|
|
By Lowell McFarland lowell@optonline.net
Lady Liberty has alerted us to the Fox News poll regarding the Department
of Veterans Affairs refusal to recognize the Wiccan symbol for inclusion
on veteran's headstones.
We, at Tuan Today, have long been
disapointed in Fox's seemingly biased polls that often are at extreme
variance with other similar polls.
However, as veterans, we encourage
everybody to see the video clip and vote against ("Down") the Department
of Veterans Affairs apparent religious discriminatory policies.
Loch Sloy!
Tuan Today
"Tuan MacCarrill/MacParthalon, Forever
the Celtic Story!"
In yesterday's Circle Times, we reported on the Wiccan Warrior
story that
ran on the Fox News Report last week and which was on the front page
of the
Fox News website yesterday.
This news story has just been moved to the Fox Fan Opinion section,
known
as Up or Down:
Honoring a Wiccan Warrior http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,190322,00.html
The video is available for viewing.
VOTE!!!
By clicking on the UP OR DOWN link at the end of the descriptive
paragraph, you can express your support for the Pentacle being adopted
as an emblem of belief by the VA and your concerns about the VA's
delay in approving the symbol.
Be sure to cast a "DOWN" vote for the Department of Veterans Affairs
not
yet recognizing the Wiccan religion and not yet approving the Pentacle
for
use on government issued headstones, markers, and plaques for deceased
veterans.
It is not necessary to identify yourself as a Wiccan or Pagan in
expressing
dismay that the VA has not approved the Pentacle yet.
Please keep your comments to the point and respectful in tone. Do not
use profanity. Reference First Amendment issues of Freedom of
Religion in the US Constitution.
More information about the Pentacle for Veterans quest is on-line:
http://www.circlesanctuary.org/liberty/veteranpentacle
ACT NOW!!!
Please get as many people as you can to respond to this opinion
section of the FOX News website.
Forward this email to lists & those you know who might be willing to
write an email AGAINST discrimination and in support of Pentacle
approval by the VA.
Thanks!
In Liberty,
Lady Liberty League staff
Circle Times: Tuesday, April 4, 2006
|
Feds weigh allowing Wiccan symbols on
govt.-issued grave markers
Decentralization of Pagan Movement ruled no longer an obstacle
By LISA HOFFMAN
Scripps Howard News Service
23-MAR-06
While President Bush laid a wreath at the
Tomb of the Unknowns at Arlington National Cemetery, a self-declared witch
embarked on a clandestine mission to mark a grave most dear to her.
It was 2003, and neo-pagan high priestess Rosemary Kooiman, 75, was
determined that the gravesite of her recently departed husband, Abraham,
bear a Pentacle as the symbol of the Wiccan faith the two shared.
Unlike thousands of headstones bearing a Christian cross, Jewish Star of
David, Islamic Crescent and Star, or other religious emblems, Abraham
Kooiman's had none because the Department of Veterans Affairs does not
permit symbols of Wicca and related pagan sects to be depicted on
government-issued stones or markers.
Taking advantage of the attention turned elsewhere that day, Rosemary
Kooiman affixed a vinyl Pentacle _ a five-pointed star within a circle _
to the gravesite of her husband, a decorated World War II combat veteran.
That guerrilla action by Kooiman came as part of a decade-long battle by
those of her faith to bring recognition to troops and veterans who are
Wiccans and believers in other "nature" religions.
Long wrongfully tagged by the misinformed as being Satan worshippers or
the casters of evil spells, they say their ancient religion is a peaceful,
benign one centered on celebrating nature through rituals, meditations and
other spiritual practices.
Why then, they ask, has their religion been snubbed when more than 30
others _ including such relatively obscure ones as Seicho-No-Ie, Eckankar,
Sufism and Humanism _ are permitted? Even atheists have their own approved
symbol, which features an atom and the letter "A" in the center.
"These people served their country. Isn't America about freedom of
religion? They fought for that freedom," said the Rev. Selena Fox, a
senior minister and frequent spokeswoman for her neo-pagan faith, as well
as a prime mover in the effort for government recognition.
That crusade may be nearing an end. The Veterans department said this week
that it is nearing a decision on several requests for memorial markers
adorned with Pentacles, including one from the widow of a National
Guardsman killed in a helicopter attack in Afghanistan.
"We expect a decision soon," said Jo Schuda, a VA spokeswoman.
In a step interpreted as partially smoothing the way for Pentacle
approval, the VA's National Cemetery Administration amended a rule last
October that had been a bureaucratic roadblock. Until then, applicants had
to submit a letter from a "recognized central head" of the faith attesting
to the fact that the requested symbol in fact represented the religion.
But because the Wiccan faith and its related sects are substantially
decentralized, that requirement was essentially impossible to meet. Now,
the National Cemetery Administration asks for a letter from "a recognized
leader."
No one is quite sure how many Wiccans there are in the ranks of military
veterans and active-duty troops. Estimates by the Pentagon's chaplains'
board put the number of Wiccans at under 2,000, out of the 1.4 million
troops in uniform.
Fox, whose Wisconsin-based Circle Sanctuary church claims nearly 54,000
U.S. members, thinks the number of Wiccans in uniform is substantially
higher than the Pentagon estimate. Many more likely remain in the
religious closet, concerned that they would be tainted by misconceptions
about the faith, she said.
But for nearly a decade, the armed services have made it a point to be
tolerant of Wiccans and other faiths outside the mainstream. Military
chaplains, who are trained to meet the needs of all faiths, held their
first Wiccan service in 1997 at Fort Hood, Texas. Today, it is not
uncommon to find listings for Wicca rituals on many military base
coming-events announcements.
One soldier who was open about his Wiccan faith was Nevada National Guard
Sgt. Patrick Stewart, who was killed last September along with four other
U.S. troops when the Chinook helicopter carrying them was shot down in
Afghanistan. His widow, Roberta Stewart, vowed to push the VA to accept
the Wiccan faith and allow a Pentacle on her husband's plaque hung on a
memorial wall at the Northern Nevada Veterans Memorial Cemetery.
Her cause got a substantial boost when Nevada GOP Rep. Jim Gibbons spoke
out in her behalf this month. So, too, did Lt. Col. Robert Harington,
battalion commander of Patrick Stewart's Guard unit.
"Every family should have the ability to honor their fallen loved ones who
made the ultimate sacrifice in defending freedom and this nation,"
Gibbons, a veteran of Operation Desert Storm, said in a statement. "It is
my hope that the VA will act expeditiously to resolve this matter."
Whatever the resolution, one who will not be around to see it _ at least
in her incarnation as Abraham's wife, mother of three, government safety
officer, and founder of the Wiccan Nomadic Chantry of the Gramarye _ is
Rosemary Kooiman. She died of a heart attack at her home in Laurel, Md.,
on March 5.
"I'm sad that she wasn't able to see this approved before she died," Fox
said.
(Contact Lisa Hoffman at
HoffmanL(at)shns.com)
Source: Scripps Howard News Service
-- used with permission
http://www.shns.com/shns/g_index2.cfm?action=detail&pk=WICCANS-03-23-06
|
Feds weigh allowing Wiccan symbols on
govt.-issued grave markers
Decentralization of Pagan Movement ruled no longer an obstacle
By LISA HOFFMAN
Scripps Howard News Service
23-MAR-06
While President Bush laid a wreath at the
Tomb of the Unknowns at Arlington National Cemetery, a self-declared witch
embarked on a clandestine mission to mark a grave most dear to her.
It was 2003, and neo-pagan high priestess Rosemary Kooiman, 75, was
determined that the gravesite of her recently departed husband, Abraham,
bear a Pentacle as the symbol of the Wiccan faith the two shared.
Unlike thousands of headstones bearing a Christian cross, Jewish Star of
David, Islamic Crescent and Star, or other religious emblems, Abraham
Kooiman's had none because the Department of Veterans Affairs does not
permit symbols of Wicca and related pagan sects to be depicted on
government-issued stones or markers.
Taking advantage of the attention turned elsewhere that day, Rosemary
Kooiman affixed a vinyl Pentacle _ a five-pointed star within a circle _
to the gravesite of her husband, a decorated World War II combat veteran.
That guerrilla action by Kooiman came as part of a decade-long battle by
those of her faith to bring recognition to troops and veterans who are
Wiccans and believers in other "nature" religions.
Long wrongfully tagged by the misinformed as being Satan worshippers or
the casters of evil spells, they say their ancient religion is a peaceful,
benign one centered on celebrating nature through rituals, meditations and
other spiritual practices.
Why then, they ask, has their religion been snubbed when more than 30
others _ including such relatively obscure ones as Seicho-No-Ie, Eckankar,
Sufism and Humanism _ are permitted? Even atheists have their own approved
symbol, which features an atom and the letter "A" in the center.
"These people served their country. Isn't America about freedom of
religion? They fought for that freedom," said the Rev. Selena Fox, a
senior minister and frequent spokeswoman for her neo-pagan faith, as well
as a prime mover in the effort for government recognition.
That crusade may be nearing an end. The Veterans department said this week
that it is nearing a decision on several requests for memorial markers
adorned with Pentacles, including one from the widow of a National
Guardsman killed in a helicopter attack in Afghanistan.
"We expect a decision soon," said Jo Schuda, a VA spokeswoman.
In a step interpreted as partially smoothing the way for Pentacle
approval, the VA's National Cemetery Administration amended a rule last
October that had been a bureaucratic roadblock. Until then, applicants had
to submit a letter from a "recognized central head" of the faith attesting
to the fact that the requested symbol in fact represented the religion.
But because the Wiccan faith and its related sects are substantially
decentralized, that requirement was essentially impossible to meet. Now,
the National Cemetery Administration asks for a letter from "a recognized
leader."
No one is quite sure how many Wiccans there are in the ranks of military
veterans and active-duty troops. Estimates by the Pentagon's chaplains'
board put the number of Wiccans at under 2,000, out of the 1.4 million
troops in uniform.
Fox, whose Wisconsin-based Circle Sanctuary church claims nearly 54,000
U.S. members, thinks the number of Wiccans in uniform is substantially
higher than the Pentagon estimate. Many more likely remain in the
religious closet, concerned that they would be tainted by misconceptions
about the faith, she said.
But for nearly a decade, the armed services have made it a point to be
tolerant of Wiccans and other faiths outside the mainstream. Military
chaplains, who are trained to meet the needs of all faiths, held their
first Wiccan service in 1997 at Fort Hood, Texas. Today, it is not
uncommon to find listings for Wicca rituals on many military base
coming-events announcements.
One soldier who was open about his Wiccan faith was Nevada National Guard
Sgt. Patrick Stewart, who was killed last September along with four other
U.S. troops when the Chinook helicopter carrying them was shot down in
Afghanistan. His widow, Roberta Stewart, vowed to push the VA to accept
the Wiccan faith and allow a Pentacle on her husband's plaque hung on a
memorial wall at the Northern Nevada Veterans Memorial Cemetery.
Her cause got a substantial boost when Nevada GOP Rep. Jim Gibbons spoke
out in her behalf this month. So, too, did Lt. Col. Robert Harington,
battalion commander of Patrick Stewart's Guard unit.
"Every family should have the ability to honor their fallen loved ones who
made the ultimate sacrifice in defending freedom and this nation,"
Gibbons, a veteran of Operation Desert Storm, said in a statement. "It is
my hope that the VA will act expeditiously to resolve this matter."
Whatever the resolution, one who will not be around to see it _ at least
in her incarnation as Abraham's wife, mother of three, government safety
officer, and founder of the Wiccan Nomadic Chantry of the Gramarye _ is
Rosemary Kooiman. She died of a heart attack at her home in Laurel, Md.,
on March 5.
"I'm sad that she wasn't able to see this approved before she died," Fox
said.
(Contact Lisa Hoffman at
HoffmanL(at)shns.com)
Source: Scripps Howard News Service
-- used with permission
http://www.shns.com/shns/g_index2.cfm?action=detail&pk=WICCANS-03-23-06
|
Rosemary
Kooiman, High Priestess of the Nomadic Chantry of the Gramarye
and Pagan civil rights activist, was retired from her work for
our movement at age 77 by a fatal heart attack in her home on
March 5. She was, by all accounts, a powerful crone, one of
the midwives of the Pagan Renaissance.
Joe Holley's
obit in the Washington Post (Friday, March 10, 2005, p B07)
referred to her as a "self-described witch who won the legal
right to perform neopagan weddings in Virginia" overcoming
judges in Fairfax and Alexandria who denied it on the grounds
that Wicca didn't qualify as a religious organization.
More
recently, Rosemary has
been leading the way in our struggle for the right of Pagan veterans to have
pentagrams on their tombstones.
Rosemary, you have brought honor to Our Lady and all
covenanted with Her.
Thank you.
|
Sgt. Patrick Stewart (Nevada
National Guard) died in Afghanistan, when he and John Flynn were shot
down. There's a memorial plaque for the fallen, but Patrick's
name plate isn't next to John's. The other names are there, along with
a symbol showing the faith of each man, but the VA refuses to include
Patrick's chosen symbol, the pentagram enclosed in a circle.
Patrick is a Wiccan, and the VA refuses to honor the fallen soldier's
wishes to have a pentagram engraved on his memorial plaque at Northern Nevada Veterans Memorial Cemetery in
Fernley.
He's not the first to ask for "Wiccan"
on his dogtags -- the military agreed to that much. And his widow is
not the first to beg for her husband to have a symbol of his faith
engraved on his tombstone.
They asked him to risk his
life to defend freedom
And now they won't even give
him a tiny engraving.
See GERALDA
MILLER's touching story (RENO
GAZETTE-JOURNAL Posted: 3/18/2006 )
http://news.rgj.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060318/NEWS03/603180327/1002/NEWS
Also see: Remember soldier as man whose beliefs
led him to serve country
|
A Pentacle
in Arlington National Cemetery
By Charles Arnold, National Coordinator, Pagan
Veterans Headstone Campaign
DATE: May 30, 2005
While President George W. Bush was laying a wreath at the Tombs of the
Unknowns, Rosemary Kooiman, widow of Abe Kooiman and member of the Pagan
Veterans Headstone Campaign, accompanied by Charles Arnold, National
Coordinator of the Campaign, were busy at another task in the Arlington
National Cemetery. That task was to place a vinyl sticker with a Pentacle on
the headstone at gravesite 2861, row O, section 54. The site is that of Pfc
Abraham Kooiman, a former member of the 91st Infantry Division and recipient
of the Combat Infantryman's Badge, the Bronze Star Medal and the Purple
Heart, awarded for being wounded in combat.
This illegal act was performed out of respect for the wishes of both Abraham
and Rosemary Kooiman and contrary to the position of the Department of
Veterans Affairs which finds it completely normal to grant the right to
religious "emblems of faith" to some groups while withholding it from
others. While thirty-eight different religions and groups currently have
approval for the use of their symbols, and despite dozens of applications
over the last six or more years which have been ignored, no NeoPagan symbol
has been allowed.
It had been hoped that such a drastic act would not have become necessary
but when the acting director of the office responsible for making these
decisions on these applications refused to meet with members of the Pagan
Veterans Headstone Campaign, the decision was finalized.
It is not known how long this Pentacle will remain in place but it is
certain that once noticed by officials it will be removed immediately.
Whether cemetery officials will conduct an investigation into who placed the
pentacle on the headstone or whether they decide to prosecute those who
place it is also unknown. However, this photographic record was made of
these two people, acting in accord (or, as any charge may state, 'in
conspiracy') who are willing to face any legal charges which may be launched
so that such a trial could be used to demonstrate that the current VA policy
violates the Constitution of the United States as well as various of the
Civil Rights laws and even the VA's one anti-discrimination policy.
Pagans who are anxious to see this last official barrier to religious
equality in federal policy are asked to contact their Congressional and
Senatorial representatives, the Office of the President of the United
States, as well as local and national media outlets, and demand an immediate
change.
Contact the author at ritbodyart@aol.com
To see these photographs, go to: http://www.toshisan.com/nep/ROK/index.htm |
SAMPLE LETTER
Please date and sign and send to your senators and congressional representative, congressional representative, along with the Veterans Affairs
Department and its National Cemetery Administration
Madam or Sir:
Pagan-Headstone-Campaign@yahoogroups.com
Date: Sun May 8, 2005 3:31 am
Subject: File - New letter for senators and representatives
Pagan-Headstone-Campaign@yahoogroups.com
Dear Representative/Senator
As an active member of the Pagan Veterans Headstone Campaign and due to the
rising number of US deaths in Iraq, I am taking this opportunity to approach
you on a matter of some importance, at least to hundreds of Pagan GIs and
veterans. My concern in that the National Cemeteries Commission, Department
of Veterans Affairs, may have in place a policy of religious discrimination.
Because that office cannot or will not produce the appropriate information,
it is impossible to tell if this policy is in place although the following
information seems to indicate just such a policy.
I am providing you with a list of the emblems of faith authorized for use
under the new VA Form 40-1330. Along with the list of groups and symbols, I
have added questions, which, unless the VA can provide suitable replies,
might demonstrate religious discrimination.
01 CHRISTIAN CROSS - Since the VA requires a large national organization
apply for any emblem of faith, what large national organization applied for
this?
02 BUDDHIST (Wheel of Righteousness) - Since the VA requires a large
national organization apply for any emblem of faith, what large national
organization applied for this?
03 HEBREW (Star of David) - Since the VA requires a large national
organization apply for any emblem of faith, what large national organization
applied for this?
04 PRESBYTERIAN CROSS - Since the Presbyterian Church just received approval
for their own emblem, who applied for this?
10 AARONIC ORDER CHURCH - Since the VA does not want to grant emblems of
faith to insignificant groups such as they imply Wicca to be (and have
requested specific numbers as to our individual and congregational members),
how many member individuals and congregations does this organization have in
the US?
12 NATIVE AMERICAN CHURCH OF NORTH AMERICA - Since the VA does not want to
grant emblems of faith to insignificant groups such as they imply Wicca to
be (and have requested specific numbers as to our individual and
congregational members), how many member individuals and congregations does
this organization have in the US?
16 ATHEIST - Since the VA does not want to grant emblems of faith to
insignificant groups such as they imply Wicca to be (and have requested
specific numbers as to our individual and congregational members), how many
member individuals and CONGREGATIONS does this organization have in the US?
17 MUSLIM (Crescent and Star) - Islam, like Wicca, has no central authority.
What large, national Islamic organization applied for this emblem?
18 HINDU - Again, what large national organization applied for this?
19 KONKO-KYO FAITH - Since the VA does not want to grant emblems of faith to
insignificant groups such as they imply Wicca to be (and have requested
specific numbers as to our individual and congregational members), how many
member individuals and congregations does this organization have in the US?
21 SUFISM REORIENTED - Since the VA does not want to grant emblems of faith
to insignificant groups such as they imply Wicca to be (and have requested
specific numbers as to our individual and congregational members), how many
member individuals and congregations does this organization have in the US?
22 TENRIKYO CHURCH - Since the VA does not want to grant emblems of
faith to insignificant groups such as they imply Wicca to be (and have
requested specific numbers as to our individual and congregational members),
how many member individuals and congregations does this organization have in
the US?
23 SEICHO-NO-IE - Since the VA does not want to grant emblems of faith to
insignificant groups such as they imply Wicca to be (and have requested
specific numbers as to our individual and congregational members), how many
member individuals and congregations does this organization have in the US?
24 CHURCH OF WORLD MESSIANITY (Izunome) - Since the VA does not want to
grant emblems of faith to insignificant groups such as they imply Wicca to
be (and have requested specific numbers as to our individual and
congregational members), how many member individuals and congregations does
this organization have in the US?
25 UNITED CHURCH OF RELIGIOUS SCIENCE - Since the VA does not want to grant
emblems of faith to insignificant groups such as they imply Wicca to be (and
have requested specific numbers as to our individual and congregational
members), how many member individuals and congregations does this
organization have in the US?
28 ECKANKAR - Since the VA does not want to grant emblems of faith to
insignificant groups such as they imply Wicca to be (and have requested
specific numbers as to our individual and congregational members), how many
member individuals and congregations does this organization have in the US?
29 CHRISTIAN CHURCH - What is the Christian Church? What large national
organization made this application? How many members and congregations does
this organization have?
32 HUMANIST EMBLEM OF SPIRIT - Does the American Humanist Association even
have congregations?
34 IZUMO TAISHAKYO MISSION OF HAWAII - Since the VA does not want to grant
emblems of faith to insignificant groups such as they imply Wicca to be (and
have requested specific numbers as to our individual and congregational
members), how many member individuals and congregations does this
organization have in the US?
35 SOKA GAKKAI INTERNATIONAL - USA - Since the VA does not want to grant
emblems of faith to insignificant groups such as they imply Wicca to be (and
have requested specific numbers as to our individual and congregational
members), how many member individuals and congregations does this
organization have in the US?
98 MUSLIM (Islamic 5 Pointed Star) - That makes two different emblems for
Islam, a faith that is noted for the individual nature of each mosque.
Again, let me ask what large national organization made this application?
Unless all are treated equally, religious discrimination is a reality. Both
we and the Department of Veterans Affairs and their
overseers in the House, in the Senate and in the White House need to remedy
this situation, this time without organizational
misinformation and misdirection from the office responsible for this policy.
This matter has been discussed widely and I do hope that you will act to
obtain accurate information then act again to stop what appears to be a
blatant disregard for our Constitutional guarantees.
Sincerely,
Signed
Member
Pagan Veterans Headstone Campaign
|
Pagan
Headstone Campaign
Pagan
Veterans are not allowed their religious symbol, the Pentacle, on their
headstones in US military Cemeteries
Join the Pagan Headstone Campaign and stop this injustice!
Please follow this link and sign the Online Petition for the Pagan Headstone
Campaign and let your voice make a difference! Thank you!
http://www.PetitionPetition.com/cgi/petition.cgi?id=6465
Blessed Be!
Ben Malloy
Charles Arnold, Coordinator, Pagan Veterans Headstone Campaign and Vietnam
Veteran recommends:
www.PaganVeterans.org
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Pagan-Headstone-Campaign/
http://mysite.freeserve.com/headstonecampaign/index.html
http://mysite.freeserve.com/thewitchgrove/Page3/Pagan_Headstone_Campaign.htm
http://www.mgcpagans.msdragonfly.com/headstone1.php
http://mgcpagans.msdragonfly.com/formletter2.html
Be
sure to read Don Waterhawk's article at Witchvox.com.
Click here
to sign the petition: http://www.PetitionPetition.com/cgi/petition.cgi?id=6465
Pagan Veterans
Headstone Campaign
As you may or
may not know, the US Department of Veterans Affairs provides headstones for
honorably discharged veterans of the US Armed Services. At this moment members
of 31 different religious groupings, as well as Atheists have symbols recognized
by the VA for use on free veterans' headstones as well as all headstones used in
US military cemeteries. Unfortunately, none of the approved designs hold any
meaning for the thousands of Pagan and Wiccan veterans or active duty service
personnel. For at least six years the Veterans Administration has sat on
application after application from a variety of churches and religious
organizations asking that the most common symbol used by Pagans, the pentacle (a
five pointed star within a circle) be added to the list of approved symbols.
Without such approval, not only will the VA not provide a free headstone but
families are not even allowed to purchase their own headstone and have it placed
in a VA cemetery.
Therefore, members of the Pagan and Wiccan clergy, along with followers of these
faiths have come together to ask the public to engage in an aggressive letter
writing campaign to ask our representatives to object to this unfair situation
and to keep us abreast of their progress. Secondly,
petitions such as this one will be circulated across the country where
signatures will be collected and sent to both elected officials as well as the
bureaucrats at the VA.
Paganism, a growing religious movement in the United States, claims hundreds of
thousands of members in the United States. The US Military Chaplains Manual
recognized Paganism and its various branches well over ten years ago and the
practice of the faith within the military has sparked discussion at the highest
levels. We ask you, in the name of religious equality and out of respect for
Pagan veterans and active duty service personnel to please sign this petition.
Copies of this petition will be sent to members of both the House of
Representatives and the Senate as well
as the Department of Veterans Affairs.
Please take a moment to sign this petition.
More about PetitionPetition.com:
PetitionPetition.com is a website where your voice can be heard. Sign petitions
to show your support for something you care about. Sign up for the Petition
Newsletter and stay up to date on the issues that matter to you. Or start a
petition of your own--it's free and easy to do. Visit us
at: http://www.PetitionPetition.com/
MORE:
The Department of
Veterans Affairs has completed their update on the application process for
processing applications for Emblems of Faith. At the same time they have also
approved several applications:
1. The Humanist emblem of spirit
2. The Presbyterian Church (A Presbyterian Cross is the fourth oldest symbol
they already have,
this is a new one)
3. Izumo Taishakyo Mission of Hawaii
4. Soka Gakkai International - USA
5. Sikh
The VA appears to have a completely different set of requirements for Pagans
than for other groups in that we are required to have an application filed by a
national organization as well as to have an unspecified number of members and
congregations. I have tried to get information in the past, without luck, but I
would love to get the answers to the following questions, given the opportunity:
1. What groups applied for the Christian Cross, the Buddhist Wheel of life,
the Jewish Star of
David, the Presbyterian Cross,
the Muslim Crescent and star, the Islamic five pointed star,
and the Christian Church
chalice?
2. How many member and congregations have in the US?
Native American Church of North America
The Serbian Orthodox Church
The American Atheist Association
The Konko-Kyo Faith
Sufism Reoriented
Tenrikyo Church
Seicho-no-ie
The Church of World Messianity - Izunome
United Church of Religious Science
Eckankar
Christian Church
Humanist Association of the US
Izumo Taishakyo Mission of Hawaii
Soke Gakkai International - USA
After all, unless all of our applications are treated equally, there is
religious discrimination being practiced.
Now, a question: Can anyone give me links to newspapers and/or magazines
articles that include quotes from then governor George W. Bush commenting on
Pagans and Wicca? This would be VERY helpful.
And remember, you, too, can join us:
Pagan-Headstone-Campaign@yahoogroups.com
"The point to one's beliefs is not proving them, but to learn from them."
Douglas Loven
|
|
Druid Headstone
and Dogtag Campaign Advances
Lowell McFarland lowell@optonline.net
Of particular interest, during these angry times, is the
work of Druid Ellen Hopman in organizing Druidic groups to work
together for
an official Druid headstone for American Druidic veterans.
This effort was started by Wiccans (and is being spearheaded by
MPN - the Military Pagan Network, I believe) to get an official Wiccan symbol officially sanctioned on veteran's headstones.
Druid Hopman apparently congressed with American Druidic groups,
and even contacted foreign Druidic organizations, who then
canvassed their members and agreed on a single Druidic symbol,
the AWEN (three vertical lines like the rays of the Sun), to
represent all American Druidic veterans who choose to be buried
in military
cemeteries.
We commend Druid Hopman and have included her letter below with
her permission. We believe that her actions and the efforts by
Druidic groups on this issue, even on an ad hoc basis, will lead
to more unity and an overall strengthening of Paganism.
Note: There is still the issue that the US Government does not
recognize Pagans for a religious listing on their dog-tags.
However, we have been advised that Pagans in the military
routinely purchase dog-tags off-base with the Pagan religion of
choice inscribed and have had few problems.
Loch Sloy!
Tuan Today
"Tuan MacCarrill/MacParthalon, Forever the Celtic story!"
----------------------------------------------------
Ellen Evert Hopman M.Ed, Druid Priestess
Order of the Whiteoak (Ord na Darach Gile)
[address & telephone number omitted]
<saille333@mindspring.com>
Dear Mr. Schettler:
I have undertaken to contact you out of a deep feeling for the
military and for the plight of neo-Pagan (Wiccan and Druid)
soldiers who may be injured or killed in the current Iraq and
Afghanistan wars. I am the daughter of a soldier (Lt. Col.
Abraham N. Hopman, veteran WW II, Military Intelligence) and the
granddaughter of a soldier (Lt. Paul Evert, aviator,
France WW I). My father, grandfather, and grandmother are buried
at Arlington cemetery in Virginia. Arlington is our "family
plot".
I attended a military High School in Ludwigsburg, Germany. I
have many friends who are vets, ranging from veterans of Vietnam
to veterans of the current Iraq War.
I am a Druid Priestess and a co-founder of The Order of the
Whiteoak (Ordna Darach Gile) Druid Order. As a member of
the Druid clergy, I have great concern for any neo-Pagan
soldiers who might be serving in the military at present. As of
August 2004, the Air Force listed 1552 enlisted personnel
claiming neo-Paganism as their religious preference. The USMC
listed 68. The Military Pagan Network officially sponsors 28
military groups; 12 are Air Force, 1 is Navy and 15 are Army.
Despite the fact that there are over 1500 neo-Pagans in the Air
Force (700 of them are Wiccan, the others may be Asatru, Druid,
or other denominations), neo-Pagans still have no chaplain.
Muslims have two chaplains, even though they number only 800.
If you take the known number of Pagans in the Air Force (about
1500) and conservatively multiply it by the four branches (Air
Force, Army, Marines and Navy) there are about 6,000 active duty
personnel who are neo-Pagan in the Department of Defense. There
could actually be more since the Army is a larger branch of
service than the others.
The Military Pagan Network estimates that there are between 200
and 300 Druids in the Air Force alone. Again, assuming roughly
equal numbers in all four branches of service there are about
one thousand Druids currently in active duty. Druids, Wiccans
and other neo-Pagans are currently serving in Afghanistan, Iraq
and all over the world.
There are no official DOD dog tag identifiers for Druids which
is another reason why military personnel do not self identify as
Druids. They are not given the option. Existing options for DOD
dog tag identifiers include XN, New Age Churches, XX,
Unclassified Religions, YW, Wicca (Witchcraft), YY, Magick and
Spiritualist, ZA, Atheist and ZB, Agnostic. There is an obvious
need for a Druid dog tag identifier for all branches of service.
There is also the problem of the lack of a Druid headstone
symbol.
I have consulted with the heads of the largest Druid Orders in
the United States and we have arrived at consensus as to what an
appropriate symbol would be for the headstone of a deceased
Druid vet. (I understand that efforts are underway to get the
Wiccan Pentagram accepted for Wiccan veterans but that is not
specifically what I am writing to you about. We
fully support the Pentagram as an appropriate symbol for Wiccans.
It would not be an appropriate symbol for Druids).
The symbol that the various American Druid Orders feel would be
most inclusive and descriptive for a Druid veteran is the "Awen"
symbol. This symbol came from Welsh Druidism originally and was
adopted by British and French Druids in the nineteenth century,
becoming the most commonly recognized symbol of the Druid faith.
It is the best available symbol for American Druids, in our
opinion. It represents the Three Rays of Light, which, according
to Welsh Druid tradition, brought the world into being.
I enclose two different three inch, camera-ready images of the "Awen"
symbol so that your contractors can make a determination as to
whether the symbol can be easily and clearly reproduced on a
headstone or marker in a production-line environment. Either
version would be appropriate for a Druid headstone.
I also enclose letters of support from the largest Druid Orders
in the United States, to show our agreement.
I look forward to hearing from you on this urgent matter.
Sincerely;
Ellen Evert Hopman, Druid Priestess, Order of the Whiteoak (Ord
Na Darach Gile)
Enclosures:
Letters of support from;
Carlynne S. Deaver, Ar nDraiocht Fein
Donald Taylor, Navy veteran (Vietnam) and Druid
Janis Graham-McMillen, Order of the Whiteoak (Ord na Darach Gile)
Rev. John Michael Greer, Ancient Order of Druids in America
C. Leigh McGinley, Henge of Keltria
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A Pentacle
in Arlington National Cemetery
By Charles Arnold, National Coordinator, Pagan Veterans Headstone
Campaign
DATE: May 30, 2005
While President George W. Bush was laying a wreath at the Tombs
of the Unknowns, Rosemary Kooiman, widow of Abe Kooiman and
member of the Pagan Veterans Headstone Campaign, accompanied by
Charles Arnold, National Coordinator of the Campaign, were busy
at another task in the Arlington National Cemetery. That task
was to place a vinyl sticker with a Pentacle on the headstone at
gravesite 2861, row O, section 54. The site is that of Pfc
Abraham Kooiman, a former member of the 91st Infantry Division
and recipient of the Combat Infantryman's Badge, the Bronze Star
Medal and the Purple Heart, awarded for being wounded in combat.
This illegal act was performed out of respect for the wishes of
both Abraham and Rosemary Kooiman and contrary to the position
of the Department of Veterans Affairs which finds it completely
normal to grant the right to religious "emblems of faith" to
some groups while withholding it from others. While thirty-eight
different religions
and groups currently have approval for the use of their symbols,
and despite dozens of applications over the last six or more
years which have been ignored, no NeoPagan symbol has been
allowed.
I77t had been hoped that such a drastic act would not have become
necessary but when the acting director of the office responsible
for making these decisions on these applications refused to meet
with members of the Pagan Veterans Headstone Campaign, the
decision was finalized.
It is not known how long this Pentacle will remain in place but
it is certain that once noticed by officials it will be removed
immediately. Whether cemetery officials will conduct an
investigation into who placed the pentacle on the headstone or
whether they decide to prosecute those who place it is also
unknown. However, this photographic record was made of these two
people, acting in accord (or, as any charge may state, 'in
conspiracy') who are willing to face any legal charges which may
be launched so that such a trial could be used to demonstrate
that the current VA policy violates the
Constitution of the United States as well as various of the
Civil Rights laws and even the VA's one anti-discrimination
policy.
Pagans who are anxious to see this last official barrier to
religious equality in federal policy are asked to contact their
Congressional and Senatorial representatives, the Office of the
President of the United States, as well as local and national
media outlets, and demand an immediate change.
Contact the author at ritbodyart@aol.com
To see these photographs, go to: http://www.toshisan.com/nep/ROK/index.htm |
Pagan Veterans
Headstone Campaign
As you may or
may not know, the US Department of Veterans Affairs provides headstones for
honorably discharged veterans of the US Armed Services. At this moment members
of 31 different religious groupings, as well as Atheists have symbols recognized
by the VA for use on free veterans' headstones as well as all headstones used in
US military cemeteries. Unfortunately, none of the approved designs hold any
meaning for the thousands of Pagan and Wiccan veterans or active duty service
personnel. For at least six years the Veterans Administration has sat on
application after application from a variety of churches and religious
organizations asking that the most common symbol used by Pagans, the pentacle (a
five pointed star within a circle) be added to the list of approved symbols.
Without such approval, not only will the VA not provide a free headstone but
families are not even allowed to purchase their own headstone and have it placed
in a VA cemetery.
Therefore, members of the Pagan and Wiccan clergy, along with followers of these
faiths have come together to ask the public to engage in an aggressive letter
writing campaign to ask our representatives to object to this unfair situation
and to keep us abreast of their progress. Secondly,
petitions such as this one will be circulated across the country where
signatures will be collected and sent to both elected officials as well as the
bureaucrats at the VA.
Paganism, a growing religious movement in the United States, claims hundreds of
thousands of members in the United States. The US Military Chaplains Manual
recognized Paganism and its various branches well over ten years ago and the
practice of the faith within the military has sparked discussion at the highest
levels. We ask you, in the name of religious equality and out of respect for
Pagan veterans and active duty service personnel to please sign this petition.
Copies of this petition will be sent to members of both the House of
Representatives and the Senate as well
as the Department of Veterans Affairs.
Please take a moment to sign this petition.
More about PetitionPetition.com:
PetitionPetition.com is a website where your voice can be heard. Sign petitions
to show your support for something you care about. Sign up for the Petition
Newsletter and stay up to date on the issues that matter to you. Or start a
petition of your own--it's free and easy to do. Visit us
at: http://www.PetitionPetition.com/
MORE:
The Department of
Veterans Affairs has completed their update on the application process for
processing applications for Emblems of Faith. At the same time they have also
approved several applications:
1. The Humanist emblem of spirit
2. The Presbyterian Church (A Presbyterian Cross is the fourth oldest symbol
they already have,
this is a new one)
3. Izumo Taishakyo Mission of Hawaii
4. Soka Gakkai International - USA
5. Sikh
The VA appears to have a completely different set of requirements for Pagans
than for other groups in that we are required to have an application filed by a
national organization as well as to have an unspecified number of members and
congregations. I have tried to get information in the past, without luck, but I
would love to get the answers to the following questions, given the opportunity:
1. What groups applied for the Christian Cross, the Buddhist Wheel of life,
the Jewish Star of
David, the Presbyterian Cross,
the Muslim Crescent and star, the Islamic five pointed star,
and the Christian Church
chalice?
2. How many member and congregations have in the US?
Native American Church of North America
The Serbian Orthodox Church
The American Atheist Association
The Konko-Kyo Faith
Sufism Reoriented
Tenrikyo Church
Seicho-no-ie
The Church of World Messianity - Izunome
United Church of Religious Science
Eckankar
Christian Church
Humanist Association of the US
Izumo Taishakyo Mission of Hawaii
Soke Gakkai International - USA
After all, unless all of our applications are treated equally, there is
religious discrimination being practiced.
Now, a question: Can anyone give me links to newspapers and/or magazines
articles that include quotes from then governor George W. Bush commenting on
Pagans and Wicca? This would be VERY helpful.
And remember, you, too, can join us:
Pagan-Headstone-Campaign@yahoogroups.com
"The point to one's beliefs is not proving them, but to learn from them."
Douglas Loven
|
Pagan
Veterans are not allowed their religious symbol, the Pentacle, on their
headstones in US military Cemeteries
Join the Pagan Headstone Campaign and stop this injustice!
Please follow this link and sign the Online Petition for the Pagan Headstone
Campaign and let your voice make a difference! Thank you!
http://www.PetitionPetition.com/cgi/petition.cgi?id=6465
Blessed Be!
Ben Malloy
|
Charles
Arnold, Coordinator, Pagan Veterans Headstone Campaign and Vietnam Veteran
recommends:
www.PaganVeterans.org
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Pagan-Headstone-Campaign/
http://mysite.freeserve.com/headstonecampaign/index.html
http://mysite.freeserve.com/thewitchgrove/Page3/Pagan_Headstone_Campaign.htm
http://www.mgcpagans.msdragonfly.com/headstone1.php
http://mgcpagans.msdragonfly.com/formletter2.html
Be
sure to read Don Waterhawk's article at Witchvox.com.
Click here
to sign the petition: http://www.PetitionPetition.com/cgi/petition.cgi?id=6465
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Updated February 7, 2007
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