Lawsuit: preventing religious groups from attending funerals where they aren’t wanted violates their rights
The plaintiffs, aided by a conservative legal group, the Liberty Institute, contend they should be allowed to use a Veterans of Foreign Wars script dating from World War I that refers to the deceased as ‘a brave man’ with an ‘abiding faith in God’ and that seeks comfort from an ‘almighty and merciful God.’ The institute has broadcast the dispute nationwide with slick videos and a Web site declaring that ‘Jesus is not welcome at gravesides.’
…The lawsuit, which alleges religious discrimination by the government, and videos have generated angry letters and Internet commentary against the Department of Veterans Affairs, as well as demands from members of the Texas Congressional delegation, mostly Republicans, that the Obama administration fire the Houston cemetery director, Arleen Ocasio.
Department of Veterans Affairs officials say that the original policy, enacted under President George W. Bush, resulted from complaints about religious words or icons being inserted unrequested into veterans’ funerals. They noted that active duty military honor guards, including the teams that do funerals at Arlington National Cemetery, say almost nothing during their ceremonies.
‘We do what the families wish,’ said Steve L. Muro, the under secretary for memorial affairs. ‘I always tell my employees we have just one chance to get it right.’
Though two of the largest veterans organizations, the American Legion and Veterans of Foreign Wars, have criticized the Houston National Cemetery, some veterans’ advocates have risen to the department’s support. Those advocates say that families who want prayers can have them and assert that the Liberty Institute has blown the dispute out of proportion to embarrass the Obama administration.