Veterans prevail in Bladensburg Memorial case
Almost two years ago we first wrote about the veterans’ memorial that stands at an intersection in Bladensburg, Maryland which some folks at the American Humanist Association found “shocking” when they first saw it. They sought to have it removed for “constitutional” reasons. Luckily, according to the American Legion, Judge Deborah K. Chasanow didn’t see it their way when she dismissed the law suit;
Judge Deborah K. Chasanow’s 36-page opinion cites “the nature, context, and history” of the monument before concluding that “the location [of the cross] among the other monuments of Veterans Memorial Park underscores its secular and commemorative nature. In addition, the Monument has gone unchallenged for decades.”
The American Legion erected the memorial in 1925 “Dedicated to the heroes of Prince George’s County Maryland who lost their lives in the Great War for the liberty of the world.” This is the first time anyone has ever complained about it in all of this time. But, knowing the butthurt as I do, it won’t be the last time. They’ll get tired of driving somewhere they won’t feel the ache of seeing the offending structure and they’ll be right back in court. Because their feelings are the most important thing in the world these days.
Category: Dumbass Bullshit
Mikey doesn’t like it. (smile)
I’m surprised Mikey and crew aren’t screaming about the Red Cross blood drive signs.
He hates everything!
Of course we all know what’s inevitably going to happen with this thread in about two hours or so.
I live near MD and the MD border is another border that needs locked down.
Every vehicle accident that happens in my town involves a vehicle with a MD plate and this takes the cake.
Good for the Judge for having the good sense to leave it alone!
had a decent-paying job in PG County back in the ’80s… paid money out of my own pocket to move the family back to Texas. Christ, the border-jumpers with the old Frontera tags were safer drivers! Have driven through there precisely once since then, and it validated my decision to leave.
I wish I could say I was surprised about this, but it’s pretty much par for the course in the People’s Republic of Prince Georges County.
I have never understood the whole “constitutional” argument. The Constitution doesn’t prevent the erection of such monument and memorials. All that the 1st amendment prevents is the government establishing a state religion, similar to the “Church of England”, etc.
The government uses any number of faith-based organizations to help deliver it’s services and programs, such as Catholic Charities. The law allows for this sort of thing.
These butthurts are, IMHO, attention whores, people whose mommies and daddies apparently didn’t give them enough love and affection, or buy them the toys they wanted. Now they’re acting out just like the Mizzou students and other groups.
They have the 1st amendment right to act like that, but I sure wish we could find a way for the rest of us to slap them upside the head with a clue bat from time to time.
I don’t know about a Clue Bat, but would either a cricket bat or a baseball bat work?
Works for me. 🙂
A#42 Louisville slugger will work just about right too.
This is why we can’t have nice things… I’m not at all a religious guy, anyone reading more than a sentence of my words should be well aware of that by now. But this type of thing has not ever offended my tender sensibilities, mostly because I don’t have any tender sensibilities. This is why people think atheists are typically assholes, and it’s hard for me to argue with that perception. It’s also why I’m not a huge fan of identifying with atheists…I’m just a guy who doesn’t believe in god, and who doesn’t believe in a lot of things. But I believe in this great nation and her people, most of whom believe in some sort of god/deity/whatever that makes them feel better about their lives in some fashion. I’m with Jefferson when he said it neither picks my pocket nor breaks my leg if my neighbor says there are twenty gods or zero gods…a memorial that’s stood for 90 years without offending some dumb bastard with nothing better to do than whine about stupid shit should never become an issue. We non-believers should be far more concerned when we are told a corporation can have the religious beliefs of its founders, that’s a frightening alteration of corporate law. People incorporate businesses precisely to separate themselves from their business, they do that so it’s clear from a legal standpoint that they are not their business therefore their personal assets are off limits. Consequently if incorporation is a legal mechanism to separate someone from their business liability it should also be quite clear it’s a separate entity from their personal life along with the views held in that personal life and should be subjected a legal requirement regarding health insurance. Otherwise if we are now saying that the personal and private views of an individual who has purposely incorporated their business to separate themselves from their business but now wants their personal religious beliefs to be held by the company, their incorporation should be invalidated and their private assets at risk for forfeiture to satisfy business requirements. I don’t give… Read more »
I agree with about 80% of what you said and I think you “read my brain” by articulating it.
The stuff about corporations is something I had never thought about. I am not sure that a corporation (Hobby Lobby, Chik Fil A ?), in espousing a religious thought, picks my pocket or breaks my leg. I will have to think about it. Thus far, I have been non-offended.
Thanks VOV as always for your insight and perspective.
It could pick your pocket with respect to a corporation though if they are allowed to pick and choose what aspects of health care they will offer their employees causes you to now purchase private coverage for those items not covered under religious exception.
Most folks don’t much care about the birth control issue, but let’s say your company is purchased by a religious group that doesn’t believe in blood transfusions, can they now deny surgical coverage because it’s something they vehemently disagree with like birth control?
When we create a law that says your business is separate from your personal life to protect your personal life, I don’t think you now get to claim personal life beliefs should be a company tenet without opening up your personal assets to exposure, can’t have it both ways but the very bad Hobby Lobby decision does just that. It’s a bad decision that requires a legislative correction.
I appreciate your thoughtful response and enjoy reading your words.
I’d like to chime in here. A company has the right to offer any health insurance plan it likes. Most employees have the right to opt out of that plan if they so choose. I have no problem with that. But to deliberately refuse to offer coverage for a health benefit because of a religious tenet is wrong. First of all, medical treatment has nothing to do with religion, at all. If it does, it belongs between the person receiving the treatment and the god they answer to, it has nothing to do with the insurance coverage for such treatment. Second, the mess we have in the world today is primarily being caused by religious zealots trying to force everyone else to live by their religious views. Americans need to remember their own rule about the necessary space twixt fists and noses.
You and I are not in disagreement PN…if insurance is offered in lieu of compensation it should cover what the employee finds useful to the employee…otherwise it’s not really a benefit in lieu of compensation.
I’ve worked for companies before where I’ve told them I don’t want or need their insurance consequently I should see another 6-10k in their compensation package or I don’t find the relationship interesting enough to continue.
if employment with such a company was mandatory you would have a stronger argument. But the employee chose to work for that company and has the option to seek employment elsewhere.
VOV: many transfusions and surgeries are medically necessary. Birth control generally is not, as effective alternate means are available that don’t require a prescription or doctor’s visit.
Insurance is indeed allowed to disallow treatment that is not medically necessary. Specifically, cosmetic surgery is often severely restricted or disallowed entirely.
I’m pretty sure courts would require coverage for transfusions or surgery that were indeed medically necessary if an insurance company flatly imposed a blanket ban on coverage for either.
David also has a point. Last time I checked, in virtually all occupations one can leave at will. And having a job is neither a Constitutional right nor mandatory.
Should an employer be forced to pay for something that violates their deeply held beliefs?
Should you be forced to pay for a optional service for the guy next door?
Why is this subject even being discussed?
Most of the Atheists that I know are like you and Dave Hardin. My friends and I have an understanding. I don’t try to convince them that there is a God and they don’t try to convince me that there isn’t.
My guess is that MOST atheists (like most religious people) are NOT flaming assholes.
Unfortunately, it’s the flaming assholes who draw all the attention.
Yeah flaming assholes are much harder to ignore than us regular non-flaming assholes…we aren’t as bright or warm as the ones that are flaming we just sit here quietly releasing some air from time to time…
That’s it, my weak attempt at humor for the day…we of German ancestry are not known for our large sense of humor.
See, if we could post Facebook memes here this would be a great place for the “laughs in German” one. 😉
It is a shame that a decision like this is something that is noteworthy and deserving of applause. The Constitution takes no issue with the Bladensburg Cross. The Constitution is not offended or violated by its existence. I do not pretend that it is a memorial and no more. I do not care whether it has been complained previously or not. It is a cross, a symbol of Christianity, memorializing those men of the area who Fell in WW I. It does not follow that if one assumes as true that which I just wrote, that the government or, if you prefer the more exacting language of the Constitution, Congress, has made a law respecting the establishment of religion by allowing the cross to remain standing on public property.
Fucking Christian crusader fuckwit theocrats.
Nailed it!
IT HURTS MY WIDDLE FEELINGS…TAKE IT DOWN NOW!!! WHERE’S MY WOOBIE AND MY PABLUM?
STOOOOP IT RIGHT NOW! THIS IS THE FIFTH TIME TODAY THAT YOU ROTTEN TRAITOROUS THEOCRATS HAVE MADE ME THROW MY TEDDY BEAR ACROSS THE ROOM!!!
Thanks be to to God!
I’m being moderated? Sorry if I offended somehow…
Not just you. For some reason the blog is moderating everyone. I’m working on it.
Thanks boss, thought I’d fucked up for a minute there!!
Does anyone know if this will interfere with payroll today? Esse.
Or the secret orders that come out each Friday from our overlords at MS-13?
I like being moderated. Makes me feel special–well, it did until I learned that everyone is being moderated. Hey, when it gets right again, can you omit Lars?
I want to be moderated.
Woo Hoo!
If it makes you feel better, it’s moderating me and Hondo, too.
Im moderated too
That’s because all of you are so offensive to us special snowflake offense finders !!!
Holy shite, Jonn… maybe this is a sign that the DRG and Lars have joined forces to take down the blog?
nah…
Judgment Day
NEVER FORGET!!!!!
DECEMBER 4, 2015…
THE DAY THIS AIN’T HELL BLOG BECAME SELF AWARE.
That is funny.
Whatever gets you off.
Freak. 😀
I’ve asked Lars, but he hasn’t responded yet. Do you know what he did in the military and what he does now?
According to the computers in my state of the art TOC like investigation room, and my associates’ findings, here’s some information that will hopefully answer your question.
Commissar was/is a Major in the Army Reserves, Civil Affairs. He has Military Intelligence background, and he also went through the Infantry Officer course. His military background is more in the MI/CA arena when it comes to working knowledge.
As for what he does in the commercial or non profit world, my associates are working to find that out.
Cheese,
Dennis (Denny) Howard Chevalier
Doing everything in one sitting, because I sit on my ass all day
Civil Affairs??? Really? He’s the most abrasive person I know and I’ve just read what he’s posted here. I can’t imagine what he’s like in real life.
The reason Lars is still here is because he’s a veteran. I don’t think that he deserves the level of scrutiny that he’s gotten here. I’m sure none of you think that your military career deserves to be broadcast here, aside from what you tell us.
I don’t always read the comments so I figured he had said at some point what his background is. I asked only out of curiosity.
Agreed boss,
He has a right to a contrary opinion, lord knows my opinions are often at odds with conventional wisdom. You let me keep posting my cranky shit and I appreciate it.
Here’s hoping Lars keeps posting his for some time yet to come as well.
Plus he keeps the “hit” count up in otherwise mundane subjects.
Even Taylor? Fantastic!
Ok, that answers the question I was going to ask after I posted on the gun control story
I’m offended by your taking offense from my offensiveness of your offensiveness because my offensiveness is more important than your offensive offensiveness.
It was probably that Megan Morse post yesterday. She told Scotty she was going to have a Congressional Investigation opened about all this. Maybe it is a Cyber Attack from some Secret underground bunker run by covert operatives for the Gubbermint.
You forgot all about the Alien Anal Probes… never forget the Alien Anal Probes in a conspiracy theory.
Can the unHumanist assoc br counter-sued for court costs and EMOTIONAL damages?? (since they seem to like to play up their FEEEWINGS)
Well, it is not a military establishment. It’s a cemetery for veterans. I don’t get this whole butt-hurt reaction.
I guess it’s feelings… nothing more than feelings….
Trying to forget my feelings of. . . well. . . something. . .
Lars comes and stomps feet in 3…2…1
That group loves drama more than a teenage girl
A new attorney here in Houston is taking on all these cases now.
Dial 1-800-butthurt, ext: imabunghole.
Heisenberg lives…
But your case might be farmed out to an “attorney” in Ft Meyers, FL
Most outstanding.
I pretty much agree with the judge on this one.
Lars, I don’t mean this with anything other than genuine curiosity, but what exactly did you do in the military? And if I’m not getting too personal, what do you do now?
Jonn had it right; mostly MI and Civil Affairs. Joined enlisted in 89 and spent my NCO career in MI. Commissioned as MI officer originally. My tours in Iraq and Afghanistan were as a CA officer My primary role in Iraq was information collection and CA reconnaissance. In Afghanistan I was a governance officer for a regional command.
I do policy analysis, research, and planning. I took six months off for health reasons but I am still working on a few projects, then I am going to China for a while.
I read you comment on my abrasiveness. It is true, I am a very blunt in real life, but I am a actually nicer than the perceptions I shaped on this board. I treat people like equals and I am not afraid to put myself out there in engaging with people. It serves me well in Civil Affairs.
I do have almost an OCD fixation in calling people out when they put our bad or false information. It is off-putting. While it is generally a strength in my field it also means I get very little slack when I am wrong as well.
Quid pro quo. I was an 0302 infantry officer in the Marine Corps. I left the Marine Corps as a captain and became a state trooper from which I am now retired. I don’t take back what I said about being abrasive, but I do apologize for the back handed way in which it came out. Not usually my way. Some of your points I think rate at least discussion, but I won’t mince words in saying that the presentation sometimes precludes that from happening. I think in your case perception has probably become reality for you at this point, but you didn’t ask me.
To you both: much respect for your service. To L. Taylor: Tell us about the time you addressed the local shurah as a bunch of “neo feudalist fuk wit theocrats”. Great story!
I’m not Jonn. He doesn’t eat 7 pounds of cheese in one sitting.
Sorry, should have double checked before the attribution.
So, what does this mean, exactly? Is it kiss and make-up time? Is that what this is? Are you going to try to be a good fellow and not insist on your correctness in matters all? Will you try to think, think, and then write whatever the hell you want?
I insist on my “correctness” when I am confident or certain I am correct.
I am confident that you are wrong most of the time in our discussions. Except when you correct my spelling or grammar, which, as of late, is primarily what you do.
“I am confident that you are wrong most of the time in our discussions.”
Veteran or not, you truly are a prick. Fuck you. Let me know that you are not leaving here and IO am gone.
Fuck that. I can’t trust you. Goodbye to all. I shall miss being here. Don’t reply, because, unlike Veteran L. Taylor, I mean what I say. Merry Christmas. And a bif ole thank you to Jonn Lilyea, the best.
There are a number of commenters that I don’t like who come here. I just don’t read their comments. But, your choice. If you figure out a way for me to please everyone, all of the time, please let me in on it.
Taylor, I’m also curious. Why is this use of religious imagery (e.g., in a public Veterans Memorial Park) acceptable, while arguably similar uses in a military logo are not?
Not trying to reopen an old “flame war”, but I would like to understand your rationale even if I might not agree with it.
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In other news, MFFR & FFRF wish to announce that they are now proud parents and the arrival of a new born baby by the name of “DISAPPOINTMENT” as
announced by the recent release of a court of law ruling, not in their favor.
And so, because I can and will, screw you Weinstein and co-joined friends at the rump. That makes two can’t wait to see which judge decides enough of your jackassery next.
Being a 70% combat disabled airborne combat medic with a Purple Heart and a CMB it is nice to see that the city of Bladensburg, Maryland and the local A.L. totally disregard and disrespect my effort in the name of this country. Perhaps sometime, somewhere, someone will build a memorial to the actual troopers and not some mythical being.
You’re entitled to your opinion. But I’d suggest you should give more weight to Thomas Jefferson’s opinion on the subject than to Mikey Whinestein’s.