Veteran/VA employee thanks MRFF for “assistance in responding to disgustingly abusive and in-your-face Christian Supremacist inspired religious/racial harassment”
From: David (last name withheld)
Subject: Letter
Date: August 31, 2024 at 12:22:56 PM MDT
To: “[email protected]” <[email protected]>
Mikey/MRFF,
Thanks for recent advice and assistance in responding to disgustingly abusive and in-your-face Christian Supremacist inspired religious/racial harassment (…Project 2025 preview?) directed at me as an employee then promptly ignored if not actively encouraged by the administrators of the Phoenix VAMC. While my situation is not fully resolved, the MRFF crew has been extremely helpful in providing advice and encouragement in my ongoing effort to push-back for the Constitution, our shared civil rights, and my sworn oath to protect both!
My name is David (last name withheld) (…and please feel free to publish my name) and I am a retired veteran of 23 years. I served honorably with or in four branches of the U.S. military with great personal pride. I have always wanted to make a difference by protecting those who could not or cannot protect themselves. I also happen to be a 53-year-old black man. While I was raised in a Southern Baptist faith tradition, I became an Atheist/Humanist assuming that I could exercise my freedom of belief as someone not convinced of the existence of god(s). If you stand up for what is right and fair, you will be appreciated and revered. I was wrong.
In 2019, while working as a nurse at the Phoenix VA’s Southeast clinic in Gilbert AZ, I was on a team of three that took care of veterans. A private contractor serving VA clients (a.k.a. Provider), that my team of nurses lead, was going to have a meeting about daily workload (NORMAL). This provider decided that we would have a prayer session in the room where I see my patients (NOT NORMAL)!
Being an Atheist/Humanist, I stated that I would not be participating and attempted to excuse myself until whomever wanted to pray were done, then I would return to the meeting. She grabbed my hand and stated that she, “was going to pray for me to become a good Christian whether I want to be or not”. Pulling my hand away in shock, this provider would not relent stating once again (after trying to grab me a second time) that she, “was going to make me a good Christian today” and “I was going to pray with them”. Pulling my hand away again, I said “no, and never touch me again”! The provider grabbed my hand a ridiculously aggressive third time! After offering some choice words about keeping her hands to herself, I left to seek guidance and possibly file a complaint.
Later that week while I was speaking with my Admin Clerk in the clinic office area, the provider loudly stated something smelled bad in the POD. Appeared extremely confused by her statement, everyone began asking what she was talking about and someone offered deodorizing spray. Spraying vigorously, she held her nose proclaiming “I know where the smell is coming from” then pointing directly at me “it’s Dave, he stinks”. Everyone working in the POD was shocked. This exceedingly arrogant, condescending, and racist provider got in my face saying “black people stink”. A complaint was filed immediately on my behalf as I filed one as well (EEO Complaint #1).
The VA ‘No Fear’ Policy proclaims the “VA does not tolerate unlawful discrimination, workplace harassment or retaliation based on… race, color, religion… and does not tolerate retaliation for opposing discriminatory practices…”. The Phoenix VAMC response? Since filing my EEO complaint, I have been:
-ARRESTED for enforcing the VAMC’s masking mandate during COVID pandemic,
-removed and given ‘No Contact Order’ at clinic where the incident occurred,
-shipped around to almost every clinic under the Phoenix VAMC system,
-blacklisted by other contract providers,
-treated like shit by co-workers because I reported over-the-top religious AND racial discrimination.
These abusive, illegal, and unethical examples of vicious retribution led to filing two more EEOC Complaints and a ‘Section 1983’ Civil Rights lawsuit in Federal District Court in Phoenix.
5 years after filing my original complaint in 2019 I received a response from the EEOC-OFO (Office of Federal Operations) to my appeal of the EEO Administrative Judge dismissal my original appeal:
-New hearing ordered to assess the provider’s statements contrary to my claims verified by witness testimony.
-A hostile work environment had clearly been created and allowed to continue by the providers and VA Administrators based on obvious Religious and Racial discrimination.
-The judgement in favor of the VA by the administrative judge SHOULD NOT have been granted.
I have never known an organization so hell bent on violating employees’ rights and protecting the people who violate those rights. I find it shameful for an administrative judge to so blatantly ignore Constitutional mandates and my civil rights to protect whatever they may identify with (religiously and/or culturally). My successful appeal of that judge’s decision highlights the Phoenix VAMC’s ongoing environment of Christian supremacy and retribution for anyone willing to call them on it! The MRFF’s recent assistance in my 5-year battle with this bureaucratic maze of gutless hypocrisy and ‘naked ass covering’ has been a tremendous assistance to my morale and drive to see this in-your-face un-Constitutional and highly unethical situation to a full resolution!! I can highly recommend active-duty military and veterans contact MRFF in response to what will obviously be even more intrusively over-the-top attempts to support the supremacy of one religious view over all others (i.e., Project 2025)!
Sincerely,
David (last name withheld) (PS. Freedom is scary. Deal with it!)
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David,
Good on ya brother!
I assume you’re a government employee, if true, I’m surprised contractors seem to be “in charge” at your VA. Contractors are not allowed to have supervisory control over government employees, period.
Although the reality doesn’t always follow the rules, you did the right thing. Stick to your guns. It’s hard going through all the agro of a EEO complaint and the ostracization, but the silver lining is that they’ll think twice before harassing you again!
They’ll eventually weed themselves out, those in power there know they can’t have a divided workforce and other complaints will show up, from VA members.
They’re obviously not doing it to just you. It’ll show up in other places and will ultimately come to a head. Sounds like you have some senior leadership there condoning it.
Not much in the way of relief for the one going through it, but know that you’re right and they’ll eventually eat themselves.
Of course, calling the MRFF exposes the leadership to the sunlight, disinfecting the organization of this ridiculous Christian nonsense.
Sorry you’re having to go through that, racism and Christian Nationalism, but you’ll win in the end. There are others there I’m sure that hold your views, just too afraid to say anything.
There are ways to tell people to go fuck themselves without saying as much but, hang in there, don’t let them win. You haven’t been beaten!
The MRFF is a powerful voice. They typically don’t mess with the minion mid-level managers that are causing the violations, they usually go straight to the top, the political positions where “perception is reality,” and those at the top usually take action, knowing it’s a blight on their own careers. And if they don’t, there’s a leader over those at the top!
Another reason to overwhelmingly vote blue in the upcoming election.
You’ll get more of the same religious bullshit under Daffy Donald, on steroids, magnified, as his Project 2025 plan replaces senior leaders with ass-kissers.
A Harris/Walz victory restores faith in the Constitution and puts these assholes on notice. Project 2025 becomes Debacle 2024!
Hang in there brother! You have more supporters than you know!
MAGATS – Out The Door In 24!
“The provider grabbed my hand a ridiculously aggressive third time!”
I would not have been able to ignore the desire to slam my fist onto the offending hand.
And then you’d be up on an assault charge! Just like the MAGATS that Donnie Doom thinks are going to come to his aid when he loses this election.
Nobody’s coming out for the Doctor of Dementia. Who’s gonna fight for this old pussy-ass-bitch? They happen to like their “freedom” a little more than they like Schittsinpants. They may run their pie holes, but they ain’t going to jail for him. They already saw that movie and definitely didn’t like the ending.
The sequel is always worse – and they know it. There might be a few one-off incidents but we’ll all move on and this country will be a better place to live.
The first step is in getting the Diaper King behind us.
Second step is a democratic majority in Congress.
3rd step is getting rid of the filibuster.
4th step one Supreme Court justice per district – 13.
4th step – Medicare for all.
5th – Negotiated drug prices.
6th – repeal tax cuts for the rich.
7th – Corporate minimum tax
8th – removal of the payroll cap on social security
9th – codification of Roe.
10th – child care assistance for working families
Now there’s a 10 step Project 2025 plan! One that will work!
MAGATS – Out The Door!
Vote like Democracy depends on it – it does!
David fights Goliath!!! When people believe in a supernatural god, well, that’s one thing. But when they believe that they know what that supernatural omniscient power thinks!?!?!? That’s when they feel justified shoving their own beliefs down other people’s throats. Not all heroes 🦸♂️ wear capes David. How would she have felt if you had grabbed her by the arm and pulled her to you and said,” I’m gonna make you a good atheist today, whether you like it or not.”??? You’d have been gone that very day. You’re a hero to me sir.
David. There is a Youtube channel called Civil Right Lawyer who deals with civil rights being violated by the police in West Virginia and at the end of each video, he says the same phrase about freedom.
David, you’ve got integrity, brains, and courage – all of which are unfortunately needed in large amounts to prevent religious and racial minorities from being bullied by sanctimonious, hypocritical bigots. Keep on fighting and demonstrating that decent people exist of all religious views and all races.
One of the ways to purge the Christian Nationalists in our military is to ensure Schittsinpants doesn’t get anywhere near the White House again!
He loves him some dumbass Evangelicals because he can’t get there without them! Thank God his religious base is waning, young folks leaving the faith in droves, tired of the gaslighting. They’ve pulled back the curtain and found “just a demented old white man,” both, in their churches and in their choices for dumb leading dumber in the national election.
I understand that RATS eat MAGATS, Republicans Against Trump dine on Make America Grift Again larvae, a good thing.
America is already a predominantly Christian aligned nation, not through legislation, but through an inculcated choosing of a particular flavor of magical thinking. Misguided and wrong, but, you know, magic! We all like a good magic show, it’s just that some recognize the difference between reality and entertainment.
They are entertaining, I give them that, as they nod their heads up and down for preacher man and buy him a new jet because the magic man in the clouds wants him to be closer to God as he traverses the nation in the lap of luxury while his minions throw money at him!
Of course, those in the MAGAT sphere want to theocratize the nation, make it official, like legislators in Louisiana, mandating the Ten Commandments in schools as if that will cure poverty in their State, ranked 49th in the country (thank God for Mississippi!).
They care how to mandate your thinking, not the quality of your lives, they could give two shits less whether you’re impoverished as long as, “I got mine! Sucks to be you! Pray!”
They’re the party of loving the smell of their own shit, wallowing in their own fecal paradigms of how to keep themselves in power as you support their wealth.
Time to throw off the shackles of theocracy and stop getting ready for the next life while you suffer in this one, working your ass off to make ends meet and provide a better future for yourself and your children while they legislate more power and control over your money and your future!
“Don’t worry, God is going to see you right when you get to Heaven, but in the meantime, your ass belongs to us! Now get your ass back to work! My rich kids going to private schools need you serving them! You don’t seriously think your kids are equal to mine! We’re the pretty people, all white and chosen!”
Republicans Against Trump is a thing, more and more leaving the faith, Christian and MAGAT, Donnie Dumbass telling you to praise the late great Hannibal Lector as he sells you sneakers, trading cards, Trump lapel pins, challenge coins, hats, T-shirts, Bibles; you know, “The Art Of The Steal!”
Let’s start with the first purge, Donald Shittsinpants Trump, and, as they say, “where they go one they go all,” he’ll take his MAGAT faithful with him, a chapter closing in America’s reign of error.
Trump is the leader on the MAGAT submersible. “All aboard. We’re going down to the Titanic! Guess what? You’ll never have to vote again!” Laugh out fucking loud!
Are you hearing popping sounds coming from the hull? That isn’t normal, just so you know!
For the MAGATS, when the water recedes from the beach, wade further out!
Big Blue Wave coming!
MAGAT Christians – We’re NOT Going Back!
Pray in one hand and shit in the other! See which one gets the fullest!
“Thoughts and Prayers!”
Religious hatred is being fomented by non other than Donald Jesuit Schittsinpants.
Trump believes in him some prosperity gospel, knowing how dumb his base is, selling them Bibles complete with his own denigrated version of the National Anthem, an ode to fealty, an autocratic oath.
Like the Christian God, “worship me or else,” his mandate for membership in his Christian cult.
When asked about how he’s going to pay for national child care and IVF, he says, “I’m going to implement 100% tariffs on ALL imports! As Chief Executive, he can do that without Congress, a stroke of a pen.
You know who pays the tariffs? YOU DO! He says he got billions from China when he imposed tariffs on their products. China’s response? “No worries, we don’t need your grain and soy.” Too easy! He then gave farmers (large corporate farming), $26 Billion dollars of YOUR money to compensate them for the Chinese loss to their market!
The U.S. steel and aluminum industries, who couldn’t meet demand for steel and aluminum (beyond production capacity), raised their prices. And guess who paid for the increased cost of aluminum and steel? YOU DID!
So, when Trump tells you he got billions from China, he’s gaslighting you. He’s calling you stupid right to your face! And of course, his MAGAT base responds with, “see, we showed them,” as they pay more for that Ford truck they hang their rubber balls on, not to mention washers and dryers and dishwashers, you get the picture.
Trump is so fucking stupid, just being near him lowers your IQ!
And now he’s going to pay for EVERYTHING (including more tax cuts for the rich), with the hike in taxes (tariffs are taxes) on all Americans!
Not to mention starting global trade wars!
So, when he tells you there’s going to be a crash bigger than the Great Depression, believe him, he’s going to bring it about!
Once he’s in office and consolidates his Project 2025 Unified Command Theory, what the fuck are you going to do about it? Here’s your answer, “Not a Goddamn thing!”
Powerless minions that gave their own livelihoods and future away. He’s already told you you’ll never have to vote again! He says, “we’ll have it so fixed, you’ll never have to vote again!”
In other words, “I’ll be President for life! And will appoint my successor!”
Come all ye faithful. Get on the MAGAT submersible. We’re going to the Titanic!
VOTE!
Let’s close this chapter. Getting rid of Trump’s Eau de Toilet fragrance will clear the stench and bring in the sweet smell of freedom. Freedom to be all you can be!
An era of possibility and opportunity is just on the horizon, the Blue Wave washing away the flotsam.
MAGATS – Our Nation’s Assholes! Out The Door In 24!