Even the tiniest infractions of rules are always a big deal at the service academies, so there’s no reason for this to be an exception. And if you refer to the Fox News version of the story, instead of the version from crackpot LifeSite which habitually leaves out pertinent information, you’ll note that the spokesman for the pagan/Wiccan group compared the incident to pagans leaving a pentagram at the altar of the Christian chapel at the academy. It was only kooky “Mikey” Weinstein who tried to compare it to a swastika.
It’s really way past time that people who want to promote true religious freedom at the service academies distance themselves from Weinstein and find a saner champion for the cause. The guy graduated from the Air Force Academy in 1977, which makes him at least 55. I really don’t think I could keep a straight face if a 55 year old man introduced himself to me as “Mikey”. All I can think of is the cute little preschooler in the classic Life cereal ad. I find it hard to believe he went by that name while he was attending the Academy.
This isn’t about the official response, it’s about all the tongue wagging that’s going on around the incident. If a pentagram object (we are not talking graffiti) was found placed on a Christian altar, it would likely just be chucked out in the trash, maybe after some prayers made for whoever put it there.