Area of CONCERN.

Even if you only ever visit websites that begin with “WWW” you’ll see evidence of this. Lots of evidence.

I am seeing more and more websites, (replete with spam and traffic tracking engines), actively seeking people to don camouflage clothing, buy military surplus or new commercially made gear, (or kit, as some call it).

I’m not even going to get into the “Whiskey Tango Hotel” angle of all of this.

Okay. Buying “morale” patches for them sounds innocuous enough, but customized name tapes, dog tags? So as to be “identifiable” as a member of that particular “club”.

Worse when you consider that there are “morale” patches that, while not copyrighted, are considered to be unit-specific. I love and honor my USMC brethren, but I would never wear one of their patches. I wasn’t a Marine. Neither would I expect them to wear an Army S.O. patch or Ranger tab. As to the custom tags, well, I still have my originals, thank you very much.

Here’s the OTHER problem I have. I would doubt, as well, that I am the only person with this issue. I don’t worship a cross, or at one. With or with a corpus. Wearing one as a part of a “uniform” would be as anathema to me as wearing a Marine Corps emblem. While I have NO problem with the generic “G/d Bless the United States of America” in any form, (I have closed EVERY podcast we’ve ever done with it), or the National Motto or even reciting the Pledge of Allegiance, (which I DO, EVERY day. Do YOU?), I’m getting pretty fed up with people jumping down my throat about such things. “Whaddaya MEAN, you won’t wear a cross?”. “What are you, some kind of commie-pinko-hippy?”. “You had BETTER find J.C. as YOUR personal Savior before you attend any rally with ME!”. “YOU NEED Jesus in your life!” “What are you? Some G/dless pagan or something?”. Well, maybe I’m a Jew. Maybe I’m Buddhist. Maybe I follow Eckankar. Maybe…it’s none of your damn business.

As a matter of fact, I am, indeed, a Pagan. I am NOT, however, “G/dless”. I assure you, I have one. A G/ddess, too, truth be told. I have also been know to walk into a church, now and again. A temple, too. I have had perfectly wonderful conversations with priests, ministers, rabbis…

Now, relax. I don’t sacrifice and eat little kids. Too much cholesterol. I won’t cause your crops to fail, (unless you keep pestering me), nor prevent butter to come in the churn, (because I KNOW you don’t churn your own butter), nor substitute a changeling in your kids’, grandkids’ or great-grandkids’ cradles, (within the parameters of the aforementioned proviso).

I haven’t faced this kind of absolute, abject religious discrimination in DECADES. It almost hearkens me back to the days of, (dare I?), the Klan. I am a decorated and honorably discharged veteran of the United States Army. MY patriotism runs directly within the genomes of my cells. Do you really, really, really believe that my dedication to this nation can be diminished in any way, shape or form because I’m not a Christian?

How very Christ-like of you. Good luck with your organization.

May G/d, (yours, mine and everyone else’s), Bless The United States of America.