Operation Christmas Child

Published On: November 7, 2011|Categories: MRFF's Inbox|1 Comment|

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Dear Ms. Miller,

I apologize for sending my communication to you. I could not find a contact for Mr. Weinstein. I wanted to let him know that I am truly upset about his organization’s stance on simply encouraging Air Force Academy cadets to support Operation Christmas Child. My family has filled shoe boxes for this organization for as long as I’ve had children (16 years as of this Christmas). Those boxes are not just filled with toys and candy. They are filled with school supplies, personal hygiene products, small articles of clothing and other useful items. The toys and candy are secondary items to fill in space. A lot of times my children write letters of encouragement to the children who will receive the boxes, so that children all over the world will know that we Americans, who have so much freedom and privilege, are thinking of them. We usually take money we would have spent on their own presents in order to provide our children with the money needed to make up a useful collection of items. These are life lessons for my children, and the children that receive the boxes. Mr. Weinstein has grossly oversimplified a wonderful service that many Americans support, all in the name of “saving” our military from religious influence. My nephew is a cadet at the academy in question. I hope that he and all his friends will take Mr. Weinstein’s meddling and get fired up to do the opposite of what he wants. In the meantime, hopefully Mr. Weinstein will use some of his “influence” to encourage others to donate their time and money for children in need, whether here in our great nation, or elsewhere.
I would appreciate you passing my comment along to Mr. Weinstein.

(name withheld)


Dear (name withheld),

Please know that Mr. Weinstein has read and appreciates you comments. He has asked me to respond on MRFF’s behalf.

We would like to express our sincere gratitude and respect to you, your son, and your family in regards to your son’s commitment to our nation at the US Air Force Academy. You should also know that Mikey and his family have long ties to USAFA. Mikey is a 1977 Honor Graduate. His oldest son and daughter-in-law are 2004 Graduates, and Mikey’s youngest son graduated in the Class of 2007 from the Air Force Academy and is the sixth member of Mikey’s family to attend the Academy. His father is a distinguished graduate of the United States Naval Academy. Mikey spent 10 years in the Air Force as a “JAG” or military attorney serving as both a Federal prosecutor and criminal defense attorney.

We believe that you have actually grossly oversimplified MRFF’s actions in regards to OCC activities at USAFA. MRFF has done nothing to stop OCC at the USAFA. Any statement to the contrary is both ignorant of actual facts and based on a wild assumption. Absolutely no one at the USAFA is being prohibited from participating in the OCC. USAFA even has an internal (meaning tax payer funded) element that can encourage participation in this or similar activities. You may have even heard of this organization that exists within all branches of the US military, it’s known as the Chaplain Corps.
MRFF’s Founder and President Mikey Weinstein stated as much:
Thursday, November 3, 2011
UPDATE: AFA backs away from toy drive that sparked flap
Weinstein said he’d be fine if the academy was backing a secular toy drive, or if the religious charity was promoted by chaplains rather than cadet leaders. But having leaders apparently backing the worldwide evangelism aims of Operation Christmas Child is inappropriate, he said.
http://www.gazette.com/articles/religious-127840-academy-christmas.html?pic=1
Was this statement:
a) Not clear;
b) Not included in whatever source you relied on to spur you to write to MRFF; or
c) Not able to fight it’s way past your preconceptions of MRFF’s actual goals?

This position on the USAFA handling of participation in OCC which I believe was clearly and precisely stated by MRFF was quickly followed by USAFA agreeing with MRFF 100% in a press release:
Friday, November 4, 2011
Academy responds to cadet community project — Community project will continue, led by Academy Chaplains
http://www.usafa.af.mil/news/story.asp?id=123278819

MRFF’s goal is, and has always been, to uphold the military’s command structure constitutional imperative to be totally neutral on religious affairs. In fact, this imperative is of such significance as to require a very recent command directive from the US Air Force Chief of Staff:
September 1, 2011
Schwartz: Don’t endorse religious programs
Chief of Staff Gen. Norton Schwartz sent a service wide memo Sept. 1 cautioning leaders at all levels to balance the Constitution’s protection of religious freedom and the prohibition on government intrusion.
http://www.airforcetimes.com/news/2011/09/air-force-schwartz-warns-commanders-on-religious-programs-091611/
Was this command directive:
a) Not clear;
b) Over 2-months old and difficult to recall;
c) Applicable to all US Air Force elements outside of the USAFA; or
d) Not able to effectively cut through an existing, and un-constitutional, command structure religious bias?

Assumptions based on factual ignorance reveal pre-conceptions and nothing else. This may create a cheap anger driven adrenaline thrill, but accomplishes nothing.

We are involved in a cause that affects children worldwide very deeply, both today and tomorrow. Any assertion that MRFF has no care for children speaks volumes about the lack of understanding of the overwhelming historical importance of our cause. To allow the command structure of the most powerful military in world history to promote any religion would lead to potentially horrific consequences for any children not belonging to the “preferred” religion.

Your consideration of this information is greatly appreciated. May the warmth and calm of Christian brotherhood be with you.

Sincerely,
Andy Kasehagen

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One Comment

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