Friday, March 14, 2014


Air Force Academy Removes Bible Verse From Cadet's Whiteboard

The Air Force Academy removed a Bible verse posted on a cadet's whiteboard after it determined the posting had offended other cadets, a spokesman for the academy said.

The cadet wrote the passage on the whiteboard posted outside his room. "I have been crucified with Christ therefore I no longer live, but Christ lives in me," the verse from Galatians read.

Mikey Weinstein, director of the Military Religious Freedom Foundation, told me 29 cadets and four faculty and staff members contacted his organization to complain about the Christian passage.  "Had it been in his room - not a problem," Weinstein told me. "It's not about the belief. It's about the time, the place and the manner."

He said the Bible verse on the cadet's personal whiteboard created a hostile environment at the academy.

"It clearly elevated one religious faith (fundamentalist Christianity) over all others at an already virulently hyper-fundamentalist Christian institution," he said. "It massively poured fundamentalist Christian gasoline on an already raging out-of-control conflagration of fundamentalist Christian tyranny, exceptionalism and supremacy at USAFA."

Who knew that a Bible verse posted on a whiteboard could generate such outrage?

Weinstein said he immediately contacted the Air Force Academy and filed a complaint. Exactly two hours and nine minutes later, the Bible verse had been scrubbed from the cadet's whiteboard.

A spokesman for the AFA confirmed that the religious text was cleansed from the board.  "The whiteboards are for both official and personal use, but when a concern was raised we addressed it and the comment was taken down," Lt. Col. Brus Vidal told me in a written statement."

Weinstein told me the Air Force Academy did a good job in fixing the problem and credited Lt. Col. Denise Cooper.  "She immediately said this is wrong and will use it as a teachable moment," he said.

The academy said the cadet will not be punished.  "We don't see misconduct here but the division between your personal room and the hallway is a gray area," Vidal said.

Weinstein took umbrage with that comment and said the cadet must be punished.  "It's not a gray area, this is absolute misconduct," he said. "Not only should the cadet be punished but (also) his/her responsible USAFA cadet and officer chain of command who ignored this blatant and egregious violation of Air Force regulation 1-1 and the United States Constitution."

The 1-1 regulation Weinstein cited is an extensive document with a section on religious proselytizing and other religious matters.

An academy spokesman tells me the whiteboard Bible verse did not violate Air Force regulations

Retired General Jerry Boykin, executive vice president of the Family Research Council told me he was outraged by the removal of the Bible verse.  "Once the academy allowed cadets to use these whiteboards for their personal use, censorship of religious commentary is unacceptable," Boykin told me. "Either the Air Force Academy is very confused about the Constitution of the United States or they don't really believe in the liberties that are provided by that document."

Boykin said the academy needs to take a few moments for some personal reflection.  "In essence, what they are doing is preparing young men and women to defend the Constitution while at the same time depriving these cadets of their own constitutional liberties," he charged.

Michael Berry, an attorney with Liberty Institute, told me it appears the Air Force Academy's decision is in violation of a new Pentagon regulation meant to protect religious liberty.

"If the cadet didn't violate any rules, then why was the quote removed?" Berry asked. "It appears that the Air Force now believes Bible verses are now a violation of AFI 1-1."

Berry said Liberty Institute, which specializes in religious liberty cases, stands ready to defend any cadet whose religious rights have been violated.

SOURCE






Feminist Studies Professor Accused of Attacking Teenage Female Pro-Life Demonstrator


Miller-Young

During a pro-life demonstration at the University of California, Santa Barbara (UCSB), a feminist-studies professor allegedly stole a sign at a pro-life demonstration before attacking a student attempting to retrieve it.

The pro-life demonstrators, mostly from nearby Thomas Aquinas College, were standing in the free-speech zone at a demonstration on March 4 alongside large three-by-five-foot displays of graphic abortion photos before Associate Professor Mireille Miller-Young arrived. Miller-Young, who specializes in black cultural studies, pornography, and sex work, reportedly led a group of students to chant “tear down this sign,” while saying that abortion is a women’s right.

After leading the chant, Miller-Young allegedly took a sign from the group of twelve young students and stormed off with the UCSB students she was with. Then, one of the 16-year-old pro-life demonstrators, Thrin Short, followed Miller-Young to retrieve the sign, recording the incident on a video currently in the custody of Santa Barbara law-enforcement officials.

Survivors of the Abortion Holocaust, the group that trained Short and some of the other demonstrators, detailed the students’ version of the events on their website, saying that Short followed Miller-Young to a building where she confronted the professor in an elevator, trying to get the display back. Miller-Young then reportedly scratched and pushed Short before leaving via the elevator.

The remains of the sign were reportedly found destroyed. Santa Barbara law-enforcement officials are currently investigating the incident.

SOURCE






Teacher orders British boy, 10, to remove Help for Heroes wristband worn in memory of Lee Rigby 'because it might cause offence'

A teacher allegedly ordered a 10-year-old boy to take off his Help for Heroes wristband because it could cause offence.

Tracy Tew was shocked when her son Charlie was put on a report card at Maldon Primary School in Essex after he refused to take off the charity rubber bracelet sold to honour injured soldiers.

Charlie wears the wristband - bought at the Colchester Military Festival - in honour of murdered solider Lee Rigby and service personnel in his family, including his great-granddad and uncle.

Mrs Tew, 38, a domestic service assistant at a hospital, said: ‘We are really proud of Charlie for sticking to his guns. He wanted to keep it on and he didn’t agree with the reasons why he shouldn’t.

The mother of two added: ‘When the teacher said she was worried it was going to offend people, I thought it was disgusting. Our family are up in arms because we are all military minded.  ‘With what happened with Lee Rigby, Charlie really wanted to wear a wristband.’

Drummer Rigby, 25, was killed by two Islamic fanatics in Woolwich, south-east London, in May last year. Michael Adebolajo, 29, and Michael Adebowale, 22, were jailed for the murder last month.

Headteacher Tracy Thornton insisted wearing wristbands is against the school’s jewellery policy.  She said: ‘They are not allowed to wear jewellery, and that includes wristbands, for health and safety reasons because they could get caught.

‘I can’t comment on what one particular teacher said, but for the general perspective of the school, the children are not allowed to wear jewellery except small silver studs and watches, which have to be taken off for PE.’

Bryn Parry, co-founder and CEO of Help for Heroes, told MailOnline: ‘A school's uniform policy is a matter for the principal and governors.  ‘However, over 6million wristbands are proudly being worn in support of our wounded servicemen and women, including many wristbands on the frontline in Afghanistan.

‘We have not heard of a single health and safety incident connected to them, nor have we ever had a complaint that they are offensive.

‘We do also have a wonderful range of other items such as lapel badges for those who are keen to show their support for our wounded.’

Terry Sutton, Colchester president of the Royal British Legion - a separate charity to Help for Heroes - said he has never heard of anyone taking offence to wristbands backing military charities.

He said: ‘It’s hard to see how the band would cause offence, except, I suppose, to the radical Muslim community. I don’t think that will be a problem in Colchester and in its surrounding area.

‘Help for Heroes bands are something young people in particular have latched onto and it’s great, as a former serviceman, to see them showing their support.’

The school has around 400 pupils aged between four and 11. In its last Ofsted report in January 2013, it was rated as 'good' overall - an improvement from 'satisfactory' in the previous inspection

SOURCE



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