Liberty Institute, representing VFW District 4, The American Legion Post 586, and the National Memorial Ladies went to court with new allegations of religious hostility and unlawful censorship by the US Department of Veterans Affairs and its director of the Houston National Cemetery. Sign the petition asking the VA to end this censorship now at www.donttearusdown.com!
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speedy779 says:
November 1, 2011 at 5:25 am (UTC 0)
Wow this is major hypocracy. You see the V.A. (and The U.S. Government.) would ban one group to save another. Listen I don’t care if Atheists don’t want us to say God at THEIR funerals, but i have the right to say God at Christian/Muslim/Jew or other monotheistic funerals.
ahwhocares1 says:
November 1, 2011 at 5:47 am (UTC 0)
I understand the prohibition of the government endorsing a God (either one above others or any over none), but banning independent groups from mentioning it is just stupid. And that from an atheist.
j1a2r34 says:
November 1, 2011 at 6:17 am (UTC 0)
Nullification. Just ignore the idiot.
Eliusalmo1 says:
November 1, 2011 at 6:32 am (UTC 0)
We shouldn’t allow government to take our expression liberty out.
KuptisOriginal says:
November 1, 2011 at 7:29 am (UTC 0)
I’m curious. What would happen if they ignored Arleen Ocasio’s orders? I would think that since it falls under the First Amendment that she couldn’t do anything.
chevlynn7 says:
November 1, 2011 at 8:05 am (UTC 0)
first they take the strap from schools, then they allow abortion & condone it, then they let east indians wear turbans instead of helmets or other proper uniform headwear then they let gay rights run rampant over everyone else’s rights & then they let muslims shut down traffic & sidewalks to pray. WHAT’S NEXT?!
i agree with darkvengence … LISTEN IDIOTS!!! we have a VOICE, so YELL & STOP this. the squeaky wheel GETS THE GREASE!!! HOLLER & make your voice HEARD!! stop obama!!! or canada’s next
darkvengance100 says:
November 1, 2011 at 8:56 am (UTC 0)
This is an insult to all faiths. Yet it is allowed by muslims to stop all traffic and pray in the street & sidewalks. LISTEN IDIOTS! this is america not the middle east and it will always remain
America as long as there is even only one of us standing. You who oppose our will , will not win.
Halftrac says:
November 1, 2011 at 9:31 am (UTC 0)
These Leftist American destroyers have infiltrated every aspect of our government! We need to make an example out of Ms. Ocasio! And quick!!!
For God and Country.
al5mnd9trnksdr745bi says:
November 1, 2011 at 10:00 am (UTC 0)
Arleen Ocasio of Chicago, Illinois, is a lifelong leftist and Obamabot. She graduated in 2000 from the Interamerican University of Puerto Rico. At Chicago’s West Side Medical Center she was the Hispanic Employment Program assistant manager. She was appointed by Obama 12 April 2010 to the Houston National Cemetery (281) 447-8686. Ocasio continues to defy a cease-and-desist order. In addition to trampling the First Amendment, she gutted the chapel there and IT IS NOW A WAREHOUSE.
EvelynMilne says:
November 1, 2011 at 10:29 am (UTC 0)
But according to last evening’s News report, Muslims must have the right to have prayer services in school. Christians cannot even mention God or Jesus. How is this fair?
Tell me again that Obama’s not Muslim.
Jemethaa says:
November 1, 2011 at 10:51 am (UTC 0)
I’m not even Christian and I find this absolutely unacceptable. As a South African we fought for the freedom of every person in this country to enjoy their basic human rights and the freedom of religion is a basic human right. To believe what ever one chooses, to speak your faith unhindered and proud. To Practice your faith without fear of prosicution or persicution. I as a Pagan accept every blessing spoken over me by Christians and I expect the same respect shown to me. This is our right!
LoneStarTweety says:
November 1, 2011 at 11:04 am (UTC 0)
Gang up and ignore these ding bats. I’ll say God Bless You to whomever I please.
Fraulein2901 says:
November 1, 2011 at 11:41 am (UTC 0)
If this is true then it violates the 1st Amendment Rights of ALL AMERICANS who believe in GOD. It’s an outrage that an employee/employees of the Department of Veterans Affairs have the gall to initiate such policies. Of all Federal Agencies, they are suppose to work for not against the Veterans. If this case is won, those who are responsible, should be fired and their rights for any or all Federal support they may ever need should be withdrawn for the rest of their lives.
thefreeman8791 says:
November 1, 2011 at 12:26 pm (UTC 0)
First, removing the Ten Commandments from courthouses and then the VA at cemeteries and then to another facet of the government before it becomes nation wide.
CADMAN46239 says:
November 1, 2011 at 1:01 pm (UTC 0)
@boomerkid1955 why should people have to request something that has been a mainstay and a honor for quite a few decades? Why the change now? This has never been a problem before and now it is? Someone with no religious background (non-believer) has done this to make it more difficult for family members already distraught over loosing a loved one. 85% of this nation is Christian so if you don’t want the blessing from God then the rule should be that you must request that it God NOT be mentioned.
Spoonhour100 says:
November 1, 2011 at 1:23 pm (UTC 0)
The evidence is piling up day by day, week after week, month after month. Our federal government has now reached the state of tyranny. It has become too big for it’s britches!
Therefore, we the people must now make the choice of slavery under tyranny or moral courage to lawfully enact the second amendment to remove those in our government responsible for the destruction of our constitution and the American way of life as it should exist! For evil to succeed is that good men do nothing!
MrCMFields says:
November 1, 2011 at 2:00 pm (UTC 0)
@boomerkid1955 Religion isn’t being inserted into the funeral service. The honor guard at the END of the ceremony hands the shells to a family member and simply says something like “God Bless you and your family.” So what, the honor guard just stands there with the shells and flag and waits for the person to say, “okay, go ahead and say God” or “nope, no God today”? Seriously, that’s ridiculous. It’s a simple, loving gesture on the part of a serviceman/woman offering comforting words.
amzuel420 says:
November 1, 2011 at 2:59 pm (UTC 0)
I’m a vet and I hope someone says something about G-d at my funeral because I can be pretty boring sometime…especially if I’m laying there dead. So at least if nothing else happens, maybe somebody that don’t even know my name will hear the name of the Most High. That’s the only name that matters…thanks for the vid. I feel like I’ve been honored.
im2muchtohandle says:
November 1, 2011 at 3:28 pm (UTC 0)
GOD BLESS AMERICA!!!
boomerkid1955 says:
November 1, 2011 at 4:08 pm (UTC 0)
@AmeriCeltCatholic That’s not what the lawsuit alleges. From the amended complaint, here is what is being regulated: “Like VFW District 4 burial team, The American Legion Post 586 burial team was told approximately two months ago by a Government Official that it could no longer include religious speech, including prayer, in its ritual, unless it was specifically requested and submitted to Director Ocasio in writing by the family of the deceased.” Para. 64.
boomerkid1955 says:
November 1, 2011 at 4:18 pm (UTC 0)
@AmeriCeltCatholic You clearly haven’t read the actual complaint. No such allegation in the lawsuit. The regulations allow the religious officiant (i.e., the pastor, priest, rabbi) at the funeral to use religious words. The regulations do not allow the *veterans* groups to use religious words UNLESS THE FAMILY SO REQUESTS IN WRITING.
ProfessorRex says:
November 1, 2011 at 5:09 pm (UTC 0)
Oh, yeah, Christians are so oppressed in America. You’re a bunch of drama queens. They don’t even give enough facts to figure out what is going on in this video. I have one suggestion. Look up and down the streets of your town, and see how many churches there are. Now get a life, you drama queens, and the watch this, and tell me who’s being oppressed. youtube.com/watch?v=sjUbz4SMbjg&playnext=1&list=PL51FB68571F14B345
AmeriCeltCatholic says:
November 1, 2011 at 5:49 pm (UTC 0)
@fenstemakeram08 I also was a chaplain’s assistant (in the Navy). We were charged with assisting chaplains or civilian clergy with arranging and conducting funerals for veterans, if requested. In the regulations governing what the involvement of government personnel could consist of, there is nothing suggesting that the govt. may restrict any religious speech or behavior that the family wants or does not object to.
AmeriCeltCatholic says:
November 1, 2011 at 6:12 pm (UTC 0)
@NWAPride Quite right, the VA is not to control how the funeral is presented, but that is what the Houston VA cemetery director is trying to do. She is trying to say that she has the authority to “approve” or not approve the content of prayer and other private speech at a private funeral on govt. land. According to the 1st Amendment she has no such authority.
AmeriCeltCatholic says:
November 1, 2011 at 7:05 pm (UTC 0)
@boomerkid1955 No, there’s more to it than that. The issue was first raised when a local pastor, at the request of the family of the deceased, was offering a prayer which contained the name of Jesus, and he was told by the VA cemetery director that (a) he could not pray using those words, and (b) that she had to see any prayer which was going to be made, in writing, before it could be approved. This is not in line with the regulations which govern military and veteran funerals on govt. land.