

Thursday, December 22, 2011

Selected Excerpt:

...As a USAF officer and pilot (both fighter and tanker aircraft) recently retired from Travis, I know that this issue is just the very tip of the iceberg at Travis AFB. Overtly religious inspirational videos, created by fundamentalist Christian organizations were routinely shown at mandatory USAF Commander's Calls. A presentation on the official USAF Travis AFB computer system, accessible by all USAF airmen at Travis actually denigrates non-Christians as "Idiots" and "Fools". The properties of this official USAF computer file reveal that it was actually PRODUCED by the Travis audio visual department. One wonders who it was created for and presented to on base. I was told to stand and bow my head "In Jesus name" at virtually every gathering from post-combat deployment ceremonies to mandatory USAF meetings about official travel pay. After one such meeting, a USAF enlisted crewmember, who I had recently served with in combat came to me in private and asked, "Sir, How dare they assume I'm a Christian?" My legal and proper forwarding of this airman's complaint was met with an immediate systemic smear campaign against me that virtually destroyed my career despite the incontrovertible fact that I had earned 21 in a row passed proficiency evaluations and lauded combat service...

Click to read this commentary

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