U.S. Military Archives - Page 49 of 94 - Common Sense Evaluation

Priests Threatened With Arrest If They Minister On Military Bases During Shutdown

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Oct 052013

Now it’s illegal for some priests to do their normal duties and to minister their faith because of Obama and Reid’s shutdown. I’ll bet Muslim Imam’s will get a pass.

In a stunning development, some military priests are facing arrest if they celebrate mass or practice their faith on military bases during the federal government shutdown.

“With the government shutdown, many [government service] and contract priests who minister to Catholics on military bases worldwide are not permitted to work – not even to volunteer,” wrote John Schlageter, the general counsel for the Archdiocese for the Military Services USA, in an op-ed this week. “During the shutdown, it is illegal for them to minister on base and they risk being arrested if they attempt to do so.”

According to its website, the Archdiocese for the Military Services “provides the Catholic Church’s full range of pastoral ministries and spiritual services to those in the United States Armed Forces.”

In his piece, Schlageter worries about this restriction as Sunday nears. “If the government shutdown continues through the weekend, there will be no Catholic priest to celebrate Mass this Sunday in the chapels at some U.S. military installations where non-active-duty priests serve as government contractors,” he wrote.

Because of the lack of active-duty Catholic chaplains, the military relies on hiring civilian priests to serve as government service and contract ministers. Those civilian priests are not allowed on the bases during a shutdown, Schlageter wrote.

One Republican lawmaker on the House Intelligence Committee told The Daily Caller on Friday that this “crosses a constitutional line.”

“The constitutional rights of those who put their lives on the line for this nation do not end with a government slowdown,” Kansas Rep. Mike Pompeo, a graduate of West Point and an Army veteran, said in a Friday statement. ”It is completely irresponsible for the president to turn his back on every American’s First Amendment rights by furloughing military contract clergy.”

Added Pompeo: “The President’s strategy during the slowdown, just as during the sequestration, is to create as much pain as possible. However, this action crosses a constitutional line of obstructing every U.S. service member’s ability to practice his or her religion.”

Source…

Random Riddle: 9-28-2013

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Sep 282013

According to U.S. law, there are officially designated days that all U.S. flags are to be flown at half-mast (for example: Memorial Day). The President and state governors also have the right to declare certain days that flags are to be flown at half-mast.

There is a particular group of U.S. flags that are never lowered to half-mast and appear to “violate” this U.S. Law. These flags were erected by U.S. Military personnel, but those troops will never be accused of doing anything wrong for those violations.

These flags are currently displayed today, and they have been for numerous years. Where is this particular group of flags displayed?

Show answer

American Flag Etiquette In A Nutshell

Infographics, Political Comments Off

Sep 252013

Following proper American flag etiquette can get complicated at times; here is a quick and easy guide to use whenever flying or handling a U.S. flag

The U.S. Flag Code is full of guidelines regarding how and when to handle and fly the American flag. With so many rules to keep track of, it can be difficult to follow them all. Here is an easy guide to American flag etiquette everyone can use!

When displaying the U.S. Flag:

Fly your flag from sunrise to sunset. If you want to fly it 24-hours, make sure it is properly lit up in the darkness. (Here is another article with more details)
The flag should always fly above every other flag when displayed on a single pole or lanyard.
If you’re displaying several flags in a row, the U.S. flag always goes to the observer’s left. Other world flags can be flown at the same height but state and local flags should always fly lower
On special flag holidays, the American flag should fly at half-staff. On Memorial Day, it should fly at half-staff until noon and then be raised to full height
When you fly your flag at half-staff, you should first raise it to full staff and lower it half way down the pole
When displaying a flag on a casket, the Union should always be placed at the head and over the left shoulder

When storing or disposing the U.S. Flag:

Fold the flag in the traditional triangle, never crumple it up. (For more details on how to fold an American flag, check out this article)
Proper disposal is done by burning. First fold the flag and while its burning, everyone present should salute the flag, say the Pledge of Allegiance, and follow with a brief moment of silence. (For more specific steps, read this article on Proper Flag Disposal)