Posted on 05/30/2006 12:53:17 PM PDT by Diana in Wisconsin
FERNLEY, NV - A war widow who wants the government to put a Wiccan religious symbol on her husband's memorial plaque held an alternative service Monday as a protest, hours before an official Memorial Day ceremony nearby.
"This is discrimination against our religion," Roberta Stewart said at the gathering of about 200 at a park east of Fernley for her late husband, Sgt. Patrick Stewart. "I ask you to help us remember that all freedoms are worth fighting for."
A few hours later and a few miles away in this pastoral community east of Reno, official Memorial Day ceremonies were conducted at the Northern Nevada Veterans Memorial Cemetery.
The space under Stewart's name on a memorial plaque remains blank.
The Department of Veterans Affairs so far has refused to grant the Stewart family's request to have the Wiccan pentacle, a five-pointed star surrounded by a circle, placed on the government-issued plaque.
Stewart, 34, was killed in Afghanistan on Sept. 25 when a rocket-propelled grenade struck his helicopter. Four others also died. Stewart was posthumously awarded the Bronze Star and the Purple Heart.
Wiccans worship the Earth and believe they must give to the community. Some consider themselves "white" or good witches, pagans or neo-pagans.
"We are here today to honor American religious diversity of all faiths," the Rev. Selena Fox said at the alternative memorial service.
Fox, senior minister of a Wiccan group based in Barneveld, Wis., said Stewart died defending the country that is denying him the right to express his religious freedom.
Jo Schuda, a spokeswoman for the VA, said Friday she did not know when a decision would be made on the request.
Approximately 1,800 active-duty service members identify themselves as Wiccans, according to 2005 Defense Department statistics.
Personally, I feel that if he wanted a Wiccan symbol on his gravestone, then he's earned that right.
If he identified himself as a Wiccan, I think the request should be granted. It will probably take some time to create a new stamp or mold or whatever they use to make the markers.
I see two possible reasons here.
The first and most likely is a simple slow bureaucracy. Nobody thought to have that marker yet, and the gears will turn slowly before it happens. To paraphrase, never attribute to malice that which is more easily attributed to bureaucratic inertia.
Far less likely, somebody in the VA is an ignorant Chrisian bigot who doesn't want to have the "symbol of Satan" defiling American cemeteries. And somebody needs to be fired.
It is very interesting they approve Konkokyo which is basically a Japanese version of Wiccian (almost a New Age version of Shinto) and much newer than Wicca
I don't see how this qualifies as lunatic. The man fought for his right to practice his religion. Now the Government is saying they won't put a pentacle of his grave but they won't hesitate to put a crescent on the grave of a Muslim or a cross on a Christian or a star of david on a Jew... whats wrong with that picture?
I agree with you. Just put the item on the plot. My goodness they act like the thing is huge or abundant or somehting. It is the exact same size as every other religious symbol. Sometimes things just aren't worth getting everyone upset especially a deceased husband's wife. This is a sad story.
From the article: "...said Stewart died defending the country that is denying him the right to express his religious freedom..."
This is a sad bit of writing. From the rest of the article you can't get any sense that this is what he wanted or that it is his religion, only his widow's.
In the end they will probably give her what she wants. They obviously give in to everybody with a similar request, whether or not they can understand or appreciate what the religion is (as seen in post 12) and that fits with our freedoms. Probably to avoid this kind of crazy problem in the future they should quit adding to the list and just let people have a private company design the head stone or plaque. Give them a voucher to cover what the government issued plagues cost and let them do what works for them. If needed, they could easily set guidelines such as the exact size and shape of the plaque and then let people have at it.
They worship the all mighty atom?
My only question about this situation is that nowhere in the article does it actually come out and say that the deceased was a practicing Wiccan. The wife was.
I'm hesitant because she may just be pulling a Mother Sheehan in her grief. I mean, her husband's gone; maybe she's freaking out and this is the manifestation of it?
How would one check if this fallen soldier truly was a card-carrying, dog-tag wearing Wiccan too, and it's not just the wife's religion and he indulged her while alive to keep the peace?
I'll let the VA make the call. As posted by another, it's not like they're hesitant AT ALL to recognize other-than-mainstream religions with the nearly fifty symbols you can have put on your grave marker.
We had the exact same skeptical thought. See my Post #29.
I have the same concern. I wonder if he knew he was Wiccan.
No kidding. I agree!
I've known some pretty nice Wiccans...our neighbors (in Austin) were Wiccan and just as nice as could be. They watched our house while we were gone on vacation.
They were interesting too...every new moon they'd put cardboard up in the windows of their house and a lot of other Wiccans would show up. You could see through the tops of the windows, just the ceiling, you know, but you could see what looked like torches going round and round inside. They'd chant, then drum. My hubby and I would sit out in the drive and observe as best we could and speculate about what was actually going on in there!
ROFL!!!!
That's a UT symbol. Much more evil, actually.
Try saying that three times fast! LOL
I knew I couldn't be the only one thinking along those lines. The fact that he is not mentioned as having been a practitioner of Wicca anywhere in the article makes me scratch my head.
And yes, one's religion of choice still goes on the dog tags.
My only question about this situation is that nowhere in the article does it actually come out and say that the deceased was a practicing Wiccan. The wife was....How would one check if this fallen soldier truly was a card-carrying, dog-tag wearing Wiccan too, and it's not just the wife's religion and he indulged her while alive to keep the peace?
I'd imagine that, barring a direct declaration from the deceased, the next of kin should have the right to make the determination without being second guessed. Should we question a Christian widow's request for a cross if the fallen soldier might have just been 'indulging her while alive to keep the peace'?
Until recently, the pentagram was a Christian symbol.
The five points of the pentagram represented the five wounds of Christ on the Cross.
Not quite sure how it got transformed; I speculate because the symbol of Christ was used to for "protection" --- and those who most needed protection were those who dabbled in things they ought not have --- it got a bad rap.
From the link kindly provided by taxcontrol in post #14:
Prejudice against Wiccans is the result of public confusion between Witchcraft and Satanism. Wiccans in the military, especially those who may be posted in countries perceived to be particularly intolerant, will often have their dogtags read "No Religious Preference." Concealment is a traditional Wiccan defense against persecution, so non-denominational dogtags should not contravene a member's request for religious services.
(taxcontrol pinged as a courtesy.)
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