Posted on Mar 28, 2016
Military Vet Booted From VA Clinic After Snapping Photos Of Bible Display
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The Youngstown, Ohio VA clinic — which threatened to have a decorated veteran arrested if he continued photographing its POW/MIA display featuring a Christian Bible — appears to have flouted the First Amendment and agency bylaws.
“It’s not hard to understand why some areas in governmental facilities should be off-limits to photography for reasons of security or privacy,” an experienced civil liberties lawyer told the Washington Gadfly, but the clinic’s prohibition of lobby photographs is clearly “unconstitutional.”
In fact, even VA regulations expressly allow photographs in all its facilities’ “entrances, lobbies and foyers.”
The veteran on Friday filed a complaint with the VA Office of Diversity and Inclusion. Fearful of reprisal, he, she or it (notice the trans sensitivity) is identified here under the pseudonym “Erik Wemple.”
“It’s not hard to understand why some areas in governmental facilities should be off-limits to photography for reasons of security or privacy,” an experienced civil liberties lawyer told the Washington Gadfly, but the clinic’s prohibition of lobby photographs is clearly “unconstitutional.”
In fact, even VA regulations expressly allow photographs in all its facilities’ “entrances, lobbies and foyers.”
The veteran on Friday filed a complaint with the VA Office of Diversity and Inclusion. Fearful of reprisal, he, she or it (notice the trans sensitivity) is identified here under the pseudonym “Erik Wemple.”
Military Vet Booted From VA Clinic After Snapping Photos Of Bible Display
Posted from dailycaller.comPosted in these groups: 
Department of Veterans Affairs (VA)
Department of Veterans Affairs (VA)
Posted >1 y ago
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To be honest SFC Joe S. Davis Jr., MSM, DSL I concur with the VAMC on this issue since the vet in question, who goes by the pseudonym “Erik Wemple,” was not innocently taking pictures but intending to report the Bible on display to the Military Religious Freedom Foundation which wants to strip religious freedom from the military in terms of public display.
I wonder is this "decorated vet" is really who he made himself out to be. It is interesting he doesn't want to use his real name.
Since the this "vet" Wemple "had visited the Multi-Specialty Outpatient VA Clinic, with a camera phone, hoping to take pictures for the Military Religious Freedom Foundation — which just got accused by Republican Congressman Doug Collins (D-GA) and the Family Research Council of anti-Christian histrionics because it convinced a nearby facility to remove the King James Bible and scriptural quotations from their own POW/MIA display table."
Read more: http://dailycaller.com/2016/03/21/military-vet-booted-from-va-clinic-after-snapping-photos-of-bible-display/#ixzz44EyZfkcA
I wonder is this "decorated vet" is really who he made himself out to be. It is interesting he doesn't want to use his real name.
Since the this "vet" Wemple "had visited the Multi-Specialty Outpatient VA Clinic, with a camera phone, hoping to take pictures for the Military Religious Freedom Foundation — which just got accused by Republican Congressman Doug Collins (D-GA) and the Family Research Council of anti-Christian histrionics because it convinced a nearby facility to remove the King James Bible and scriptural quotations from their own POW/MIA display table."
Read more: http://dailycaller.com/2016/03/21/military-vet-booted-from-va-clinic-after-snapping-photos-of-bible-display/#ixzz44EyZfkcA
Military Vet Booted From VA Clinic After Snapping Photos Of Bible Display
The Youngstown, Ohio VA clinic -- which threatened to have a decorated veteran arrested if he continued photographing its POW/MIA display featuring a Christian Bible -- appears to have flouted the Fir
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SGT James Hastings
I agree totally with you LTC Ford with the part about the motive of the picture taker. However, at the same time, the VAMC would appear to be reacting wrongly from a Constitutional standpoint. No simple answer here.
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LTC Stephen F.
SGT James Hastings - thanks for your well-reasoned comment.
I do not think the 1st amendment guarantees of freedom of speech and assembly clearly apply to freedom to take a picture when and where somebody thinks they can.
Many places including movie theaters and art galleries don't allow picture taking. Many government buildings don't either.
What do you think LTC John Shaw SFC Joe S. Davis Jr., MSM, DSL
I do not think the 1st amendment guarantees of freedom of speech and assembly clearly apply to freedom to take a picture when and where somebody thinks they can.
Many places including movie theaters and art galleries don't allow picture taking. Many government buildings don't either.
What do you think LTC John Shaw SFC Joe S. Davis Jr., MSM, DSL
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Sometimes you just have to ask "why"? This is pointless unless he was doing something else wrong. It makes no sense.
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It is sad, we are here, dealing with the crap. Sad, so very sad! These ARE OUR facilities!
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CPO (Join to see)
No they are not our facilities. It is my Experience that the VA is our enemy in retirement. I dealt with them as teenager helping my grandfather and his buddies. It was a two hour drive to the VA Hospital. We would arrive and these Vets would spend all day being ignored and shuffled around. The administrators would reschedule appointments or cancel appointments knowing these men had to commute 2 hours and most could no longer drive. In recent years 3 people I know that have gotten out have had nothing but nightmares from the VA. From them having "clerical errors" and with holding disability payments, to over medicating, to total loss of records for one friend that is 100% disabled. The VA is run by over paid civis. They do not care about the Service member. They care about their bonus and the best way to get that is to save money. What better way than to let Vets languish and die. If the VA was for us it would be run BY us. There would be Medics and Corpsmen, YN's would be staffing the counters. The Military would be running the show and Civilian doctors would be available. But instead you have Civilians running everything and they DO NOT Care about US. Never forget that when you have to deal with them.
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