Thank You MRFF

To: Mikey Weinstein and The Military Religious Freedom
Foundation

We live in a world that oftentimes seems malicious and cruel.
Who knows this better than those of us serving in the military? With
wars overseas, it means witnessing unspeakable horrors that can plunge
one into deep existential questions about the meaning of suffering, life
and death. Many find comfort, solace and answers in the world’s great
religions and their sacred texts. Who am I to question their belief? I’m
just a human being following my own, independent pursuit of meaning. I
don’t try to dictate to others, to inform them where their truth lies or
how to find it, and I don’t care for them to treat me any differently.
Anybody trying to evangelize or coerce me into accepting their
Christian, Jewish, Islamic, or any other religious world view, needs to
do an about-face and move out.

Now, when a member of my armed forces unit affixed a large
15″ cross to the front of their desk situated directly across from my
military office desk, I was shocked and in disbelief. (This very same
person had previously warned me via e-mail of all the bad things that
would happen to me if I did not become “saved” in accord with his view
of Christianity.) Large, sectarian Christian religious symbols in the
military workplace! I knew this was totally wrong on many levels but
failed to find anything specific in the regulations. A couple of days
passed and nobody in my military unit office dared to anything against
it. But why would they? Everyone in the United States armed forces is
Christian, aren’t they, so it’s just fine, right? Even though I was
raised Catholic, was a 4th degree member of the Knights of Columbus,
Catechism Instructor, Cub Scout Den Leader and recognized by the
Commanding General of my military installation as Volunteer of the
Quarter for community services wouldn’t mean a damn thing. I would still
be severely ostracized and thought of as an immoral heathen S.O.B. to
even suggest, much less request, its removal. I began to very much fear
raising the issue to my superiors in my military chain of command.

I remembered the civil rights fighting charity, The Military
Religious Freedom Foundation (MRFF) and emailed them for advice. To my
utter astonishment, within minutes I got a direct response; and from the
President and Founder himself, Mikey Weinstein, whom I had often seen in
the media for a long time. I was reassured that the erection of that
symbol was a totally inappropriate and unconstitutional expression of a
sectarian religious belief in the military workplace and reminded what
the Establishment Clause of the First Amendment of the United States
Constitution was. Not only was I legally correct to request its
immediate removal, it was my duty to uphold the Constitution and demand
it. Armored with this and the promised complete, unconditional support
of MRFF, I had the courage to bring the issue to my military Superior.
He assured me he would look into it and would treat it as an anonymous
objection.

That was three days ago and earlier today my Supervisor came
up from behind me, tapped me on the shoulder, then walked over to the
desk, and removed the cross. It was quite a monumental “life moment” for
me. I’m so proud of “my” Army and chain of command today. The system
worked! Oooah!!

Mr. Weinstein and all the staff and supporters and advisors
at MRFF, my sincerest thanks go out for all your guidance and support. I
just had nowhere else to turn to fight this thing. It was your genuine
reassurance that you had my back that emboldened me to make a stand to
my Army chain of command. A stand for the Constitution I swore an oath
to protect and defend.

(name, rank, MOS, military unit and military installation
withheld)