The photo

Dear MRFF,

Just so you all know. The “SS” lightning bolts are nothing more than the Norse Rune for “S” which was around long before National Socialist Germany. Essentially, you all are whining about a font. Since SS lightning bolts can be translated to SS, then to use the letters SS for social security, secret service, and scout sniper should now be consider “Nazi” actions.

It’s ok though. I understand you all need to continue bringing up the holocaust every chance you get. I am sure reparations from Germany are starting to dry up by now. Empty kosher pockets can indeed be a problem for the chosen ones so why not steal from others who had nothing to do with it?

Mikey Weinstein… He should be helping to end racism and anti-semitism. The place to start would be campaigning for Israel to allow Israelis to marry Palestinians. How about them grapes?

(name withheld)

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Dear (name withheld),

Thank you for your note,
My name is Akiva Miller and I am the Veterans Coordinator for the
Military Religious Freedom Foundation. I am a decorated and disabled
U.S. Navy Veteran who gave up my body for this nation and I have
earned the right to speak with some authority on the subject of honor
in the U.S. Military.

Your defense of the actions of U.S. Marines who used a Nazi symbol on
their flag, a symbol of hatred and genocide, is inexcusable, as were
their actions. U.S. Marines receive training specific to this issue
during basic training, training regarding hate groups and their
symbols. Further, the Marine code of honor, U.S. Military regulations
and the UCMJ provide guidelines that were clearly breached by the
conduct of these Marines.

The Marines who engaged in this conduct, along with their superiors
who allowed it to continue, have dishonored their uniform, the Marine
Corps, the American Flag, and the United States of America. Further,
their actions spit in the face of the millions slaughtered by the
Nazis, and the countless honorable men who died in combat during WW II
or were murdered by the Nazis as prisoners of war.

Your defense of the above referenced conduct not only demonstrates the
paucity of your intelligence, but of your honor as well. You are free
to puff out your chest and rail against the Military Religious Freedom
Foundation for its defense of the honor of the Corps and its
representation of honorable Marines who contacted us and asked us to
do something about the despicable actions of these dishonorable
Marines, however, you are defending the indefensible.

And finally I would like to add that your despicable Anti-Semitic
comments only further cement the fact that you are nothing more
glamorous than a bigot and an imbecile.

With My Fondest Regards,

Akiva David Miller
Veterans Coordinator
Military Religious Freedom Foundation

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Akiva,

First of all, I am 26 and I too gave up my time and body when I served four years active duty in the Marine Corps (plus some SMCR time) which included a deployment to Iraq. So don’t tell me you have some authority that I do not.

When I was in basic training, I never heard anything about this issue whatsoever. Nothing was ever explicitely stated about these types of symbology whether it be National Socialist, Black Panther, or the Star of David. I am very familiar with the UCMJ and I do not remember anything in the UCMJ speaking about controversial symbols. I could have missed it, but if you could please point out the specific article to me, I would appreciate it. I am sure, most likely, you will link me to Article 134 and claim it’s generally implied.

My defense of these Marines is defense of them being in a stressful situation. Of them showing a sign that they are powerful and the enemy is not. Using “Nazi” symbology in the military is nothing new. It was quite common to use things much worse such as swastikas up until the ’90s. Why? Because it put the fear of God into enemies. Why wouldn’t it? They spit in the face of no one. They rose their hand an swore in to defend this nation. They stepped foot on the Yellow Footprints of MCRD San Diego or MCRD Parris Island. They have offered their lives and blood for this nation. You, sir, are spitting in the face of them by making this an issue.

I am defending these Marines for expressing themselves whether it’s politically correct or not. They put their lives on the line every damn day they are over there. Yes, I get it. They signed a contract so there is no freedom of speech. Just as how Marines were barred from speaking against the repeal of “don’t ask, don’t tell” (hence the reason the transition was claimed to be smooth), they can also be barred from saying certain things. My intelligence and my honor are quite in tact. I have an honorable discharge and I have a good conduct medal. I had a 134 GT score on the ASVAB and a 91 AFQT. I took the ACT six years after graduating high school and scored a 23 on it. Not bad considering I never planned on attending university and thus never took a math class beyond Algebra I nor did I ever take more than the two basic required science classes. I am presently at university and am studying in the field of Atmospheric Sciences. I am in my fourth semester and I carry a 3.6GPA in a major that is very math (Calculus I through Calculus III and Elementary Differential Equations are requirements) and science (Calc-based University Physics I and II, Chemistry, and AtSc courses). I’ve made the Dean’s list during one of the semesters where I carried a 4.0 GPA for the semester with 15 credits of graded work and three credits of S/U grading. All of this and you want to question my intelligence because I see no problem with the letters SS written in Norse runes? I hope to God that no children or grandchildren ever uses the abbreviation SS for anything around you. You’d probably break your grandchildren’s hands if they ever did! Then run around calling them stupid and dishonorable.

Is everything anti-semitic to you people? The truth is very anti-semitic, isn’t it? This wouldn’t even be an issue if your people hadn’t made it an issue. They could have said nothing and no one beyond the couple of Marines who did this and the people would know them would know of it. Instead, it is now national news and everyone knows about it. You made it an issue. If it’s such a dishonorable action, as you claim, then you should have kept it silent and let the military deal with it so as not to have their reputation “stained” by this action.

This is not the America of my forefathers. Hell, it’s not even the America of my grandfather. People like you are destroying this nation and causing division. My university has been on the verge of losing their nickname the “Fighting Sioux” over the past many years due to people like you. Why? Because about one in a 100 Sioux indians find it offensive. It’s people like you who ruin everything for everyone. It’s people like you who infringe on the freedom of others and make this a worse nation. I find you more offensive than anything these Marines did.

(name withheld)

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Dear (name withheld),

I will not waste any further time on you. It is bigots like you who
are destroying this nation. You long for the good ol’ years when they
used to string up Jews and African Americans, you pass along racist
invectives against the President and chuckle among yourselves, you
deny the separation between Church and State and long for a theocracy
wherein you could impose your bigotry and hatred on everyone else.
People like you have practically destroyed our military already and
are preying on veterans left and right – I know, I’ve experienced it
first hand. You won’t be satisfied until you ruin this nation,
imposing your paleo-narcissistic religious extremism on everyone. You
are an imbecile and a bigot, and you’re a waste of my time.