David Miller Challenging Religious Discrimination In Iowa Veterans Hospital

David Miller in Navy Bootcamp and Now

My name is David Miller; my friends call me Akiva. I was born in 1960 and I spent my early, formative years in rural Iowa. I attended Washington Township Elementary School where I wasn't permitted to touch my lunch until the entire class was seated and all heads were bowed so the teacher could lead us in a Christian prayer. Later my family moved closer to Oxford, Iowa and I attended Cosgrove Elementary for the first half of the third grade, where most of the students were given time off during the school day to attend Catechism in the next door Catholic Church and afterwards returned to the playground where, undeterred by teachers, they physically harassed those brave few who had stayed behind. My family moved to Oregon when I was 8 ½, and though I returned many times to visit in the years since, I was not prepared for the bigotry and intolerance that awaited me here in Iowa.

I moved back to Iowa because my parents had retired here and I wanted to be closer to them as they grew older, and a part of me very much missed my extended family, many of whom still live in Iowa. Unfortunately, things don't always work out like you'd hoped: my parents missed their friends, their randchildren and my siblings in the Northwest, so several months ago they moved back to Oregon. And with only a few exceptions, my extended family made it clear they didn't approve of my faith and my presence. But I had found a Rabbi in Iowa City whom I came to respect and admire and I have much to be thankful for here in the State of my birth.

I was a sailor. In the 1980s I served my Country honorably for more than four years in the United States Navy. I earned the Good Conduct Medal, the Sea Service ribbon and the coveted Battle "E" ribbon. For years I've been a disabled Veteran. My disabilities are service-connected and I am 100% disabled. My ill health has prevented me from working since 1998. In many respects I live at the mercy of the Veterans Administration. My only source of income is my VA disability and my only source of health care is the VA Hospitals and Clinics. Yes, I've experienced Anti-Semitism before, in another VA, before moving back to Iowa. At the VA Hospital in Portland there was, at least for a time, an Anti-Semitic doctor who worked in the
Emergency Room and I learned to take a Jewish friend with me whenever I accessed care through that Emergency Room, which at the time seemed to resolve the issue, at least for me.

But before moving to Iowa City I had never experienced a VA facility that was so obviously and thoroughly both Christian and Anti-Jew. Its very orientation class is a metaphor for the greater problem – held in the Christian Chapel, adorned with its Stations of the Cross and altar Crucifix – the Iowa City VA Hospital & Clinic seems to be asserting from the outset, "You must understand, this is a Christian institution."

Over the last two years I've been asked over and over and over again by seemingly incredulous staff within its offices, clinics and wards, "You mean you don't believe that Jesus is the Messiah?" "Is it just Orthodox Jews who deny Jesus?" and "I don't understand; how can you not believe in Jesus; he's the Messiah of the Jews too you know."

From the beginning it's seemed as though nearly everywhere I turned within the Iowa City VA Hospital and Clinics I was greeted by Christian symbols, scriptures and even Christian music. The administration seemingly could care less that the very place that should be a refuge of health to me is in fact a hostile environment. And lately, nearly every staff member I encounter greets me by name, "Hello David." If I don't recognize them I ask them, "How do you know my name?" and they respond, "Oh, we know who you are."

But that isn't enough for them. They won't be satisfied until they convert this Jew. I have been hospitalized three times at the Iowa City VA for symptoms of angina, and all three times, while in bed, wired to a heart monitor, I have been visited by Christian Chaplains and handed Christian tracts. Twice the Assembly of God Chaplain insisted on proselytizing me – telling me about how Jesus loves me, how Jesus is the Messiah of the Jews too. And although each time I had informed the staff both verbally and in writing that I did not want to
be visited by a Chaplain, they came anyway – carrying their message of love. Each time I objected, as vigorously as I could. But the hospital's answer to my complaint regarding these visits was that I should have objected more strenuously. What am I supposed to do, hang on to my heart monitor and jump up and down?!

Of course there was also the little problem of kosher food, or lack of it. So I endured all three hospitalizations without eating. Now, to the hospital's apparent credit, they claim to have corrected this problem. I hope to never have to find out for myself.

Up until this last week, I thought nothing worse could happen than the VA Hospital condoning proselytizing a sick man, wired to a heart monitor; I was wrong. On Wednesday, May 2nd, my Rabbi and I met with Chaplain Brown (their proselytizer-in-chief) along with the Iowa City VA Hospital's patient advocate. I thought after years of complaining without result, and after the intervention by Senator Harkin's staff, again without apparent result, maybe a face to face meeting with my Rabbi present would help resolve some of the problems. Unfortunately, it only seemed to embolden them to strike back. The very next day, Thursday, May 3rd, I had a follow-up appointment with my Primary Care Physician regarding an on-going episode of kidney stones – my pain medication prescription was running out and I needed to get it refilled. But instead my doctor insisted that he didn't believe my kidney stones could be causing me the pain I claimed and after several minutes of arguing back and forth, he rolled his chair up close to mine, put his hand on my knee, looked me straight in the eyes and said, "You're a religious Jew. Why don't you try prayer and meditation?" And with that I was dismissed.

How is it that the VA thinks they can get away with this? How is it that Christians can justify this kind of treatment? It's simple. To a Christian you either accept Jesus Christ as your personal Savior and are saved, or you're damned. Sadly, to them I'm just a filthy Jew, drowning in a sea of Christianity.

From the moment I contacted Mikey Weinstein, Founder and President of the Military Religious Freedom Foundation a few weeks ago, he has stood by me. Mikey has never hesitated to take time from his busy schedule to call me or drop me a note when he saw my strength flagging. From the outset Mikey's actions have spoken even louder than his words, that he and the Military Religious Freedom Foundation are there for all Servicemen and women – those who are serving now, and those who have served before. Mikey has never turned his back on the vow he took when he entered the Air Force, to protect and defend the Constitution of the United States. In a world of religious predators, we've got ourselves a mentsch – a man who has already demonstrated that he will sacrifice himself to defend our rights.

I know there will be those who will accuse me of waging a personal campaign against Christianity and Christians. That isn't the case. Christianity can be a perfectly respectable faith for Christians. My issue is with religious predators – those who use religion as a weapon to prey on others. My complaint isn't with Christians who live lives of loving-kindness. My complaint is with radical, Fundamentalist Christians who are nothing more appealing than religious predators. One must question the voracity of any religion that requires the use of coercion and intimidation to gain converts.

As for me, it's been exceedingly difficult to carry on defending myself against these religious predators while suffering through ill health, including the pain of kidney stones. It's taken a terrible toll on my health and has certainly destroyed my faith in the Veterans Administration to deliver professional and compassionate care. I
couldn't have come this far on my own strength. I thank G-d for the unflagging support of my friends, my Rabbi and for Mikey Weinstein of the Military Religious Freedom Foundation.

Shining the light of day on religious discrimination within the VA is going to be just like turning the light on in a filthy kitchen – the roaches will scramble to find their hiding places in the woodwork. I am sure in the coming days, weeks and months we are going to learn about many more examples of religious discrimination and bigotry throughout the VA system, and waiting there to assist them will be the Military Religious Freedom Foundation – an organization you can trust to fight for the Constitutional rights of Americans who would otherwise be steamrolled by the machinations of Fundamentalist Christian predators who have spread their cancerous tentacles throughout the American military and Veterans Administration.