Excellent responses to Detractor’s “Shame on you all” by MRFF Board Member John Compere, MRFF Advisory Board Members Col. James Currie, Mike Farrell, and Lawrence Wilkerson, and MRFF Supporter Rabbi Joel Schwartzman

From: (name withheld)
Date: December 25, 2024 at 5:54:22 PM MST
To: Mikey Weinstein
Subject: Shame on you all
Mister Weinstein
I always try to be polite when I write to you but I am angry that you didn’t take the time to send a message of Merry Christmas to our veterans and to our fine young service people, especially the ones far from home who can’t be with their families. I looked over all your activities for this month, you badmouthed Wreaths Across America and bullied Walter Reed into taking down that Nativity scene and badmouthed that General but you didn’t take just a few minutes to thank those who REALLY have served and fought for freedom. You all should very ashamed of yourselves. God bless our veterans and our service people and God bless our nation oh and MERRY CHRISTMAS to you all at the MRFF.
An old Soldier who does not support what you do!
(name withheld)
Response from MRFF Board Member John Compere
On Dec 25, 2024, at 8:51 PM, John Compere wrote:
Your specious and sanctimonious condemnation of the Founder and President of the Military Religious Freedom Foundation, Mikey Weinstein, a fellow American and military veteran you do not even know, as well as the staff, supporters and work of the Foundation reflects only on yourself and reveals only your own self-serving and self-imposed ignorance.
For your information and enlightenment, we are an American non-profit civil rights organization dedicated to protecting the religious freedom of present and past military personnel. We are composed of 1,100 volunteer and paid staff (84% Christians) and have represented almost 92,000 military men and women (95% Christians) who requested their right to religious freedom guaranteed them under the US Constitution be protected. For that advocacy, we have been nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize 7 times. We represent the religious freedom of all faiths and beliefs of military members when requested to do so by them. Be assured we will continue to serve them with persistence and patriotism despite criticism from malicious malcontents like yourself who do not care about the right to religious freedom of our American military men and women.
Although you claimed to have “looked over all your activities for this month”, you obviously did not read my seasonal article,’Tis the Season for Peace and Goodwill, which is published on our website wishing all Seasons Greetings and Happy Holidays. For your additional information and enlightenment, it is attached.
John Compere
Brigadier General, US Army (Retired)
Disabled American Veteran ( Vietnam Era)
Board Member, Military Religious Freedom Foundation
Response from MRFF Supporter Rabbi Joel Schwartzman
On Dec 26, 2024, at 6:37 AM, Rabbi Joel Schwartzman wrote:
Dear (name withheld)
Does the fact, as you charged, that the MRFF didn’t wish our service people a Merry Christmas mean that this will impact or possibly reduce your monetary donation to the Military Religious Freedom Foundation? If so, we humbly apologize. But since there are twelve days of Christmas, perhaps the Foundation may issue such a greeting. But I wouldn’t hold your breath. Of course, it would have to add “Happy Chanukah” and “Happy Kwanzaa” because those holidays are also being celebrated as I write. But I suppose that since you didn’t mention these and other holidays you don’t recognize any other religion’s holidays but your own. How utterly self-centered and dismissive of you! You ought to be ashamed. We do look forward to your inclusion of these observances.
Clearly you do not understand the mission of the MRFF. It does not exist to issue holiday greetings. Rather, it seeks to protect service members’ right to celebrate or not as they may choose. By the silly email you wrote, it’s obvious that you would push your holiday down the throats of all who serve. You support a for-profit scam that would sully the graves of people whose surviving relatives believe differently than do. You would impose the symbols of what you celebrate on everyone else, whether they adhere to whatever it is you believe or not. Some public servant you are!
Do recognize that the United States is a pluralistic society whose members enjoy freedoms enshrined in the Constitution. This fact may soar over your head, but I urge you to get ahold of the text of the First Amendment of the Bill of Rights. It would inform you of the religious freedoms of which I wrote. These also include something that surely twists and sours your thinking: that we defend those who would wish to observe no religion and are or should be free of the sanctimonious and intolerant theological pressures you and your ilk would impose upon them.
You speak of shame and that the MRFF ought to feel guilt for the righteous work it does to counter religious bigots like yourself. While I may wish you a Merry Christmas because you ought still to be celebrating it according to Christian tradition, I want you to understand that it is not the role of the MRFF to indulge in the purposes you would lay upon this organization. The MRFF stands in the breach that people like you would open as you attempt to malign the MRFF’s work and impose your brand of Christian oppressive “law and lore” much like what the Taliban and Syrian rebels are trying to do by commanding the establishment of Sharia Law for their countries.
This said, we hope to see a rather large donation from you now that you have been convinced that the shame is actually yours and that you need to step up and make this country and the people who serve it better served through the auspices of the MRFF.
Sincerely,
Rabbi Joel R. Schwartzman
Ch, Col (Ret), USAF
From: (name withheld)
Sent: Thursday, December 26, 2024 8:09 AM
To: Rabbi Joel Schwartzman
Subject: Re: Shame on you all
Rabbi Schwatzman
First of all, it is not (“name withheld”) to you its Mister (name withheld) or retired Sergeant (name withheld). I served two years longer then you. I have NEVER given one cent to your organization and I never will. I have a history degree and do not require a lecture from you.
(name withheld)
Response from MRFF Supporter Rabbi Joel Schwartzman
On Dec 26, 2024, at 8:51 AM, Rabbi Joel Schwartzman wrote:
Say, (name withheld), when you write what you write, I figure that since your email address includes your first name, that it is fair game to address you accordingly.
Clearly you do need a lecture from me. And, by the way, your having some sort of history degree is irrelevant to the issue at hand given the fact that what you attacked the MRFF for hasn’t got anything to do with history, per se. The issue is religion, something that you narrowly interpret and try to impose on others.
Regardless of whatever rank you may have achieved…and frankly, what you attribute to yourself seems suspicious if you served twenty five full years, it is your attitude and attempts at harassment which more clearly define you as a person to us.
Give or don’t give to the MRFF, you will remain what you are…so don’t expect any further response from me. I consider this electronic correspondence a waste of time. I have better things to do than to continue this exchange, pathetic as your scribblings are.
“Rabbi Joel”
Response from MRFF Advisory Board Member Col. James Currie
Dear (name withheld):
The Military Religious Freedom Foundation (MRFF) has asked me to respond to your recent email.
It is obvious from your message that you have no real knowledge or understanding of the mission of MRFF, which was founded almost twenty years ago to protect the First Amendment religious freedom rights of members of the US armed forces. In this capacity, MRFF has assisted more than 90,000 US servicemembers at no cost to them whatsoever. Ninety-five percent of these service members identify as Christians, while five percent embrace Judaism, the Muslim faith, Hinduism, some other religious belief, or no religious belief at all. MRFF is a civil rights organization, not a religious organization. As such, it does not offer religious proclamations to its supporters and those whom it has assisted. That, Mr. Tucker, is appropriately done by those who represent the various religious organizations and denominations to which American service members belong.
For you to get angry at MRFF because it does not behave like the church on the corner only reveals your total blindness to the value that MRFF provides in supporting the Constitution of the United States, to which you, as a self-described “old Soldier,” swore an oath of allegiance, perhaps more than once. I will remind you, Mr. Tucker, that this oath, which you would have taken upon every promotion or re-enlistment, required your pledge to “support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic.” That oath did not have a “weasel clause” in it through which you could decide which parts of the Constitution you would support and which ones you would oppose. No, that oath required you to “support and defend the Constitution” and to “bear true faith and allegiance” to the Constitution, meaning the entire Constitution, and not just to those parts of it that suit your beliefs at any particular time.
That is the MRFF mission and message, in this season or any other
Col. James T. Currie, USA (Ret.), Ph.D
Member, Advisory Board, Military Religious Freedom Foundation
Response from MRFF Advisory Board Member Mike Farrell
Hello (name withheld),
Old Soldier, eh?
By the use of your term “REALLY fought for freedom”, do you mean to suggest that the service of the women and men who did their duty for their country but didn’t face combat are somehow less deserving of respect for their willingness to do that duty than those who did? If so, your contempt for the millions who have served their time in past non-combat situations and those now away from home serving America across the world is an insult and a few of them might want to have a chat with you.
And of course if you were to meet such a person you could puff up your chest and sneer at her or him for not REALLY serving their country. If you were to do so I’d enjoy seeing the response.
It’s nice that you find the process promoted by Wreaths Across America to be a “BEAUTIFUL ceremony”, and it’s nice that you’re proud to “have taken part in two such ceremonies,” but to suggest “there is nothing religious about placing a wreath on a grave,” means you’re not paying attention.
Now, perhaps you’re one who thinks everyone is a Christian, or should be. Or perhaps you feel other faiths or belief systems don’t deserve the same honor and recognition as does Christianity. Kind of like the way you think only those who REALLY fought actually served in the armed forces. But see, Wreaths Across America has a decidedly Christian intention. Note their description of the wreath: “Each part of the wreath is significant and represents a different symbol. The evergreen structure symbolizes religious growth and rebirth. Adding cedar to a wreath symbolizes strength. Adding holly to the exterior of a Christmas wreath represents immortality. The holly thorns serve as the crown that Jesus wore during his crucifixion, and the red holly berries represent the blood He shed.”
Think about it, ‘old soldier.’ If you want to pay tribute at the graves of the fallen, be respectful of who they really were and don’t presume you know everything.
Mike Farrell
(MRFF Board of Advisors)
Mister Farrell
First of all it is Mister (name withheld) or retired Sergeant (name withheld) NOT (name withheld) to you. I am not your buddy or a supporter of the MRFF (and I am also not a MASH fan either). When I talked about those who really fought for freedom I meant ALL service people who served in peace and war. The least deserving people I am talking about are you MRFF people who just fight for money and publicity!
I respect all religions (the best is the one that brings you closest to God) but to me all you do is want to take God out of everything. I am furious when I hear of you taking Bibles off missing man tables and getting onto gate guards because they just say “Have a blessed day” but to me the worst thing you did was attacking that poor boy’s Eagle Scout project at that cemetary. To me he is more of a MAN then all of you put together! Wreaths Across America is a beautiful thing and I see nothing disrespectful about the symbolism of it.
Your organization posted nothing honoring the anniversary of Pearl Harbor and those who died OR 9/11 and those who died and you didn’t post anything wishing our fine service men and women away from home a Happy Thanksgiving shame on all of you. THAT is what I find disrespectful!
You listen to me Mister there is no one who is more respectful of the fallen then I am. I spent 25 years serving and EVERY veteran is my brother or sister and has my respect no matter they served in peace or war.
(name withheld)
Response from MRFF Advisory Board Member Mike Farrell
Hey (name withheld),
It’s amazing. Before I could find the time to respond to your last inane assault on the MRFF, I see that you’ve launched yet another tirade and managed in the process to rile up General Compere, one of our long-time supporters, who chose to tear you a new one.
Given the General’s always well-chosen words that have, in this case, made the necessary points quite succinctly, I see no point in wasting my time responding to your puerile rantings.
Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukkah and Happy New Year.
Mike Farrell
(MRFF Board of Advisors)
I told you once that its Mister (name withheld) or Retired Sergeant (name withheld) to you. Harry Morgan and William Christopher were two fine actors and I’m sure fine men. I always felt sorry for them because they had to make up for your lack of talent. They were the only reasons I watched MASH. Oh by the way thanks for saying Merry Christmas.
(name withheld)
Response from MRFF Advisory Board Member Mike Farrell
I think it was graceful of the General to not mention your ignorance in not understanding the difference between organizations like the USO and the Salvation Army that do charitable work and a civil rights advocacy organization like the MRFF. We do the hard work of protecting our servicemen and women’s right to believe as they choose and not be subject to unconstitutional proselytizing by those who take advantage of superior rank or simple ignorance of the fact that theirs is not the only proper belief system in the world. Like you, fundamentalist Christians, for example, take great umbrage at our insistence on protecting the separation of church and state. Some of that is out of ignorance, of course, which we correct. But, sadly, some of it is simply straightforward bigotry.
In terms of honoring those who have passed, those who have died in combat or those who now serve or are veterans, like many of our supporters, we continue our work publically and do our charitable endeavors privately.
I hope that helps you better understand the reality of the situation.
Mike Farrell
(MRFF Advisory Board)
Response from MRFF Advisory Board Member Lawrence Wilkerson
On Dec 26, 2024, at 2:39 PM, MRFF Advisory Board Member Lawrence Wilkerson wrote:
Dear Mr. (name withheld)
My name, rank and status are Lawrence B. Wilkerson, Colonel, United States Army (Retired). While others have challenged your recent email to Mikey Weinstein quite well and powerfully, I felt that as an advisory board member of the MRFF with 80 years on my shoulders, I should weigh in with you as well — principally because you are so polite and so angry simultaneously. There is no need, actually, for either sentiment– politeness or anger. But the former is appreciated nonetheless. The latter is not. The latter comes from your fundamental misunderstanding of the U.S. Constitution, the U.S. Armed Forces, and the country in which you live. Let me demonstrate all three to you using your own misconstrued and misunderstood examples.
First, your lamentations regarding no Christmas message.
Would it not be the most ridiculous, illogical, and fundamentally stupid act for the Military Religious Freedom Foundation — a civil rights group whose sole objective is indifference to any specific religion or lack thereof — to issue a Merry Christmas salutation “to our veterans and to our fine young service people” (quoting you)? Surely I need not explain the blatant contradiction of all for which the MRFF stands such a salutation would represent? I believe a third-grade elementary school student could grasp this logic.
Second, your plaintive cri de coeur (look that up; a hint: it’s French) with regard to the wreaths. The U.S. military — yes, even its graveyards — is replete with non-Christian members, atheists and agnostics. There are Sikhs, all manner of Muslims, Jedi Knights, Wiccans, Catholics of several types — all Christian of course — Buddhists, Jews of several types, and others. And as I said there are atheists and agnostics. Imagine the tyranny of the majority that would deface a Jewish grave, for instance, with a Christian Christmas wreath. Apparently, you would like to be a part of such a tyranny. But there is even more evil lurking in your plaintive cry.
You see it is clearly corroborated — even if politically and unethically judged “ok” — that the persons “donating” the wreaths for placement in the military cemeteries are in fact not really donating them in the finest sense of that word. This is true because the non-profit enterprise donating the wreaths actually purchases those wreaths at market prices from an organization that is owned by the same people who “orchestrate” the wreath-giving non-profit. How do you like that for a Christianly scam!
Third, your complaint about the very appropriate and constitutional actions of the Walter Reed National Military Medical Center’s removing the Christian nativity scene from U.S. Government property, where those Sikhs, Muslims, Zoroastrians, Jews, atheists, and others serving honorably in our military — the ones to whom you wanted MRFF to send Merry Christmases — might be offended by it. Certainly the crafters of the U.S. Constitution would be. And we all should “badmouth” — to use your term — any flag officer who would tolerate such a blatant violation of regulations not to mention the Constitution, upon which of course the regulations are based.
Lastly, we are very much NOT ashamed of ourselves nor should we be. It is people who would establish a tyranny of the majority (footnote this, please) over the minority that should be ashamed of themselves. Such protections are one of the most precious and important parts of the U.S. Constitution, where that document strives to prevent the little people from being mauled by the big people.
As to the footnote above. In this century, sooner in it than later, Christians will likely be in the minority in the United States — as they are in most of the world today. When that happens, you had best get down on your knees and pray to your divine providence, whomever he or she might be, that such a document as the U.S. Constitution is still available to protect you!
And while you are praying, put a plug in for the Military Religious Freedom Foundation which is today working for you and every other American to see that the Constitution is upheld religiously with respect to the Armed Forces of the United States of America.
From an old soldier who emphatically does not support your views,
Lawrence Wilkerson
Sir
Any decent person would wish our service people a Merry Christmas
not doing so it what I find “illogical, ridiculous and stupid”. Your
organization is NOT working for me and I would NEVER put in a plug for
you in my prayers. You were so lucky to have worked
for one of my heroes General Colin Powell and he would be so
disappointed in you because he was a Godly man.
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Response from MRFF Advisory Board Member Lawrence Wilkerson
n Dec 27, 2024, at 9:11 AM, Wilkerlb wrote:
Sir,
Now you are treading on terrain of which you are utterly ignorant. And that you would do so beggars the imagination. I spent 16 years with the man you are demeaning, utterly demeaning. He was one of the most logical men I ever knew and you are totally illogical in importing to him your sentiments, for that is what you are doing. If you cannot see the illogic of your point with respect to the MRFF and its issuance of a “Christmas greeting”, I cannot help you. In the context of logic, that would mean the MRFF would have to issue a similar suitable and seasonal greeting, nuanced to the belief or non-belief, to every religious group in America as well as to atheists and agnostics. I believe Arlington National Cemetery, for example, recognizes over a hundred such groups and its list is not exhaustive. Not only would that be prohibitively expensive, it would likely consume MRFF’s entire staff for weeks on end. That would be prohibitive also because it would keep them from more important tasks such as dealing with folks like you.
LW
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I was going to say something about the small mindedness and bigoted heart of the letter writer but Rabbi Joel Schwartzman said it best, and more politely.
Letter writer, do better. May the deity you claim to worship visit you when you pray. Not the deity you created but the one in the book you claim to follow. May you listen with your ears and heart. May your life be changed in the process.
No, I’m not being kind. Such awakenings are not easy even as they are necessary.
Holy crap. Letter writer has not just a chip on their shoulder but is suffering from some sort of decline – not a fan of MASH but watched it all the time for the two actors they liked? OOOOKKKAAAAYYYY
Bigot says “I respect all religions (the best is the one that brings you closest to God) but to me all you do is want to take God out of everything. I am furious when I hear of you taking Bibles off missing man tables and getting onto gate guards because they just say “Have a blessed day” but to me the worst thing you did was attacking that poor boy’s Eagle Scout project at that cemetary. To me he is more of a MAN then all of you put together! Wreaths Across America is a beautiful thing and I see nothing disrespectful about the symbolism of it.”
Um, letter writer, your words just proved that you don’t in fact respect the faith of others. Perhaps they believe the different denominations of Christianity is what is meant by religious diversity?
Honestly if I exhibited this amount of cognitive dissonance I’d face remedial therapy sessions from my mental health team as I’d have forgotten everything previously learned.
Suffice it to say the letter writer is an old thinking sort of human. Hopefully those biases and bigoted way of thinking will eventually die out to be replaced with an understanding that all us humans have is each other. It behooves us to understand none of us are the same. None of us. If we were then we’d all be wearing size nine brown shoes.
Colin Powell was a Godly man? So, inevitably, it was God that killed all those Iraqi civilians and U.S. troops? Without Powell, arguably, the Iraq war would never have happened! But, you know, God has a vast history of killing people. Didn’t he kill everyone on earth? Well, except eight people, which we are all descendent from, split evenly, as it turns out, between those that were the results of the incest in Noah’s family and those that were not. I’m talking about Republicans vs Democrats.
But, you know, “Merry Christmas!” Er, I mean, Happy Heavenly Murderer Anniversary!”
As an amateur woodworker, I too sometimes destroy some of the stuff I’ve “created,” you know, kind of like God! So, yeah, I can see where God might look at his “creation” and say, “Naw, I fucked that one up, time to start over.”
The writer thinks a greeting of Merry Christmas needs to be mandated for all our troops at the time of year when many of us celebrate the birth of one of the greatest men known to man, who by the age of 30 had a tremendous influence over all mankind – Sir Isaac Newton!”
I might give Newton a “Happy Holidays,” as I would others, but it certainly wouldn’t be in deference to his religious views, it would be more for the “Peace on Earth” condition of his heart!
As harsh as it may sound, military folks deployed around the world are not there doing “volunteer” work, they’re getting paid for their. “service.” I know, been there and done that – many times, at Christmas! The food is incredible! Those little Indians working in the dining facilities can cook their asses off! Curry nights had folks lined up out the door! I shouldn’t forget the steak and lobster nights! So stop with the “poor service member” routine, the most well fed military force on the planet, with free room and board, free healthcare, free dental care, a generous defined-benefit retirement plan, and, less we forget, the tax free disability compensation they receive for things like sleep apnea once they retire, along with their priority in hiring for government jobs – can be selected without competition for 30% disability rating – (sleep apnea). You know, “socialism!”
Wondering how much the “old soldier” gets in tax free socialist compensation for his time in the military.
Not to mention zero property taxes, the GI bill for free education, free college education and guaranteed admittance for his children!
The FY 25 VA budget $369 Billion, $150 Billion just for disability compensation, $235 Billion of which is mandatory spending, the rest borrowed from your grandchildren to pay. Biden implemented a $25 Billion Toxic Exposure Fund (borrowed money), to pay for those burn pit exposures, the irony being that the imported Indian labor that actually worked in those burn pits don’t receive a dime, the compensation going to service members that might have “breathed,” burn pit air, depending on which way the wind was blowing, on a 16 square mile air base, large enough to have two 11,000 ft runways. Been there, got a “burn pit” letter handed to me on arrival. Wasn’t hard to see compensation on the horizon.
So yeah, “Happy Holidays” to all those deployed. Get yourself a “burn pit letter” and march on down to a VA center, money in the bank! Borrowed money, but money all the same. Who cares as long as “I got mine!” Your grandchildren will pay for it!