Posted on 12/22/2010 2:23:28 PM PST by paltz
Commander Col. Van Coots of the Walter Reed Army Medical Center found his office phone ringing furiously off the hook on Wednesday. Activists read from blog sites he sent an e-mail to his staff and patients recognizing the Islamic new year.
"It was a message sent entirely out on Walter Reed Army Medical Center announcements to my staff just letting people know that this was the Islamic new year and wishing everyone Muharram Mubarak," Colonel Coots told me on Wednesday.
What may have been unknown to these blogs, however, according to Colonel Coots himself, was that he previously sent out a Hanukkah message a few weeks ago and plans to send a Christmas message to both staff and patients tomorrow. He also mentioned he sends out messages for all the "major holidays" including: the Fourth of July, Ramadan, Thanksgiving, and Rosh Hashanah.
(Excerpt) Read more at washingtontimes.com ...
I accuse the colonel of being culturally insensitive!
He evidently sent out no message for the Chinese New Year, Cinco de Mayo, Victoria Day, the Burmese Water Festival, Proclamation of the Republic of Latvia Day, German Unity Day, Bastille Day, or for the Costa Rican Moon Festival.
Any person whose heritage is connected to any of the above-mentioned holidays should be deeply offended.
After all, if this nation is going to drown itself in political correctness, we might as well do it right.
FYI.
CLEARLY, I will not say what I'm really thinking!
Thanks for the ping.
Hey, you forgot Boxing Day!
He should just stick with Happy Holidays.
The below message terribly upset one of our wounded warriors. If one person complaining can take the Pledge or Christmas out of schools, our wounded soldier should be able to keep Muslim culture out of our service hospitals. After all, our heroes were put there by Muslims. Oh, sorry, radical Muslims.
And when FReeper Bevperl of A Band of Mothers called Coots' office to find out what is going on, the secretary could not answer her questions. Questions like "do they send out greetings Christians and the Jewish patients there". Instead she got the run around. A simple "yes we send out other greetings" would have sufficed.
This email was sent out by Van Coots, MD. This email has been verified. See HERE
From: WRAMC [Walter Reed Army Medical Center] Announcements
Sent: Wed 12/8/2010 11:19 AM
To: WRAMC Master Mail List
Subject: WRHCS [Walter Reed Health Care Service] Commander's Muharram Greeting (UNCLASSIFIED)
Classification: UNCLASSIFIED
Caveats: NONE
WALTER REED,
Yesterday we began the first day of the Islamic New Year with the month of Muharram, one of four sacred months out of the twelve months of the year. This is a time of fasting, prayer, and reflection. I and the command group wish each of you Muharram Mubarak.
Van Coots, MD
Either way, I do not believe that such a letter, as innocuous as it seems, should be distributed inside Walter Reed, or any military hospital. Feel free to call 202-782-3501 and ask to talk to Van Coots.
[Mr] T
As long as we allow muslims to immigrate to this country (a bad idea, IMO), we are going to see this kind of stuff. At least this action sounds like something that respects a religion, as opposed to Somali families whining about Santa Clause in the classroom and so on.
For the longest time I was wondering why Canadians had a special holiday celebrating prize-fighting.
LOL! BTW, it is observed in Australia, Austria, Canada, Germany, Ghana, Greenland, Guyana, Hong Kong, Italy, Jamaica, Kenya, Netherlands, New Zealand, Nigeria, Finland, Norway, Romania, Sweden, Switzerland, Trinidad & Tobago, the United Kingdom, and other countries in Europe and the Commonwealth of Nations with a mainly Christian population.
Ping to VA Freepers.
Heh. And people wonder why 20 percent of Americans think 0b0z0 is a muslim.
A simple Merry Christmas or even Happy Holiday, would have sufficient and more appropriate.
Ping
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