GOP Rep Ted Poe Calls For Removal of Houston Veterans Cemetery Director Who Banned Christian Prayer, Turned Chapel Into Meeting Room…
Well done, Congressman.
(Houston News) — Congressman Ted Poe (TX-02) on Wednesday, June 29, sent a letter to the Department of Veterans Affairs in Washington, DC, and issued the following statement in response to recent allegations regarding religious discrimination by the Director of the Houston National Cemetery:
“I am deeply troubled by the allegations that were brought to my attention when I met with members of the Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW) in Houston,” said Poe. The director of the Houston National Cemetery, Arleen Ocasio, allegedly has engaged in aggressive hostile censorship of religion at the second largest cemetery for veterans in the United States.
“The First Amendment is a sacred right of all Americans, especially those who have honorably served — and given their lives — in the name of protecting the United States. Denying their families their constitutional right to the free exercise of religious freedom is disgraceful and shows blatant disrespect for America’s veterans. If these allegations are true, I formally call for the termination of Arleen Ocasio as the director the Houston National Cemetery. This display of authoritarian behavior and religious discrimination should not be tolerated.”
LIST OF ACCUSATIONS
1) Director Ocasio and other Cemetery Officials instructed Veterans of Foreign Wars District 4 to remove prayers from its burial rituals and to no longer utter remarks when handling the discharged shell cases from the rifle salute to the family of deceased veterans.
2) Cemetery Officials instructed American Legion Post 586 to remove prayers from its burial rituals.
3) Director Ocasio told the National Memorial Ladies that it could no longer include “God Bless” in its condolence cards or speak a religious message to veterans’ families.
4) Director Ocascio shut down the Cemetery chapel; it is now a “meeting facility.”
HT: GWP
Posted by ZIP on Thursday, June 30, 2011, at 11:04 am | 
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She’ll be gone shortly. But like Vann Jones she’ll just be moved on to some lefty organization.
I agree throw the secular bum clean out and send the miserble reptile to live in cuba where their ilk are wanted
Contact him & let him know you support him!
http://poe.house.gov/
Our constitution makes no promise of freedom FROM religion. If only it would apply the same standard to everyone.
What’s interesting how our new “tolerant” government makes accommodations for every special interest group except the status quo. As our government intentionally distances itself from the Christian special interest groups, groups like Left-handed Obese Narcoleptics, and the New Black Panther Party are made to feel comfortable.
These ‘Multicultural’ designations are now officially RESPECTED interest groups of the American government.
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“Congress shall make no law RESPECTING an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.”
- First Amendment to the US Constitution
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*Is the purpose of the First Amendment to ensure that no special interest group imposes it’s own agenda on the people?
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Yes, yes, yes!
I just emailed Rep. Poe to thank him for looking into this matter. It is a disgrace. We buried our father 3 yrs. ago this July. He was a 30 yr. Navy veteran. It was our faith that got us through those dark days. 2012 can not get here quick enough for me. I hope when the obammessiah leaves, he takes all these idiots with him, too.
I just wish the lefties would read Jefferson’s letter on which they make this claim that religion should be separated from state. IT DOES NOT. It merely was a letter assuring the Baptist church that the state would not interfere with their practice of religion.
Satan certainly has been worming his way into our way of life and culture. If these lefties don’t want religion to be a part of their culture, they could move to NK or China.
You know, this woman was director of other National Cemeteries. We need to find out if they also had these restrictions.
I also just emailed Rep. Poe and thanked him for taking care of this situation. This country is sitting on a time bomb and if this Gov. does not want to see that blow up in there face, it will take men like Poe to start standing up for America. We all knew that we were in trouble when O said that we were no longer a Christian country, what did we think he meant by that?????? Welcome to the take over by the Muslim Brotherhood. Only you and I can stop this.
If true, Ocasio must go.
Amen to that and God Bless Poe!
…as he says in his one minute morning floor speech…”That’s Just the Way It IS!
The spiritual climate in America is absolutely Anti-Christian. You can be in any weird, bizarre, religion, even one that says non-believers should be slaughtered, and this is perfectly acceptable. If you are a Christian, you are persecuted or even harassed out of the work place. I expect even more persecution of Christians in America, even if it is bankrupting Christians by dragging them into court with frivolous lawsuits.
Turning a house of the lord into a board room for meetings on what how to lick special interest group’s behinds? This person has no respect for Christian beliefs, she might as well go spit on the graves it be equally as offensive as her censorship and violating their lawful right to free speech.
Rep. Ted Poe……yet another congressman stepping up! These guys are really perking up. Now, if they can stand strong on spending cuts and taxes…..we might be headed in the right direction. Defend the Constitution.
Besides firing this bitch, the VA should be gone over with a fine tooth comb. Wholesale changes need to be made within that organization. How many other of her ilk are employed there?
Chicago?…do the people of this country a big favor and keep your trash at home!
Is this America? These goofballs have been coming out of the woodwork like a swarm of carpenter ants since oBama came on the scene. The majority had better wake up,… and fast. The father America gets away from God, the weaker the country gets.
What do you know another Socialist Marxist creep from the obama administration.
http://www.change.org/members/1985188
That might be the wrong woman. I know this is right.
She looks like a man and maybe Big Sis Jan’s long lost twin or lover.
http://www.thecypresstimes.com/article/MedicalHealth/Medical/OCASIO_SELECTED_AS_NEW_DIRECTOR_OF_HOUSTON_VA_NATIONAL_CEMETERY/29112&order=desc
Thank you for standing up for “Our Religious rights” to worship as We feel is right. Christens must pray in Jesus name. The VA can not dictate to civilians how thy can pray or worship or bury there dead.
@gastorgrab
Wait a minute. I’m left handed and you don’t know what hell I’ve been through. I’m ostracized, mocked, disenfranchised and just all around miserable!
I should get special treatment. And be included in the hates crimes legislation as one of the protected groups. I should receive a stipend from the government just for being alive!
Just kidding of course, about everything except being left-handed.
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Director Ocasio needs a lesson in Constitutional Rights. Then she needs to be kicked in the ass (real hard) for everytime she made a grieving relative or loved one uncomfortable or hurt by her dictatorial actions and efforts to remove religion from a burial site. Then she needs to be fired. And then deported to Somalia.
Beginning her federal career with the Federal Aviation Administration in the Air Traffic Division in 1984, Ocasio is a native of Chicago. She graduated from the Interamerican University of Puerto Rico with a Bachelor of Arts degree in 2000.
Hmmmmm,,,, Unamerican University no doudt and a true believer of Odicks policys . Being this is in Texas encourage Rep Poe to put the hurt on Her. Link above …. WiscoDave says:
A leftists pig who takes oaths and jobs with the clear intent of following the liberal agenda, she should be fired and outlawed from EVER working in any government job anywhere.
Thanks for the link WiscoDave – I emailed the Congressman and thanked him for his efforts.
@whthfk I agree, she is one nasty lookin’ bitch. Yikes!
http://www.WhitePages.com
@WiscoDave – thanks much for the email address – I too sent Congressman Poe a thank you note.
This disgrace of an “administrator” forgets why the cemetary was established. Certainly not for her to “lord over” – but as an honored resting place for the remains of people that gave the ultimate gift to their country. And for their families to experience some comfort in knowing their family members are remembered.
I cannot, for any reason, figure out what worm crawls into the brains of these tin-horn potentates in governmental positions. The phrase “public servant” really needs to be revived!
Here is the Bitches number if anyone would like to call her. Took if from an Article over at Big Government.
Now. Call President Obama’s appointee, Houston National Cemetery Director Arleen Ocasio at 281-447-8686 (extension 206) and tell her this will not be tolerated! The lines are busy, but keep trying.
@whthfk
Thanks for the info. I got through to her voice mail and left her a message.
I told her that I didn’t think she should be working as a dog catcher much less as a director of a national cemetary. I suggested that she prepare to find another job. One where her complete lack of humanity would be appreciated.
I think this is a great idea!
Tell this commie bitch to fuck off back to Puerto Rico. She looks like Janet Incompetano’s twin.
Read this: http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/metropolitan/7630537.html
There was some kind of court case In Houston and the judge ordered them to stop and allow Christian prayers and open the chapel. They haven’t obeyed. This is Obama’s fault How can he profess to be a Christian when he has ordered many institutions to remove references to God, Jesus and the cross but allows Allah prayers to be said? Some effen Christian he is.He’s a LIAR and a Moozlim.
From the above article:”According to court documents, Ocasio banned veterans organizations and volunteer groups from using certain religious words such as “God” or “Jesus,” censored the content of prayer and forbade the use of religious messages in burial rituals unless the deceased’s family submitted the text for prior approval.
The documents allege that VA prohibited volunteer honor guards from providing optional recitations to families for consideration, and that when burial teams conduct military honors for a veteran’s funeral, a government official monitors what is said.”
It needs to be the family who determines how a funeral will be scripted. If they want God mentioned and prayers said during the funeral, then so be it. This is the least we can do for the ultimate sacrifice that they and their loved one has given. No one else has the right to tell them they cannot. I’m a vet and if it was my funeral and Ocasio imposed her policy, I know my wife will not stop until she get her fired or forced to resign. It is truly an unsympathetic, rude and disgraceful rule. Mr. Shinseki, I hope you are listening and actually have the courage to do the right thing.
Mr. Shinseki, I hope you are listening and actually have the courage to do the right thing.
Don’t count on it, having served in his Division and when he was Chief of Staff of the Army, Shinseki can be counted on to do the politically expedient thing. I’ll never forgive the bastard for taking the black beret away from the Rangers and forcing it on the entire Army.