Demand that the US Army show equal treatment for religious and non-religious soldiers.

Demand that the US Army show equal treatment for religious and non-religious soldiers.

Targeting: The Governor of NC, The NC State Senate, The NC State House, see more...The Governor of NC, The NC State Senate, The NC State House, and Col. Stephen J. Sicinski
, c.o. Ben Abel, Public Affairs Officer
Started by: Kevin Jenkins
OVERVIEW

“Rock Beyond Belief,” a festival of nontheistic speakers and musicians that was going to be held at Fort Bragg, North Carolina, on April 2, 2011 has been canceled after Fort Bragg’s garrison commander refused to provide adequate support for the event – even though Fort Bragg officials had made similar arrangements for a religious event just months ago.

Rock Beyond Belief’s organizers had asked for lesser or equal amounts of support for their event than the Army and Fort Bragg officials provided for the Billy Graham Evangelical Association’s “Rock the Fort” celebration in 2010. You can see a complete comparison of the more than $100,000 in government funds provided to the Rock the Fort event to the funds asked for by the Rock Beyond Belief organizers here.

According to Rock Beyond Belief’s chief organizer, Sgt. Justin Griffith, service members without any religious affiliation compose the second-largest “religious” group at Fort Bragg, after Christians. Griffith also points out on the festival’s website, rockbeyondbelief.com, that Fort Bragg officially cosponsored the evangelical concert event in 2010 despite calls for the Christian event to be canceled. He states on the website that Fort Bragg officials explained that “ would be willing and able to provide the same support to comparable events.”

More:
http://www.change.org/petitions/demand-that-the-us-army-show-equal-treatment-for-religious-and-non-religious-soldiers?%3Fopt_new=f#?opt_new=t

Dear Ian-

I found this discussion topic surprising when I read it. Why? Because it demonstrates that you and I are pretty much on the same page politically and religiously. Yet you've listed me as a "Spammer And Other Wastes Of Skin".

I tried to communicate this to you, but not only did you not research me, you apparently blocked me so that we couldn't discuss this. You assumed it because a REAL troll misunderstood my tweet and said she admired me and wanted to follow me. I find @micheknows to be offensive and her tweets show an astonishing lack of compassion and grasp of facts. I'm frustrated and hurt that you would do this to me without engaging me. If you had, you would know that like you I voted for and continue to support Obama. If you had, you'd know that I support the Wisconsin demonstrators and have been watching it on The Uptake and on the #wiunion stream non-stop for two weeks. I am shocked by the despotic actions of Walker and his sycophant Senators. And I'm inspired, and awed by the people of Wisconsin, so much so that I donated $150 to both The Uptake and Recall of the GOP 8 efforts.

If I were placed on such a list by teajadists, I might nobly wear it. But I don't go on their hashtags or chat rooms to agitate them. That is not what I believe in. I am very angry that you did this to me and I could lash out and be sarcastic, but I won't because ***dang it all*** I just signed the Coffee Party Movement civility pledge. :-)

I am respectfully asking you to take me off your "Waste of Skin" list (@faisslAZ). I know that people can be passionate about topics, but is it really fair to put people on a list with a name like this without doing your research?...or at all. I thought us progressives were supposed to be tolerant. I'm considering shutting down this Twitter account because I don't want this glaring at me on my display. That bugs the crap out of me because I had a good list of progressives and news organizations that I was following. And I had some funny, snarky tweets. :-)

Thanks so much for your consideration in this matter,
Lisa - An Agnostic, Science-Loving, Progressive Who Has Pledged To Be Civil