general comment

Published On: December 11, 2015|Categories: MRFF's Inbox|0 Comments|

Accessibility Notice

This post was created on the previous version of the MRFF website, and may not be fully accessible to users of assistive technology. If you need help accessing this content, please reach out via email.

Weinstein – you have finally lost what little mind you had.  Calling the prayers of football players a “putrid example of fundamentalist Christian supremacy, triumphalism and exceptionalism” ??? Seriously?

May God have mercy on your soul.  I am not inclined to do so.

(name withheld)


 

Dear (name withheld),
I am writing in response to your December 8, 2015 email to the Military Religious Freedom Foundation (“MRFF”).  You have taken MRFF’s statement out of context – we do not accuse the personal prayers of individual USAFA football players of being anything other than prayers.

 

However, the demonstration of public prayer by USAFA cadets amounts to the wrongful endorsement of one religion over others.  This not only violates the Establishment Clause of the First Amendment, but also violates Air Force regulations.  USAF Instruction 1-1, Sec. 2.12 states: “Leaders at all levels…must ensure their words and actions cannot reasonably be construed to be officially endorsing or disapproving of, or extending preferential treatment for any faith, belief, or absence of belief.”

 

Yes – we seriously claim that this type of violation is nothing more than fundamentalist Christian supremacy, triumphalism, and exceptionalism.  Constitutional violations are serious and we treat them as such.  We have neither the time nor inclination to consider your personal refusal of “mercy” before protecting the rights of the brave men and women who sacrifice so much to protect our rights.

 

Blessed be,

 

Tobanna Barker
MRFF Legal Affairs Coordinator

Hi, (name withheld),

Just to be clear, Mikey has no problem with the prayers of football players. Football players, people of all walks of faith can pray with his blessing. But when in the military, it’s a question of time, place and manner. In this instance, his problem is with a public demonstration by a military unit of an overt religious act. That is inappropriate and violates military regulations.

And in answer to your question about seriousness, yes. Though you may have been unaware of it, there has been a concerted attempt on the part of followers of a fundamentalist Christian sect known as dominionism to insist itself into our military, and in significant part it is taking place at the US Air Force Academy.

So if you object to Mikey’s choice of words about what is happening on many fronts, you might think about ascribing it to his long-term, on-going struggle against an attempt to turn the U.S. Military into the “Army of Jesus Christ.” Put in that context it may make more sense to you.

Best,

Mike Farrell

(MRFF Board of Advisors)


Hi (name withheld),

Me again. I just received a message from one of Mikey’s friends and supporters that might help you better understand the situation. I will censor identifying information because I haven’t asked him if I can use his message. I trust you understand.

As I read it, he tried to post a message about the USAFA football controversy on a site called Free Republic and was banned. Read on, if you will.

Best,

Mike Farrell

(MRFF Board of Advisors)

 

Greetings!  Before I make my comments, let me tell you about myself and the person you just banned from making responses to your “readers.”

I am a recently retired, Senior Officer, from the United States Air Force.  I served for 27-years, as a combat aviator and leader, at the flight, squadron and group levels.  I have three combat tours under my belt, two to Iraq and one to East Africa, one in the air and two on the ground.  I have led and influenced troops, from the very beginning of my career, and always did so, within the guidelines of the oath I took, to “support and defend the Constitution of the United States.”  This is what true American military leaders and military members do, but unfortunately, too many of our fellow Americans don’t have a clue, as to why we do business that way, and don’t bother to seek the truth.

I am a new “poster”, going by “MRFF Heroes”, and in full disclosure, it is because I am a fan and supporter of the MRFF and their mission to support our troops.  I signed up to make comments today (Dec 8, 2015), to a specific article, and my posting privileges have already been revoked.  That was fast!

I truthfully don’t know much about the Free Republic and I, as I have just discovered, wrongfully thought it was a forum that Americans could exercise their Constitutional rights to freedom of expression, about topics of the day, and not one that bans dissenting opinions.

The posts, by New Republic members, based on the article about the violation of the United States Constitution, by some players of the USAFA football team, the coaching staff and USAFA leadership, are hate-filling, bigoted, uninformed, inflammatory, and are personally offensive to Mikey Weinstein and the MRFF.  Frankly they are treasonous and Un-American. Those “posters” are not Patriots or concerned Americans.  They are just ignorant haters.

I simply provided educated and truthful responses to those hate-filled, bigoted, and racist comments, posted by your members, without using profanity or personal attacks, other then simply recommending that your members educate themselves before making such obscene and uneducated responses, and to avoid personal attacks on someone that they don’t even know. What is the problem with that?  Shouldn’t we know the facts before we speak?  Aren’t we a free country where we can speak our mind and to worship or not worship anyway we chose (within the guidelines of the Constitution)?  According to the New Republic, that answer is no.

I stated that I personally know Mikey Weinstein, his wonderful and Patriotic family, and some members of the MRFF staff, and they are more American and Patriotic than ANY of the posters I saw to this article.  They have endured daily and obscene verbal abuse and the most horrific threats of violence, all coming from “God-fearing” and “Patriotic Americans,” yet, they have sacrificed their safety and personal finances, to faithfully serve the men and women of our armed forces and Department of Defense, free of charge, every day.  They actually “support” our troops, unlike the majority of Americans, who just pay that phrase “lip-service.”

If you don’t learn anything else from my comments here, the MRFF works diligently to insure that our military members, from all the services, and Department of Defense civilians, can execute their mission without being proselytized to and discriminated against, because of their beliefs or non-beliefs.  This is what the Founding Fathers wanted and this is what real Americans do.

In closing, since you don’t allow comment, that isn’t inline with your dogma and and uninformed opinions, I respectfully suggest that you change your name from the “Free Republic” to something that doesn’t suggest “free” nor “republic”

Respectfully,

Colonel Greg P, USAF Retired

 

 

 

 

 

Share This Story

Leave A Comment