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Page: Profile: Wren's Nest News Local
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Article: 16730
[Pagan]
Date Posted:
12/1/2006
10:36:18 pm EST
Wvox Stats
Views: 6,386
RSS: 17,588
Comments: 17
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Group To Dedicate First Grave With Wiccan Symbol At Nevada Veterans' Cemetery
Author: Canadian Press Source: Canadian Press
Title: GROUP TO DEDICATE FIRST GRAVE WITH WICCAN SYMBOL AT NEVADA VETERANS' CEMETERY
Friends and family of a soldier killed in Afghanistan will gather Saturday to dedicate what they call the first U.S. government-issued memorial plaque with a Wiccan symbol.
The plaque for Sgt. Patrick Stewart was installed last week on the Veterans Memorial Wall at the Northern Nevada Veterans Cemetery in Fernley, about 50 kilometres east of Reno.
Stewart's widow, Roberta, has been fighting to make the Department of Veterans Affairs allow the Wiccan pentacle - a five-pointed star enclosed in a circle - for plaques and headstones at veterans' cemeteries.
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Community Thoughts: There are 17 comments posted | Reverse Sort |
| Keep After The VA | Dec 2nd. at 10:38:30 pm EST
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Skytrace (San Antonio, Texas) - Email Me
I am not a veteran of the armed services, but I am Pagan. The pentacle is my symbol of belief, as it is for many other pagans, wiccans, etc. It has meaning for me and I don't give a flying f*ck at a rolling donut if someone else thinks it's satanic or not. The pentacle is as important to many pagans/wiccans/etc as the cross is to Christians or the Star of David to Jewish people. The VA's refusal to allow the pentacle is blatant discrimination, pure and simple. Their excuses for not allowing it are simply that- excuses.
These are soldiers that have served our country, have given their lives in that service, and yet they are being denied their symbol of faith on their grave markers. That is wrong, just horribly, terribly wrong.
The VA needs to get off it's discriminatory butt and get the pentacle approved as the 39th symbol. (Perhaps the 40th symbol could then be a symbol for the VA, for those that appear to worship that particular "deity".)
I'm all for more and more articles of this sort that keep this issue on the front burner and keep the fire lit under the collective feet of the VA.
As far as I am aware, the pentacle cannot be copyrighted or royalties paid for the use of the symbol.
This is about being able to have the same rights as other, more "mainline" and "acceptable" religions to have their chosen symbol of belief on their grave markers or memorial plaques. The VA is attempting to deny that right.
I say "go Roberta Stewart, ACLU and AU, et al. Y'all Rock!"
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| ... | Dec 2nd. at 1:30:53 pm EST
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Draken (Bronx, New York) - Email Me - Web
It's going to take an act of Congress (literally) for the VA to get off their arses and actually do something. Knowing this do-nothing Congress, they won't move to act.
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| As A Former Military Type... | Dec 2nd. at 1:29:35 pm EST
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Blk Derby (Helena, Montana) - Email Me
I'm happy with the outcome. But for those of us that might be buried in a civilian cemetery we should make sure our particular symbol can be included on our marker. One would not want to buy a plot and than find out the pentagram, yin and yang or whatever symbol could not be included.
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| The VA Didn't Do This. | Dec 2nd. at 11:55:26 am EST
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Ursyl (Murrysville, Pennsylvania) - Email Me
The state of Nevada did. They read the laws and found that as a state, they could do what the VA refuses to do.
Let's not give credit where credit is NOT due.
It's a start, but the problem on the federal VA level still very much exists.
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| New Beginnings | Dec 2nd. at 10:09:16 am EST
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Lady GoldenRaven (New Castle, Pennsylvania) - Email Me
New beginnings, great start! Now, we have to be like little cockroaches and be everywhere that is VA and sign those petitions, etc. I, too, would like a pentacle above my marker.
HD: USNavy 1981
LadyGoldenraven
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| The First Rung Of The Ladder. | Dec 2nd. at 10:02:38 am EST
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bigcat (peoria, Illinois) - Email Me
I can just see Pat Robertson now railing about the Wiccan Symbol being included -as if it would taint the xtian dead for it to be there.
Frankly, I'm glad. I hope it will make it easier for others to do the same.
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| Blessed Be.... | Dec 2nd. at 7:25:16 am EST
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Lady Abigail (Greenfield, Florida) - Email Me
How sad that equal rights still seem to mean for only a few that have been self chosen.
To all those that give their energy to this fight...
Goddess bless you...
May we stand proud and strong.
Lady Abigail
High Priestess Ravensgrove Coven
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| I SAY.... | Dec 2nd. at 4:27:06 am EST
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Whitewolf (Schenectady, New York) - Email Me
about time!!!!
Love to all
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| Public Comment Period | Dec 2nd. at 12:54:53 am EST
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Charlayne Elizabeth Denney (Friendswood, Texas) - Email Me
Yes, stay vigilent. And make sure there is LOTS of Pagan comment to the VA. If we stop showing up on their desk every day, they will forget us during this time. A nice "thank-you" for the Stewart's recognition and a comment that every Pagan that honorably served deserves it as well.
It's near but not totally here.
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| Canadian Media? | Dec 2nd. at 12:16:35 am EST
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Mothrae (Gouldsboro, Pennsylvania) - Email Me
This was reported in Canadian media? That's great in and of itself (I do PR for nonprofits) but how about some US media reporting too?
Great news, I'm not trying to put a damper on anything.
With all that everyone has gone through as far as a Pentacle VA marker, now maybe I can have one when my time comes.
Honorably discharged E5, US Army 121st CECOM Signal Corps, Desert Shield/Storm vet.
Slan agus beannacht leat.
Moth
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