Shields of Strength
From: (name withheld)
Subject: Shields of Strength
Date: December 17, 2021 at 4:27:50 PM MST
To: Michael L Weinstein <[email protected]>
https://first liberty.org/news/fli-files-lawsuit-defending-dog-tags/
Guess who I will support. Hint: It won’t be MRFF.Nota Bene: The Shields of Strength are provided to those who specifically REQUEST them.
Retired 1SGDisabled Veteran (Vietnam & Iraq)
Retired 1SGDisabled Veteran (Vietnam & Iraq)
(name withheld)
Response from MRFF Board Member John Compere
On Dec 17, 2021, at 4:56 PM, John Compere wrote:
FOR YOUR ENLIGHTENMENT –
“The complaint, which weakly tries to cast the Military Religious Freedom Foundation (MRFF) as the evil, bête noire, main villain here, outrageously plays down that the issue was Shields of Strength’s use of the trademarked Department of Defense (DoD) branch emblems on its religious products. It is only these products with an official DoD emblem for which a DoD license is required that the DoD has said Shields of Strength cannot sell. The complaint repeatedly mentions Shields of Strength’s other products, such as its dog tags with a flag image or the words “Army Mom” on them, although the DoD has never said that Shields of Strength cannot continue producing and selling these other products. DoD regulations only prohibit the use of official DoD trademarked military emblems on religious products, and these are the ONLY products that the DoD has prohibited Shields of Strength from producing and selling. The complaint’s “Exhibit A” very deceptively contains nine photos of Shields of Strength dog tags that have an American flag design, but not a single photo of the dog tags with trademarked DoD emblem on them, which are the ONLY ones they can no longer produce and sell. Shields of Strength is and has always been free to produce and sell its other products. Hopefully, any competent Federal judge will easily see through First Liberty Institute’s specious subterfuge and justly rule in favor of the DoD via DoD, or DoJ on behalf of DoD, filing a simple Motion for Summary Judgment or other routine, preliminary dispositive Motions.”
See this op-ed on Military Times, written by MRFF Senior Research Director Chris Rodda (copied above) in direct rebuttal to an op-ed written by First Liberty Institute’s Mike Berry, in which Berry used the very same transparently deceptive tactics as are used in the complaint:
“The real reason the Marine Corps is disallowing Shields of Strength’s Bible verse dog tags”
https://militarytimes.com/opinion/commentary/2020/01/22/the-real-reason-the-marine-corps-is-disallowing/shields-of-strength-bible-verse-dog-tags/
Response from MRFF Advisory Board Member Mike Farrell
On Dec 17, 2021, at 5:35 PM, Mike wrote:
(name withheld),
First Liberty has misled you. The only objection we have, and it’s shared by the DoD, isto selling dog-tags or items that bear the official DoD emblem on them. That suggestsU.S. Govt. endorsement of the religious messages Shields of Strength markets and is
thus inappropriate and illegal.
Shields of Strength can market whatever it chooses, but cannot use the official DoDemblem on articles it sells.
I hope that helps you better understand the situation.
Mike Farrell (MRFF Board of Advisors)
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This is wrong in so many ways but the main reason is that their is no law against anyone showing and practicing their religion their is no law forbidden religion influence but their is a law in our Constitution that says the government must make no law restricting our religion this saying of separation of religion and state is a myth leave the dog tags alone and MRFF BACK OFF YOU LOOK RIDICULOUS.
John Dees, You are wrong in so many ways but the main reason is there are regulations within the DOD preventing companies from using DOD emblems on their wares. Shields of Strength didn’t ask permission from the DOD (because they knew they’d be denied) and worst of all placed religious icons on the same item with the stolen DOD emblems.
No clue why I’m explaining the facts to you John Dees. The facts have been presented many times and yet here you are, mangling both facts and grammar.
Here’s a scary story for you John Dees, there really is separation of church and state, it is a myth that the USA was founded as a Christian nation, and because of bad faith actions by Christian Dominionists the youth of today are abandoning religion altogether.
I mean you might think this is a scary story. I believe it’s about freaking time.
Quit hiding behind the trademark bs.
Your a worthless unamerican leftist traitor POS rot in hell all you scumbag
It isn’t bs. This country was founded on the rule of law and freedom of religion for all. That requires the government to enforce the DOD regulations about use of the military service emblems on commercial religious products. If you want to live in a country without freedom of religion and the rule of law, you can always live in Iran or Saudi Arabia. Good luck with that.