Travis AFB

Published On: December 22, 2011|Categories: MRFF's Inbox|1 Comment|

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Dear Military Religious Freedom Foundation,

I was totally dismayed to read in local papers that your organization is demanding Travis AFB take down the beautiful nativity scene and menorah located near a big intersection. How dare you try to ruin Christmas and Hanukkah for the families who live and work on base. Shame on your organization. So many of these families have husbands and wives overseas- why would you want to take symbols down that try to bring good cheer to the base? If people don’t like it, dont look at it. It’s pathetic that this country, especially the military, cannot show displays of some of the biggest and fondest holidays of the year. It doesn’t feel much like the holidays anymore because groups like yours ruin it for everyone by bending the constitution to fit what you think. It’s freedom to speak your mind and have your religion. So let’s the majority of the people on base speak and leave their nativity and menorah up.

(name withheld)


Dear (name withheld),

As a proud Christian (Episcopalian in fact) volunteer for the Military Religious Freedom Foundation (MRFF), I am always amazed by the opening statements contained in the ‘hate mail’ we receive. MRFF stands for Religious Freedom in the United States Military. We have even attempted to express this simple and straightforward stand within the title of our organization in case you missed it. Extending this stand to any personal feelings of victimization you may have, MRFF strongly encourages and truly hopes you continue to pray and speak as you see fit, as long as it is not on the taxpayer’s dime or under the assumption of government support. Our constitutional guarantee in this country is for our individual and collective ability to pray and speak as we see fit. However, neither you nor I (or any assembled groups we belong to) are granted a constitutional guarantee that the government supports or endorses our prayer or our speech.

For purposes of a rational discussion and response, I’ll assume the following:
1) Your letter was generated in response to MRFF’s stand regarding the religious display at Travis AFB; and
2) You are a supporter of the Constitutional protection of other people’s rights to pray and speak as they see fit as well as yours; and
3) You support the sworn oath of military members to protect and defend our Constitutional protections.

The 1st Amendment to the Constitution as you well know is part of the first 10 Amendments which comprise the Bill of Rights. However, you don’t seem to realize that the majority opinion carries no weight under the Bill of Rights…absolutely none. The individual freedoms protected by the Bill of Rights apply to all as individuals and is not subject to the desires or preferences of a majority, plurality or any other subset of our country.

“Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof;…”
Within the military, the free exercise of religion is accommodated by the Chaplaincy. MRFF’s stand is that religious displays within the military belong within this very well funded accommodation. The military steps over the line from accommodation to establishment/support of a religion when it allows preferential religious displays such as the case at the Travis AFB main gate. At what point, was the decision made that only Christianity and Judaism would be displayed? Did I happen to miss the Travis AFB religious holiday displays for Buddhists, Muslims, Hindus, Shintos, Sikhs, etc.? If I did miss mention of the Travis AFB main gate displays for Mawlid an Nabi on February 15th or the Krishna Janmashtami on August 22nd, I truly do apologize for my unforgiveable ignorance as I am sure your support of those displays in the interest of prayer and speech freedoms would have been just as strong.

In the Interfaith Calendar of Religious Holidays for 2011 (http://www.interfaithcalendar.org/Fullyeararchive2011.htm) there are 186 days pertaining to 185 observances. When any arm of government chooses such a small sample from this calendar for recognition, the line from religious accommodation to religious support has clearly been crossed. Rather than suggesting that Travis AFB provide accommodation for religious displays at its main gate year round for the entire Interfaith Calendar (a daunting and expensive task for any military unit), MRFF has taken the reasonable and measured stand of requesting the relocation of religious displays to its existing location for religious accommodation, the Base Chapel.

Your consideration and understanding of MRFF’s position is greatly appreciated. If, on the other hand and in the interests of our shared constitutional protections that are a shining beacon throughout the world, you would like to initiate an effort for main gate displays at all of our military installations, I can’t speak for MRFF on this one, but I would support you 100 percent. Please keep me informed of your efforts should you chose to undertake this endeavor.

Sincerely,
Andy Kasehagen

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One Comment

  1. freeman December 22, 2011 at 9:32 pm

    Andy… no government agency chose to represent the nativity and menorah… these cards are made by volunteers from various squadrons, units on base. Sorry the other wonderful religions (and I mean wonderful) chose not to display anything, except for the atheists who chose the flying spaghetti monster which mocks all religious expression. I think you’re targeting the wrong group.

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