[Imc-bigmuddy] [Fwd: [tuathadebrigid] Fwd: [Pagan_Media] Breaking the law for veterans]

[Running Dog]

Aszum! Treesong also posted this in the "Elsewhere" section of the site.


----- Original Message -----
From: "Treesong" <treesong at treesong.org>
To: <sipa at yahoogroups.com>; <PaganPermaculture at yahoogroups.com>;
<MWReclaiming at yahoogroups.com>; "Big Muddy IMC - Discussion"
<imc-bigmuddy at indymedia.org>; "University Christian Ministries"
<ucm at siu.edu>
Sent: Thursday, June 02, 2005 9:43 PM
Subject: [Imc-bigmuddy] [Fwd: [tuathadebrigid] Fwd: [Pagan_Media] Breaking
the law for veterans]


> Hello all,
>
> Here's an email that talks about the latest news in the campaign to
> designate a Pagan headstone for Pagan veterans. I've been following this
> campaign for a while now, but this is the first incident of this type of
> "protest" that I've heard about for the campaign. I know that many of
> the people receiving this message may be anti-war and opposed to
> militarism in general. But regardless of what I think about the
> military, I think that these people deserve to be buried in a way that
> honors their religious beliefs rather than denying them. When I die [a
> hundred years from now!], if they won't let you compost me in the woods,
> then I would like to have a pentacle or perhaps a Brighid's Cross on my
> own headstone.
>
> Love and Healing,
>
> Treesong
>
>
> -------- Original Message --------
> Subject: [tuathadebrigid] Fwd: [Pagan_Media] Breaking the law for veterans
> Date: Thu, 2 Jun 2005 15:36:22 -0200
> From: Turtle <turtlewmn at comcast.net>
> Reply-To: tuathadebrigid at yahoogroups.com
> To: tuathadebrigid at yahoogroups.com
>
>
>
>
> Begin forwarded message:
>
>
>
>     Here's something I received from the Pagan Veterans Headstone
>     Campaign.  It's a shame that someone has to break the law to honor
>     the wishes of our deceased veterans, but so be it.  This occurred in
>     Arlington National Cemetary:
>
>     TO: All National Religious Rights Organizations in the US
>         All Pagan Activists
>         All member of the Pagan Veterans Headstone Campaign
>         All Pagan media
>         All national veterans organizations
>
>     FROM: Charles Arnold, National Coordinator, Pagan Veterans Headstone
>     Campaign
>
>     RE: A Pentacle in Arlington National Cemetery
>
>     DATE: May 30, 2005
>
>     While President George W. Bush was laying a wreath at the Tombs of
>     the Unknowns, Rosemary Kooiman, widow of Abe Kooiman and member of
>     the Pagan Veterans Headstone Campaign, accompanied by Charles
>     Arnold,
>     National Coordinator of the Campaign, were busy at another task in
>     the Arlington National Cemetery. That task was to place a vinyl
>     sticker with a Pentacle on the headstone at gravesite 2861, row O,
>     section 54. The site is that of Pfc Abraham Kooiman, a former member
>     of the 91st Infantry Division and recipient of the Combat
>     Infantryman's Badge, the Bronze Star Medal and the Purple Heart,
>     awarded for being wounded in combat.
>
>     This illegal act was performed out of respect for the wishes of both
>     Abraham and Rosemary Kooiman and contrary to the position of the
>     Department of Veterans Affairs which finds it completely normal to
>     grant the right to religious "emblems of faith" to some groups while
>     withholding it from others. While thirty-eight different religions
>     and groups currently have approval for the use of their symbols, and
>     despite dozens of applications over the last six or more years which
>     have been ignored, no NeoPagan symbol has been allowed.
>
>     It had been hoped that such a drastic act would not have become
>     necessary but when the acting director of the office responsible for
>     making these decisions on these applications refused to meet with
>     members of the Pagan Veterans Headstone Campaign, the decision was
>     finalized.
>
>     It is not known how long this Pentacle will remain in place but it
>     is
>     certain that once noticed by officials it will be removed
>     immediately. Whether cemetery officials will conduct an
>     investigation
>     into who placed the pentacle on the headstone or whether they decide
>     to prosecute those who place it is also unknown. However, this
>     photographic record was made of these two people, acting in accord
>     (or, as any charge may state, 'in conspiracy') who are willing to
>     face any legal charges which may be launched so that such a trial
>     could be used to demonstrate that the current VA policy violates the
>     Constitution of the United States as well as various of the Civil
>     Rights laws and even the VA's one anti-discrimination policy.
>
>     Pagans who are anxious to see this last official barrier to
>     religious
>     equality in federal policy are asked to contact their Congressional
>     and Senatorial representatives, the Office of the President of the
>     United States, as well as local and national media outlets, and
>     demand an immediate change.
>
>     To see these photographs, go to:
>     http://www.toshisan.com/nep/ROK/index.htm
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
> turtle
>
> /A good artist copies. A great artist steals
>
> /- Pablo Picasso
>
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