US Merchant Marine Academy: an Institution on the rocks

From: (Father of U.S. Merchant Marine Academy graduate and retired full Colonel’s email address withheld)
Subject: US Merchant Marine Academy: an Institution on the rocks
Date: January 8, 2026 at 1:58:13 PM MST
To: Michael L Weinstein <[email protected]>

Mikey

I need to take a moment to thank you, Mikey, and MRFF for carrying the fight for those at the US Merchant Marine Academy and its alums who have been witnessing its hijacking by the Transportation Secretary and his Christian nationalist collaborators.  Separation of Church and State, a valued feature of our Constitution, has slipped away from the shores of Kings Point campus.  I’m a graduate of another Academy, retired senior field grade officer, father of an USMMA alum who is also an active duty field officer.  I know what good looks like, and what is happening at USMMA is NOT good by any measure!  The Transportation Secretary and leadership at USMMA have lost their way in favor of imposing Christian nationalist values and effecting institutional changes promoting those UNCONSTITUTIONAL values where they don’t belong, don’t add anything of value to this august Institution, and frankly have broken with the legal, ethical, and moral principles on which our Constitution is based. 

No Academy has lost more undergraduate midshipmen/cadets to enemy action than USMMA—142 MIDs died during WWII while they were undergoing undergraduate training at sea.  During this conflict, the Academy came to be and enrollment swelled to meet America’s need for Merchant Marine officers; you can bet your bottom dollar, these lads were not fighting and dying in support of one religion over others, no way.  THEY WERE FIGHTING FOR AMERICA.  And taking oaths to support the Constitution.  While times have changed some things, they have and continue to take that same oath, as I have.  It’s past time to call a “knock it off” with respect to Christian nationalistic interventions into an Institution which is founded on AMERICAN VALUES!  These unwarranted interventions impose a purported Christian belief system which cloaks the hateful fascist UN-AMERICAN agenda they truly espouse. For those of you reading this who are a part of the Faithful, the need is to separate the Church from the Hate which grounds Christian nationalism.  To paraphrase a line from the movie “Amistad”, who we are today is based on who we Americans have been…on September 11, 2001, the folks on United Airlines Flight 93 fought and defeated their hijackers.  Let’s counter those who are hijacking this Academy now, and for that matter, our country as well.  I will continue to support MRFF in this most important struggle, and hope you and MRFF will continue to ably represent the vital issues dealing with Constitutional religious freedom.

v/r

(Name and all related ID withheld)
Colonel, Retired USAF

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