I’ve lost count of the number of times I’ve heard the accusation that the right is restricting the rights of the people, that the right is taking away free speech and freedom of expression. Etc Etc Etc. We all know the drill. Its the mantra that we’ve all heard a million times. As I’ve said here before many times, they screech at the tops of their voices that they aren’t being allowed to speak. They don’t even understand that the fact they are complaining so loudly about their rights being denied means that their rights are NOT being denied.
When I see speakers being refused the right to speak at universities because the left doesn’t like their message (forget the poor people who actually came to hear them speak and the right of the speaker to be heard) I can’t help but wonder who is denying who the right of free speech and expression. While they are calling the right fascists they behave as fascists. Who are the fascists? Who are depriving their countrymen of their rights.
From the Military Times we have an example of the latest restriction of rights. This time the rights of veterans to be honored as they deserve to be is being denied because one person made a complaint that there is a reference to God in the recitations related to the folding of the flag. Because of that one complaint the recitations have been banned from the military graveyards.
Flag-folding recitations by Memorial Honor Detail volunteers are now banned at the nation’s 125 veterans graveyards because of a complaint about the ceremony at Riverside National Cemetery.
During thousands of military burials, the volunteers have folded the American flag 13 times and recited the significance of every fold to survivors.
The first fold represents life, the second a belief in eternal life, and so on.
The complaint revolved around the narration in the 11th fold, which celebrates Jewish war veterans and “glorifies the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac and the God of Jacob.â€
The National Cemetery Administration then decided to ban the entire recital at all national cemeteries. Details of the complaint weren’t disclosed.
Administration spokesman Mike Nacincik said the new policy outlined in a Sept. 27 memorandum is aimed at creating uniform services throughout the military graveyard system.
He said the 13-fold recital is not part of the U.S. Flag Code and is not government-approved.
Veterans and honor detail volunteers, including Bobby Castillo, 85, and Rees Lloyd, 59, are furious.
“That the actions of one disgruntled, whining, narcissistic and intolerant individual is preventing veterans from getting the honors they deserve is truly an outrage,†Lloyd said. “This is another attempt by secularist fanatics to cleanse any reference to God.â€
Castillo, a Navy veteran of World War II, said it’s “a slap in the face to every veteran.â€
“When we got back from the war, we didn’t ask for a whole lot,†Castillo said. “We just want to give our veterans the respect they deserve. No one has ever complained to us about it. I just don’t understand.â€
The secularists are once again trying to take any reference to God out of our society at the expense of the freedoms of expression and religion of other citizens and at the expense of our veterans.
Will they take even this comfort from our veterans and their families?
Michelle Makin has the meanings that have been ascribed to the 13 folds of the American flag at the burial services of American veterans. They are not part of the U.S. Flag Code, but are custom.
- Symbol of life.
- Symbol of our belief in the eternal life.
- In honor and remembrance of the veteran departing our ranks who gave a portion of life for the defense of our country to attain a peace throughout the world.
- Represents our weaker nature, for as American citizens trusting in God, it is to Him we turn in times of peace as well as in times of war for His divine guidance.
- A tribute to our country, for in the words of Stephen Decatur, “Our country, in dealing with other countries, may she always be right; but it is still our country, right or wrong.â€
- Represents where our hearts lie. It is with our heart that we pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America, and to the republic for which it stands, one nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.
- A tribute to our armed forces.
- A tribute to the one who entered in to the valley of the shadow of death, that we might see the light of day, and to honor mother, for whom it flies on Mother’s Day.
- A tribute to womanhood.
- A tribute to father.
- In the eyes of a Hebrew citizen, represents the lower portion of the seal of King David and King Solomon, and glorifies, in their eyes, the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.
- In the eyes of a Christian citizen, represents an emblem of eternity and glorifies, in their eyes, God the Father, the Son, and Holy Ghost.
- When the flag is completely folded, the stars are uppermost, reminding us of our national motto, “In God We Trust.â€
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From MacsMind
UPDATE: Some left wing blogs are blaming this too on Bush. The National Cemetery Administration is under supervision and funded by Congress.
Read more at Captain’s Quarters, Cao’s Blog, Hot Air, STACLU, Right Voices, Bits Blog
memeorandum has more
“And the there was Max McGehee, from Tennessee, where the Cotton
Blooms and Blows!
All Ya’ll come on down here, and see where your liberal butt goes!!!!”
(my apologies to Robert W. Service)
Max McGehee
USA SFC
Viet Nam 15 JUN 69 - 18 AUG 71
Rights are only for the minority now.
You can’t please everyone without evolving chaos.
This country was founded on faith in God; loss of this faith is the beginning of self destruction; we are beginning to crumble.
Here is another outrageous story from Riverside National Cemetery.
I am including two links to newspaper articles that all veterans and their families should read. Although this is about RNC the story could national consequences.
Here is the gist of the story: Sharon Hunt’s father died in Oct 2006 and was cremated and interred at RNC. He was a retired Lt Colonel in the Air Force and highly decorated.
Her mother passed away in 2007 on exactly the same day as her father and almost to the hour. The plan was for the mother to be created and interred next to her father.
When 50 family members and friends showed for the funeral Gil Gallo the Direcotr at Riverside National Cemetery refused to accept the urn for burial.
Gallo or any of his management would speak to the family. How insensitive can a Cemetery Director be?
That was a year ago and the family are still waiting for a return phone or answer to emails and letters. Nothing from Gallo.
Mrs. Hunt did her own research and found out the reason for refusal is that the urn contained less than 100% of the remains. Hunt had divided her remains into keepsake urns for family members. Some of the ashes were spread at a family cemetery in Texas at the request of the decease.
On the day of the funeral Gil Gallo had decided to change his policy and enforce it at that very moment.
The policy of not accepting anything less that 100% of the remains was to stop people being buried in multiple national cemeteries. How absurd! That’s what databases are for.
Even publicity Gallo has not contacted the family to explain his decision or apologise for the grief he has caused.
A year later Mrs Hunt’s mother still remains unburied and separated from her husband of almost 60 years.
http://www.dailybulletin.com/news/ci_10922389
http://www.pe.com/localnews/inland/stories/PE_News_Local_S_ashes08.38a6ac9.html