For 42 years it has been a tradition during the "Treasure Valley God and Country Family Festival" in Idaho to be honored with a military flyover. This year, however, the opportunity to give tribute to the military in the form of a flyover has been denied. The FAA permit was approved, but when the request got to the Pentagon, the Pentagon denied the application because the event was "Christian in nature." For the 42 years prior, the request has never been denied.
While the organization putting on the "God and Country Family Festival" is definitely a Christian organization, the flyover is designed to specifically salute our military, and give the festival participants an opportunity to enjoy the spectacle of the flyover, while reflecting on their own personal feelings of patriotism.
The flyover is not "establishing" Christianity, or any other religion, as the state religion. Besides, the First Amendment guarantees all Americans freedom of religion, and specifically that Congress shall make no law "prohibiting the free exercise thereof." Yet, somehow political correctness has gotten into its crazy little mind that the part that says "Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion" somehow means that the public display of religion, especially with the involvement with any governmental entity, somehow must be prohibited because that is akin to Congress establishing a religion.
No law is being made by Congress establishing a religion with an approval by the Pentagon to allow a flyover, of which is a long-time tradition, to take place over a festival in the state of Idaho.
I have never heard anything so absurd in my life. The Separation of Church and State argument is what is being used, obviously. That argument, as it is being applied by those seeking freedom "from" religion, is unconstitutional, and is a symptom of what is really going on.
The festival is open to anyone who wishes to participate. The festival is not forcing anyone to be Christian. And the flyover is not being accompanied with a Congressional attachment that all who see it must drop to their knees and become Christian.
Those that are not believers in Christianity are using back door arguments to minimize Christianity, and eventually remove it from a country whose founding was based on Christian principles. No matter how much some members of the U.S. Government deny it, this is a Christian nation - because Christianity shaped and molded this nation, and was the inspiration for the blessings of liberty America holds so dear.
Under the onslaught of dissatisfaction over the Pentagon's decision to deny the "Treasure Valley God and Country Family Festival" the opportunity of the flyover, it will be no surprise if the U.S. Government changes its position from denying the request because the event is "Christian in nature," to something more along the lines of "the current budget cannot support this request."
Pork spending by Congress, Obama's outings to hamburger joints, White House cocktail parties, and Michelle Obama's shopping events in Europe, however, will receive funding every time.
-- Political Pistachio Conservative News and Commentary
By Douglas V. Gibbs
God and Country organizers: Pentagon denied flyover - Idaho Press Tribune, July 2, 2009, Bryan Dooley
Pentagon wants to get "God" out of our "Country" - Treasure Valley God and Country Festival, Nampa, Idaho
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