Fallen Soldier Gets a Bronze Star but No Pagan Star
By Alan Cooperman Washington Post Staff Writer Tuesday, July 4, 2006; Page A02
At the Veterans Memorial Cemetery in the small town of Fernley, Nev., there is a wall of brass plaques for local heroes. But one space is blank. There is no memorial for Sgt. Patrick D. Stewart.
That's because Stewart was a Wiccan, and the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs has refused to allow a symbol of the Wicca religion -- a five-pointed star within a circle, called a pentacle -- to be inscribed on U.S. military memorials or grave markers. Posted by Relentless on :
here we go.. How hard is it to just make the plaque.. or grave marker.. just friggen do it.. These guys have to know there is going to be an uproar ovver this.. The reality is if the soldiers religion was a reasonably recognized religion they have to honor it... I can understand if his family was going nuts because they wouldn't put the symbol for "Billy bob's sheep worshiping religion of furry love" on his grave stone or marker.. or whatever..
Posted by glassman on :
read a little deeper and it appears the Pentagon also recognises it... it's the dang VA that refuses to respect the guys sacrifice...
i know Wiccans are not satan worshippers...
BUT?
the only real professed satan worshipper i ever met was when i was in the Navy, and so was he...
the guy was pretty creepy... and he made no secret of it as far as i could see....
not that i approve of it, but, even a real satan worshipper with a broze star deserves a plaque...
Posted by L on :
...freedom of religion...
Posted by Relentless on :
Yep.. exactly I don't care if the guy worshiped dung beetles.. If he made the sacrifice for us thenhe deserves what ever he wants on his grave stone.. I'll bet it's a red tape.. paper work issue surrounded some idiot in the VA office.. that's how this stuff usually happens.
Posted by L on :
It reminds me of a few years back I was reading the Veteran's magazine and there was an article about how Vets, who had been given cigarettes by the military with their rations, were being denied medical treatment by te VA hospital because, even though they were in Vietnam, they were "smoking those cigerettes on there own time." Pure BS.
Posted by bdgee on :
I have more than one close frind that aw Wiccans and know others. Leaving out the ones that say they are and really are just confused and childish, for the most part, they tend to be quite pleasant and intellegen people. The absurd notion that they are devil worshipers tells you how ignorant some religions can be. The Wiccan religion does not have a hell or a devil. If someone tells you that is wrong, you are NOT talking to a Wiccan.
Posted by Relentless on :
Never really studied the religion in depth, but the few I've met seemed smart enough.. I've heard they were idol worshipers.. but what religion isn't a bunch of idol worshipers from the point of view of another religion? Never heard of them as being satan worshipers?
Posted by glassman on :
i have heard quite a few people refer to them as satan worshipers....
i've even heard Baptists refer to Catholics as idol worshippers..
lot of confused people out there... just like in the market huh? Posted by Relentless on :
Up is down.. left is right...
Posted by T e x on :
Have known a few Wiccan ladies...no males, for whatever/however reason--could be selective memory, acknowledged. Was back when I was covering Comanche Peak nuke plant. Maybe the guys were home tending the herbs n crystals. Which ain't a bad gig, considering the protesters were headed to Texas jail during pretty good heat. Against all "ethics" of journalism, I sent those on the big yellow jail bus a load of snowcones...
Anyway, never had any Wiccans bugging me at the front door...
Posted by bdgee on :
Most religious teaching is that any other religion is peopled by evil (or ill informed) persoons intent on devil worship.
It is not much different from tribe A and tribe b distrust one another.....INTENSLY!
Posted by glassman on :
bugging me at the front door? LOL
now that reminds me of a story.....
Posted by Relentless on :
something to be said for any religion that doesn't pester the rest of the world with crusades to save as many as possible...
Posted by T e x on :
quote:Originally posted by glassman: bugging me at the front door? LOL
now that reminds me of a story.....
well?
Posted by Sasquatch on :
Dated a Wiccan in High School for a little bit. Said her Aunt was teaching her to see the future. She was right supposedly 22% of the time and her Aunt told her she would get better with practice.
Don't have a clue why she liked hanging around me as we had absolutely nothing in common but it was fun while it lasted. LOL
Posted by T e x on :
"while it lasted"
lol, apparently, she got better, overnight
Posted by bdgee on :
Mr. 78%, you are, of course.
I dated a blonde college chick that claimed to be Wiccan. She had no illusions that she could read the future, but was convinced I could.
Maybe I'd be less prone to take advantage now, but not then. So I "predicted" what she was going to do and she did it bery well.
heh heh heh
Posted by T e x on :
22%...
that's funny chit...
Posted by Blue Marlin on :
They need to square that situation away and fast. The V.A will hear from many Vet's on this one...Sometimes a call to a VA advocate association in your local area's can get results..
Maybe we could train one them thar Clara-vo-yunts to pick Pinks?
Posted by Up on :
quote:Originally posted by Relentless: Up is down..
Not really. I'm actually doing quite well lately thank you.
Posted by bdgee on :
quote:Originally posted by Up:
quote:Originally posted by Relentless: Up is down..
Not really. I'm actually doing quite well lately thank you.
I'd say that is about the silliest remark made here tonight if I hadn't read the threads. Nice try, though.
Posted by Up on :
Yep, ranks right up there doesn't it?
Posted by Relentless on :
I wouldn't expect anything less of you Posted by Blue Marlin on :
well, $90,000.00 in that congressmans refridgerator in his congressional office ranks in there somewhere..
Posted by bdgee on :
That's good.
Maybe a yeller ribon rather than a blue?
Posted by bdgee on :
Yeah, that's right, isn't it. At least according to Scalia and his second vote, Thomas, money is speach.
Posted by IWISHIHAD on :
It appears that people of the Wiccan religion can serve in the military but their religion can't be acknowledge when they die for this country, maybe they should ban them from serving in a combat zone, can you imagine how many new military members this religion will get if this were the case. When i first read this i thought it had to be a joke then i thought what else is new.
Posted by IWISHIHAD on :
I guess you can tell that my feelings toward the VA. and our Gov. has not been the best lately, it makes me sick every time i see another picture or hear news about another soldier that has been hurt in Iraq with no end in sight.
Posted by Hannibull on :
quote:Originally posted by glassman: Fallen Soldier Gets a Bronze Star but No Pagan Star
By Alan Cooperman Washington Post Staff Writer Tuesday, July 4, 2006; Page A02
At the Veterans Memorial Cemetery in the small town of Fernley, Nev., there is a wall of brass plaques for local heroes. But one space is blank. There is no memorial for Sgt. Patrick D. Stewart.
That's because Stewart was a Wiccan, and the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs has refused to allow a symbol of the Wicca religion -- a five-pointed star within a circle, called a pentacle -- to be inscribed on U.S. military memorials or grave markers.
is believing in a 2000 year dead invisible man in the clouds less crazy than having wiccan beliefs?
Posted by Blue Marlin on :
IWISHIHAD, thought the same thing till I saw it on the news..Geezz man is that some kinda chit or what..Starting to see younger an younger VETS at the Veterans Hospital..Last time up a family was at the blood draw...Soldier about mid 20's..
When I was in the Hemetalagy Oncolagy dept. he was there to, with family..They were under extreme stress, and it was easy to see on the Mother's face..
Myself I keep an up beat attitude when dealing with Veterans affairs, don't think it does much good, but getting angry with them can get your records mis-placed.
Hey what ever happened to the Fly Boy Officer that swooped in and tryed to rattle our cage and chew us out, that nite on Allstocks..Man that Dude was funny..Just like an Officer, always barking orders, what is it he said? get your collective chit together or sumpin...LOL
[ July 11, 2006, 07:41: Message edited by: Blue Marlin ]
Posted by Johnwayne on :
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