VA still unfair to Wiccan vets. (America, church, pagans, religion)

[Draka]

I know some have been following the story of Sgt Patrick Stewart. His tombstone has the pentacle on it now, but not by the granting of the VA. It was the State of Nevada that approved it. Now it appears that the VA is going to be facing the courts now over this whole subject, and it's about time.

V.A. resists use of pentacle on tombstones

New lawsuit demands equality for Wiccan and Pagan veterans.
By Donald E. Skinner
12.1.06

The pentacle, a symbol with meaning for many Unitarian Universalist pagans, is the cause of a lawsuit brought by Americans United for Separation of Church and State against the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs over the VA’s refusal to include the Wiccan symbol on its official list of emblems for headstones and other grave markers.

more

[Djamila]

To be burried without your symbols? I can't imagine what that must feel like.

I hope they get their right to do it.

[Draka]

This has been going on for years. The irony of it all is that the U.S. military recognizes Wicca as a religion, but if you die then your religion doesn't exist to the VA. How messed up is that?

[Gentoo]

Hopefully either now or soon they'll see the error of their ways.

[evearael]

This is so infuriating. At least the state of Nevada has the decency to allow the graves of the fallen to be properly maked.

If you want to contact the VA and encourage them to do the right thing, here is their website:
http://www.va.gov/
I couldn't get the contact page to load... grrr... but hopefully it will be up later.