Ever since Gen. Jerry Boykin boisterously boasted several years ago that: "My God can beat your God!" it appears the U.S. Military has been on a roid-raging cross-kick or Christianoid symbol obsession. They don't seem to understand (well, we already KNEW "military intelligence" is an oxymoron) or don't care, that the one thing Osama bin Laden and his crazies want most is a crusade. Bring out your banners, and crosses, and he'll bring out his...but the problem here is we're running out of money to fund these crusades (think exploding deficits), while he gets his from the Taliban's poppy fields.
Recent religious symbol skirmishes include:
- The incident at the U.S. Air Force Academy four months ago, in which a cross was left on hallowed pagan worship ground for all cadets who follow Wicca. Fortunately, Mikey Weinstein and his Military Religious Foundation, had it removed forthwith and there've been no other incidents.
- In January, Mikey (no, not that one!) had to take on the Marines, who were (then)putting citations from the bible onto their rifle scopes. When the MRF heard about it, they went to the Pentagon and threatened a suit and the Pentagon demanded the Michigan manufacturer cease and desist.
- Earlier,in 2005, Mikey had to sic his group on the U.S. Air Force Academy after learning non-believer cadets were getting the short end of the stick - literally! This included being denied off campus leave privileges (such as to attend Freethought meetings) while their Xtianoid counterparts were allowed to go to James Dobson's Focus on the Family for events. Worse, all nobeliever cadets were forced to to do the "Heathen's Run" where they had to negotiate a narrow guantlet with ten fundies on eadh side, while being whacked from both sides with sticks, and some with KJV bibles.
In the latest outrage, Mikey Weinstein has taken on the Army for its use of an inflammatory symbol-emblem (see image) now being used at the Fort Carson, CO field hospital. The emblem bears Latin words which translate to: "For God and Humanity".
Most obnoxious is the inclusion of the spike -ended cross which from time immemorial has been employed in the Crusades or by extremist religious crusader groups. It sends a message not too different from Gen. Jerry Boykin's, that the U.S. is engaged in a "holy War" against Muslims, including in Afghanistan.
Fortunately, Mikey Weinstein and the MRF have come to the rescue again, after failing to convince the fanatics at Carson to remove the emblem are now going for the jugular, and will file a law suit to have it removed. As Mikey put it:
"Our message to the Army is, 'see you in court!'"
This was probably after Carson's Maj. Gen. David Perkins told Mikey point blank (according to a write up in today's paper) that:
"The Army has little interest in altering the symbol with two wars in progress".
Really? One would have thought, assuming these are wars (zero taxes have been mandated to pay for them as in all previous REAL wars, ilke WWII and Vietnam) that the brilliant brains in the Pentagon would have grasped that part of winning a war is winning the hearts and minds of the populace. You don't do that by spitting (essentially) on the religion that most of them hold dear! You especially don't succeed when you employ provocative Christian religious symbols that virtually scream "Crusade!" - an image that will have most Islamics, peaceful or not, reaching for their swords or whatever, in two heartbeats.
So, it's up to Mikey Weinstein and his MRF to school them, as he has before. Weinstein has said he expects the MRF's lawyers to begin pursuit of removing the emblem in a legal battle to start this summer.
All I can say is: Good luck, Mikey!
(Now, maybe I can also get him to go after another Mikey!)
Recent religious symbol skirmishes include:
- The incident at the U.S. Air Force Academy four months ago, in which a cross was left on hallowed pagan worship ground for all cadets who follow Wicca. Fortunately, Mikey Weinstein and his Military Religious Foundation, had it removed forthwith and there've been no other incidents.
- In January, Mikey (no, not that one!) had to take on the Marines, who were (then)putting citations from the bible onto their rifle scopes. When the MRF heard about it, they went to the Pentagon and threatened a suit and the Pentagon demanded the Michigan manufacturer cease and desist.
- Earlier,in 2005, Mikey had to sic his group on the U.S. Air Force Academy after learning non-believer cadets were getting the short end of the stick - literally! This included being denied off campus leave privileges (such as to attend Freethought meetings) while their Xtianoid counterparts were allowed to go to James Dobson's Focus on the Family for events. Worse, all nobeliever cadets were forced to to do the "Heathen's Run" where they had to negotiate a narrow guantlet with ten fundies on eadh side, while being whacked from both sides with sticks, and some with KJV bibles.
In the latest outrage, Mikey Weinstein has taken on the Army for its use of an inflammatory symbol-emblem (see image) now being used at the Fort Carson, CO field hospital. The emblem bears Latin words which translate to: "For God and Humanity".
Most obnoxious is the inclusion of the spike -ended cross which from time immemorial has been employed in the Crusades or by extremist religious crusader groups. It sends a message not too different from Gen. Jerry Boykin's, that the U.S. is engaged in a "holy War" against Muslims, including in Afghanistan.
Fortunately, Mikey Weinstein and the MRF have come to the rescue again, after failing to convince the fanatics at Carson to remove the emblem are now going for the jugular, and will file a law suit to have it removed. As Mikey put it:
"Our message to the Army is, 'see you in court!'"
This was probably after Carson's Maj. Gen. David Perkins told Mikey point blank (according to a write up in today's paper) that:
"The Army has little interest in altering the symbol with two wars in progress".
Really? One would have thought, assuming these are wars (zero taxes have been mandated to pay for them as in all previous REAL wars, ilke WWII and Vietnam) that the brilliant brains in the Pentagon would have grasped that part of winning a war is winning the hearts and minds of the populace. You don't do that by spitting (essentially) on the religion that most of them hold dear! You especially don't succeed when you employ provocative Christian religious symbols that virtually scream "Crusade!" - an image that will have most Islamics, peaceful or not, reaching for their swords or whatever, in two heartbeats.
So, it's up to Mikey Weinstein and his MRF to school them, as he has before. Weinstein has said he expects the MRF's lawyers to begin pursuit of removing the emblem in a legal battle to start this summer.
All I can say is: Good luck, Mikey!
(Now, maybe I can also get him to go after another Mikey!)
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