Christian Book display at the Martinsburg (WV) VAMC
From: Veteran’s name withheld
Date: September 29, 2022 at 7:50:50 AM MDT
To: [email protected]
Subject: Christian Book display at the Martinsburg (WV) VAMC
Hello Mr. Weinstein,
I’m sending you photos of the book display inside the “Patriot” commissary at the Martinsburg VA here in West Virginia.
As you can see, the rack is labeled “Inspirational Reading” and includes ONLY, and exclusively, Christian books, including one titled “Proverbs for Dogs.”
Obviously, all the VA Patriot commissaries are contracted out, but we know from experience that they still must comply with government regulations for content.
Is this something you would check out? I’m attaching as many photos as I feel you could use, but I have more.
Thanks,
(Veteran’s name withheld)
Response from MRFF Senior Research Director Chris Rodda
From: Chris Rodda <[email protected]>.
To: (e-mail address withheld)
Date: Sep 29, 2022, 10:41 AM
Subject: Re: Christian Book display at the Martinsburg (WV) VAMC
Hi (name withheld) …
I’m Chris Rodda, MRFF’s research director.
Mikey asked me to respond to your email and let you know that we are already all over this issue. It’s not just the Martinsburg VA. These Choice Books displays are at every VA medical facility across the country, including the one in New Mexico where Mikey gets his medical care, and we have gotten numerous complaints about them.
In April, we submitted a FOIA request to the VA to find out how Choice Books got the contract to be the sole bookseller in the Patriot stores, but the VA has not responded. Now that it is over four month past their deadline to respond, we are getting ready to sue the VA to force them to respond. Emails like yours will be very helpful (you will of course be kept anonymous).
We’ll be sure to keep you posted as things proceed.
Chris
From: Veteran’s name withheld
To: Chris Rodda <[email protected]>
Date: Sep 29, 2022, 12:10 PM
Subject: Re: Christian Book display at the Martinsburg (WV) VAMC
Hi Chris,
I’m so blown away by your response, not only the speed but the content, that I immediately went to your website and donated $100. I will be sure to let you know anything else I see.
Several years ago, I noticed an ad posted in the Optical Shop, featuring a sexy woman wearing glasses with the caption “they are so comfortable you’ll feel like you’re wearing nothing at all.” Of course, in her head-and-shoulders-photo she was wearing a strapless garment, letting the viewer imagine she was “wearing nothing at all.”
I hand-delivered a letter of complaint to the VA Director here in Martinsburg around 11AM. By 3PM, I was called by his assistant telling me that he’d seen my letter, got on the elevator, directly went to the Optical Shop and demanded that they remove the poster—which they did. He also notified the department of the VA which handles the contractors for the optical shops, as he assumed they all had the same poster. I still can feel the awe of how it feels to be listened to and respected. His name is Tim Cook, and he relocated to (I believe) Bay Pines in FL.
I try to be a whistle-blower every chance I get. Thanks for doing the work for me on this one.
(Veteran’s name withheld)