On May 21, 2009, just before the Memorial Day recess, Rep. Paul Broun of Georgia introduced H.R. 2586: To prohibit the Secretary of Veterans Affairs from authorizing honor guards to participate in funerals of veterans interred in national cemeteries unless the honor guards may offer veterans’ families the option of having the honor guard perform a 13-fold flag recitation, and for other purposes. Peter Roskam and 43 other members signed on as co-sponsors.
The bill is related to some controversy that has erupted surrounding the recitation that is sometimes made as the flag is being folded by voluntary Memorial Honor Details at the funerals of veterans being interred at National Cemeteries. The recitation consists of 13 points describing a symbolic meaning for each of the 13 folds, many of them religious in nature:
The first fold of our flag is a symbol of life.
The second fold is a symbol of our belief in the eternal life.
The third fold is made in honor and remembrance of the veteran departing our ranks, and who gave a portion of life for the defense of our country to attain peace throughout the world.
The fourth fold represents our weaker nature; for as American citizens trusting in God, it is to Him we turn in times of peace, as well as in times of war, for His divine guidance.
The fifth fold is a tribute to our country, for in the words of Stephen Decatur, “Our country, in dealing with other countries, may she always be right, but it is still our country, right or wrong.”
The sixth fold is for where our hearts lie. It is with our heart that we pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America, and to the republic for which it stands, one nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.
The seventh fold is a tribute to our Armed Forces, for it is through the Armed Forces that we protect our country and our flag against all enemies, whether they be found within or without the boundaries of our republic.
The eighth fold is a tribute to the one who entered into the valley of the shadow of death, that we might see the light of day, and to honor our mother, for whom it flies on Mother’s Day.
The ninth fold is a tribute to womanhood, for it has been through their faith, love, loyalty and devotion that the character of the men and women who have made this country great have been molded.
The tenth fold is a tribute to father, for he, too, has given his sons and daughters for the defense of our country since he or she was first born.
The eleventh fold, in the eyes of Hebrew citizens, represents the lower portion of the seal of King David and King Solomon and glorifies, in their eyes, the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.
The twelfth fold, in the eyes of a Christian citizen, represents an emblem of eternity and glorifies, in their eyes, God the Father, the Son and Holy Ghost.
When the flag is completely folded, the stars are uppermost, reminding us of our national motto, “In God We Trust.”
It is not clear to me after perusing the sources I found whether the National Cemetery Administration at some point in 2007 actually banned the recitation or merely clarified its policy. If a ban was indeed instituted, I would certainly regard that as inappropriate. While no longer a religious person myself, I would regard the denial of a Veteran’s family the comforts of their religion in a time of grief as cruel and as a violation of their constitutional rights.
But whatever happened, the current VA policy does not deny Veterans that right. A clarification of the policy issued in October 2007 states the following:
“Honoring the burial wishes of veterans is one of the highest commitments for the men and women of VA,” said William F. Tuerk, VA’s Under Secretary for Memorial Affairs. “A family may request the recitation of words to accompany the meaningful presentation of the American flag as we honor the dedication and sacrifice of their loved ones.”
Traditional gravesite military funeral honors include the silent folding and presentation of an American flag, a rifle salute, and the playing of “Taps.”
The clarification includes the following:
* Volunteer honor guards are authorized to read the so-called “13-fold” flag recitation or any comparable script;
* Survivors of the deceased need to provide material and request it be read by the volunteer honor guards; and
* Volunteer honor guards will accept requests for recitations that reflect any or no religious traditions, on an equal basis.
So what’s the problem? Why H.R. 2586?
The bill is an attempt by the “we are a Christian Nation” crowd to require that this religious ceremony be actively pushed to families without any sensitivity to their own religious beliefs, if any. It is another lame attempt at incremental establishment of religion. It is an affront to all those citizens who do not share their Christian faith and who are also entitled to freedom of religion (or freedom from religion) and have also labored and fought and died to protect our country. The bill will likely go nowhere as most of these idiotic ideas do but it is still annoying.
H.R. 2586 is not our Congressman’s first venture in the area of religious establishment. You may remember Roskam’s involvement , during his first term, with the wacky 10 Commandments Commission.
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