Lt. Col. David McGraw

(name withheld), thanks for writing back.  Your point about someone playing music too loud is spot on.  Frankly, if I’m in my house with doors and windows closed and I can hear your music, barking dog, or preaching, then I think you’d agree that you’re being too loud, regardless of the content of the sound.

With respect to the Establishment Clause, he was violating that because, as a senior officer, he was, in effect ESTABLISHING his version of Christianity as the public religion of that housing block by forcing everyone to hear him.  With his stature as an O-5, you can easily see why an E5 or E-6 would be hesitant to make a complaint.

Now, I don’t know the specifics of your situation with the FFRF so I won’t pass judgment on those.

It may be easier if I just give you the complaint letter we received from Stuttgart.  When you read this, picture yourself as this Lt Col’s next-door neighbor, as an AMH 2.  Now, ask how you would feel if you were Christian and he was preaching in Arabic and calling all to Muslim prayer.  You could also ask, “How would I feel if he was an Atheist and took these opportunities to give loud anti-religious speeches denegrating all of those that bother to go to church to pray because he thinks that religion is the ‘opiate of the masses’?”  If that were the case, the MRFF would be filing the same complaint on your behalf.

 

Mr. Weinstein – I am urgently writing to you to request help with an inescapable situation happening here in Stuttgart Germany.  I am writing on behalf of several families that live on Kelley Barracks.  This is a military post located in Stuttgart, Germany, and is part of the five military posts known as U.S. Army Garrison (USAG) Stuttgart.  Kelley Barracks is a very small housing community that has less than 100 families.  Most families practice a variety of faiths with no apparent conflict.

In mid-March, the Coronavirus ground daily life to a forceful halt here in Stuttgart.  The local U.S. Military population had an ever-increasing and worryingly high number of positive cases of Coronavirus.  The German government, as well as the military command, put most daily activities on lockdown to try and stop the rampant spread of the virus.  Playgrounds were roped off, people were required to social distance with anyone outside of their in-house family, children were sent home from school to be educated virtually, grocery shopping was placed on a rigid schedule to help with spreading, in-person religious services were halted and moved to virtual services, all non-essential services were shuttered.  Military members and their families, in an effort to stop the spread of the virus, complied.  There were many videos on social media from across Europe that showed communities coming together in song.

On March 15, 2020, LTC David McGraw hosted a Sunday morning religious sing-along, for the residents of two buildings that overlook a playground in the housing area of our military post.  Invitations were distributed throughout a variety of community communication methods.  Our military apartment buildings are 4 apartments high by 3 apartments wide.  The acoustics between the buildings is quite extraordinary.  The sing-along happened and life went on.  There were several eyebrows raised because it was happening in Military housing hosted by an upper-level officer. Most tried not to read too much into where this was going.  However, it happened again the following week.  And the next.  At four weeks into this, the song and scripture flyers are now being placed on individual doorsteps of residents to join in to what is essentially an evangelical worship service that is happening outside of the multitude of virtual services being hosted by the Military Chaplains.
Easter Sunday arrives.  It is again LTC McGraw’s Porch Pulpit. Residents that do not want to participate in this version of Easter Sunday are trapped in their homes and forced to be listening-participants.  The only other alternative is to leave your home in order to not be an unwilling participant in a religious service not of your choosing.  Easter Sunday means different things to different faiths and this was very much outside the faith of many.  Every Sunday morning, you are a forced captive audience for LTC McGraw to shout his scriptures across the roped off playground and listen to a selection of religious songs sung by your neighbors who often out-rank you.  This has now been happening for eight weeks with no end in sight.   This has also become a draw for people that are missing in-person worship service, so there are more than just residents of our housing community showing up.  There are people now standing around in between the buildings to participate in the service.  This is very much against the social distancing guidelines set forth for military members and their families.

 

The residents and participants of this sing-along are all upper-level officers of the different branches of the United States Military.  These officers across the Army, Air Force, Navy, & Marines have all been taught throughout their entire military career that while it is absolutely acceptable to have faith and practice it, it should not be shoved on others.  Much less repeatedly shoved on others to the point of it being an abuse of power against others in their home.  They absolutely know that this is something that would not be ok if someone used the architectural acoustics to announce the Call to Prayer of those in the Muslim faith.  If you want to host a bible-study in your home, you are free to do so.  You absolutely should be able to practice your faith.  You should not be able to hold others hostage and disallow their quiet enjoyment in their own homes.  

 

There is a system set up that has a building manager for each military apartment building. This military person is the go-between for the residents and the Military Housing Office that oversees the rules and regulations put forth for the residents. These building managers are active participants in this forced worship service, closing that line of communication for fear of retribution.  The Military Police are unwilling to attend to any noise complaints outside of the standard quiet hours.  There is no way to file an anonymous complaint that does not come back in retaliation.  I could use your help in any way that you can provide.

 

Sincerely,

(MRFF Active Duty Family Member’s name, rank, MOS/AFSC, unit, assigned command and armed forces branch all withheld)

Finally, I don’t know what you mean by “I’ve had my run in with officers like you.”  I hope you mean, the kind of officer that believes in the rights of all, regardless of rank, religion, gender, race, or orientation to serve the Constitution and Nation in the Armed Forces.  If so, then thanks!

 

Have a great day and stay healthy and safe!

Marty