I love e-mail. Not only does it let me keep in touch with friends ranging from the ones at the job I just left to a guy I knew in the eighth grade, but I also get to do my activism quickly, easily, and with no postage. For example, when Bob Barr started foaming at the mouth about witches in the military, I fired off an e-mail to my Senator (John Edwards; I suppose I could have written Jesse Helms, the other senator from North Carolina, but I couldn't raise the effort to cc: him.) and my representative (Mel Watt).

Well, I can't speak for Mr. Watt, who has not yet responded, but Senator Edwards surprised me. I have not yet heard from him-- and I don't expect to-- but my letter was not ignored.

It was forwarded.

That's right. Rather than respond on an issue that had not been put before him for a vote, or firing off a form letter, The Honorable John Edwards asked the Executive Director of the Armed Forces Chaplains Board to respond to me. The letter I received is as follows:

Dear Ms Steincamp:

    Thank you for your recent letter to Senator John Edwards concerning freedom of religion in the military. I have been asked to reply to you about the Department of Defense policy concerning this matter.

    Your view that military members should be allowed the freedom to practice the religion of their choice coincides with the policy the Department of Defense has been implementing for several years.

    Federal Courts, including the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Armed Forces, have recognized that the belief called Wicca is protected under the First Amendment. However, while there is legal protection it is important to note that the military services a nd the chaplains have not approved or sanctioned this or any other belief. Decisions to accomodate requests to hold meetings or conduct ceremonies on military installations do not constitute endorsements of a particular belief or practice.

    Further, both chaplains and commanders are using their authority to manage and supervise all on-base activities, including those covered under the First Amendment, to ensure that good order and discipline, health and safety standards, and military readiness are maintained at all times and under all circumstances. At this time, no commander or chaplain has indicated that these individuals who wish to practice a belief called Wicca represent a threat to good order and discipline.

    Thank you again for your support of religious freedom. I trust I have adequately addressed your concerns. Please do not hesitate to call upon me if I can be of any further assistance.

Sincerely,
R. O. Gunter
Captain, Chaplain Corps, U.S. Navy
Executive Director
Armed Forces Chaplains Board

cc:
Honorable John Edwards

I was pretty bowled over. I mean, sure, it's buried in PC and bureaucratic doublespeak, but we must remember that this man has buttocks, too, and going around with one's buttocks uncovered has been determined to be a threat to order and discipline. The only thing I found in this letter to be upset about was being referred to as "Ms Steincamp" when I am most decidedly a male, and I'm so used to that I didn't notice it until I was transcribing the letter.

To break it down into points of order here:

• The military's policy of religious freedom is already in place.
• Both military and civilian courts have ruled that Wicca is a religion.
• The military does not endorse Wicca. It allows it.
• The military doesn't endorse any religion at all.
• The military monitors all activities, including ours, to make sure they're within the parameters of acceptable behavior.
• The Wiccan rituals practiced in the military have never been considered "a threat to good order and discipline."

Mind you, Barr maintains that we should not be allowed to practice our religion in the military because we are a threat to good order and discipline. This letter confirms that the military does not agree. And I get the impression that it's such a non-issue that the guy writing the letter was bored.

Mind you, I don't get any of the credit for this-- the policy was already in place, this was just a confirmation of it. But it does serve as a good example of what you can do to voice your opinion, without even springing for postage. A lot of elected officials actually do take the time to read their letters-- e-mail or snailmail-- and they often act on them. Especially if they get a lot of them. Make your voice heard.

You can contact your Senators by searching at
http://www.senate.gov.

You can contact your Representatives by searching at
http://www.house.gov.

© 1999 by Cather "Catalyst" Steincamp