Tuesday Evening, August 3, 2021 |
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#1 PROGRESSIVE TALK SHOW
THE THOM HARTMANN PROGRAM
INTERVIEWS MRFF'S MIKEY WEINSTEIN
Talkers Magazine has ranked Thom Hartmann as the #1 progressive
talk show host in America for over a decade, with a cumulative audience
of 7.5 million on radio alone (excluding his simulcast TV audience).
Airing live nationwide for over 15 years, Thom's program airs live on SiriusXM satellite radio and both commercial & nonprofit stations from coast to coast. It is video simulcast on Free Speech TV, reaching 65 million+ U.S. households.
The show also streams live daily to a quarter-million YouTube subscribers, over 150,000 Facebook followers, 120,000 Twitter followers, and on Hulu, Roku & SlingTV as well as the THP apps for iOS and Android platforms.
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THE THOM HARTMANN PROGRAM
WHITE NATIONALISTS+
CHRISTIAN FAR RIGHT=
DANGER!
What Happens When the White Nationalist and Far Christian Right Get Together to take over the US Military?
What are the dangers and how does it enter our politics and why is it a national security threat?
Mikey Weinstein joined Thom to discuss the long history of far right wing Christians attacking the US government.
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More from Thom Hartmann ...
THE HARTMANN REPORT
DAILY RANT
A Warrior’s Instant Pass to Heaven
Would be Cultural Poison for America
By: Thom Hartmann
Tuesday, August 3, 2021
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MRFF INTERVENES ON BEHALF OF
ALABAMA NATIONAL GUARD SOLDIERS AFTER CIVILIAN PASTOR'S EXCLUSIVELY CHRISTIAN PRAYER AT MANDATORY
CHANGE OF COMMAND CEREMONY
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Original email from Alabama National Guard MRFF client: |
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From: John Doe
Date: July 31, 2021 at 7:36:02 PM MDT
To: info@militaryreligiousfreedom.org
Subject: Anniston Army Depot Change of Command
Hello,
You can call me John. I am a Soldier assigned to the Alabama National Guard. On 29 July 2021 I was forced to attend the Change of Command at the Anniston Army Depot. A local pastor performed the invocation rather than a chaplain, even though I saw an army chaplain in attendance. The local pastor closed his prayer “in Jesus name we pray”, without regard to any of us who are not christian, which I thought was totally uncalled for. I figured this is something you might be interested in addressing. Thanks.
John Doe
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After getting more information from MRFF's clients
at the Anniston Army Depot, Mikey Weinstein reached
out by telephone to three levels of command including Command Judge Advocate MAJ James Kitchen,
followed by this email exchange:
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On Aug 2, 2021, at 12:48 PM, Kitchen, James W MAJ USARMY TACOM (USA) wrote:
Sir,
Thank you for taking the time to speak with me today, and for sharing your client’s concerns.
As I understand it, your clients were concerned about a statement that a person you believe to be named Dr. Kelly concluded his prayer by stating “in Jesus’ name we pray,” or a similar statement at a recent change of command ceremony at Anniston Army Depot. I will pass this concern onto the appropriate commanders for their consideration and any follow-on action that they may deem appropriate.
Please do not hesitate to contact me if you have any further questions or concerns.
Very respectfully,
Jim Kitchen
MAJ, JA
Command Judge Advocate.
AMC Legal Center - Detroit Arsenal
Tank-automotive and Armaments Command (TACOM)
Detroit Arsenal, MI
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Mikey Weinstein's response to MAJ Kitchen: |
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From: Michael L Weinstein <mikeyw4444@icloud.com>
Date: August 2, 2021 at 1:13:21 PM MDT
To: "Kitchen, James W MAJ USARMY TACOM (USA)"
Subject: ANAD change of command
Thank you very much for the quick reply phone call and follow up email, Jim… As I mentioned in our just-concluded telephone conversation, our MRFF clients were infuriated and upset-and rightfully so – by what appears to have been a civilian pastor giving a clearly sectarian “Jesus Christ” blessing or invocation during this change of command we discussed which occurred on July 29, 2021 at 09:00 East Coast time at your installation in Alabama …Why did this gentleman and not a military chaplain even give this invitation to begin with by the way? As mentioned in our phone call, the new Secretary Defense, General Lloyd Austin, has made it clear that he wants HIS tenure as SECDEF to serve as a “loadstar”, his words not mine, for racial and religious diversity and unity in the Department of Defense… What happened at this MANDATORY change of command ceremony at your military installation was literally the antithesis of that, Jim…Good order, morale, discipline and unit cohesion of the troops in that command, both civilian and military, has been significantly impacted in a most deleterious manner…not every soldier or DOD civilian is a practitioner of the Christian faith nor should they ever HAVE to be to provide honorable service to our US military and our nation… please ensure that all appropriate command entities (to include Major General Werner who was apparently the highest ranking officer at this mandatory change of command ceremony, and did nothing at all about that civilian pastor’s divisive and unconstitutional direct reference to “Jesus Christ” in the noted invocation) are expeditiously made aware of this egregious violation of the No Establishment clause of the First Amendment of the United States Constitution, it’s construing Federal case law, the directives, instructions and regulations of the Department of Defense and the Department of the Army as well as the Core Values of the Army and the Uniform Code of Military Justice… As we discussed, Jim, we cannot put the toothpaste back into the tube on the comprehensive “bad” of what happened but, with your timely and professional assistance explaining to the command chain the illicit and unconstitutional seriousness of what transpired herein, we indeed CAN prevent it from ever happening again… Respectfully and gratefully, Mikey Weinstein… Founder and President, Military Religious Freedom Foundation… 505-250-7727…
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IN MEMORIAM:
Walter Plywaski – Holocaust survivor, pioneering
religious freedom activist, and long-time MRFF supporter
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MRFF Founder and President Mikey Weinstein's
statement on the passing of Walter Plywaski
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“We at the Military Religious Freedom Foundation recently were informed of the passing earlier this year of Mr. Walter Plywaski, due to COVID-19 complications, in Boulder Colorado at the age of 91. Walter was an amazing human being who survived multiple Nazi atrocities and death camps during the Nazi holocaust and went on to honorably serve in the United States military after his liberation. He was a relentless champion of civil rights particularly in the area of religious freedom and had been an ardent supporter of MRFF for many years. He made several public appearances with me in the Colorado area on behalf of MRFF. In particular, at a major speech I gave at the Air Force Academy in 2010, Walter drove down from the Denver area to attend and support. In fact, Walter sent me a final email, in his inimitable manner less than a week before he passed, defiantly encouraging me and MRFF to fight on, despite a horrendous piece of hate mail we had just received. Walter was one of the most courageous and genuinely inspirational human beings I have ever known and his presence & generous provision of universal aid to the MRFF civil rights advocacy mission will be sorely missed.” |
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THE CONVERSATION
COVERS WALTER PLYWASKI'S
SUCCESSFUL FIGHT FOR ATHEISTS
TO BECOME U.S. CITIZENS
70 years ago Walter Plywaski fought for atheists’ right to become citizens – here’s why his
story is worth remembering
By: Kristina M. Lee
Monday, August 2, 2021
(Excerpts from The Conversation)
In August 1952, Plywaski petitioned for U.S. citizenship while in Hawaii. All he had left to do was say his oath of allegiance.
Plywaski, however, was an atheist. He informed the judge that he could not sincerely end the oath with the words “so help me God” and requested an alternative.
[…]
Plywaski moved to Oregon and successfully petitioned to have his case moved there to be looked at by a different judge. In January 1955, Plywaski won his case and became a citizen.
Plywaski’s case confirmed that those applying for citizenship must have the option to not recite “so help me God” when taking their oath, a policy that is now explicit in the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services policy manual.
[…]
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