Throughout the year, the Military Religious Freedom Foundation (MRFF) gets a lot of email, and, not surprisingly, as a civil rights organization protecting the separation of church and state in our military, much of the email is hate mail. We are bombarded on a daily basis with emails from so-called “Christians” — emails containing the most vile racist and anti-semitic cartoons; stomach-turning references to the Holocaust, usually directed specifically at MRFF’s founder and president Mikey Weinstein and his family; and a steady stream of the most disgusting homophobic, Islamophobic, and white supremacist vomit that a computer keyboard is capable of emitting — all in the name of Christ, of course.
A typical email from one of these fine “Christians” will usually include a line like this: “All soldiers will bow to the Flag of CHRIST! Last time we checked there are more white Christians who have bled out and died for our US of A then jews nigras or arab insects.” Others will make their point with subject lines like: “LGBT = Liberty, Guns, Bibles, Trump... Michael, NO QUEERS in our Military!”
But for those of us at MRFF it is not the hate-filled emails that are the most memorable. These merely serve as a constant reminder of the evil we are fighting. The emails that are the most memorable to us are the ones from the service members, veterans, and others who we’ve been able to help when this evil has left them with nowhere else to turn.
So, to end 2017, here are a handful of the emails from this year that, in the midst of all the hate mail, make it all worth it.
From: (Military Pilot’s Mother’s E-Mail Address Withheld)
Subject: L’dor va’dor-MRFF Enables Daughter To Achieve Pilot Dreams
To The Military Religious Freedom Foundation,
We are a Jewish family living in (city and state withheld). We are proud that our daughter is now a full fledged (military service branch name withheld) pilot. Please keep our family’s identification confidential.
As my husband and I reflect back on this year we wanted to thank all of you at the MRFF for the intervention the MRFF provided this past (summer month withheld) on behalf of our daughter, (military officer’s name and rank withheld) who was so badly struggling.
(Daughter’s name withheld) had faced both direct and in-direct antisemitism while a student pilot at (military training base name withheld). She had also been forced to endure nearly constant Christian proselytizing by her immediate chain of command especially 2 of her Instructor Pilots and her (unit's name designation withheld and unit senior ranking job title withheld). She was hurt and despondent and did not know what to do or where to turn.
We love our daughter. We tried to help her to help herself by any means the (military service branch name withheld) had available at hand within her (unit designation withheld) for such things. Nothing worked and it became even harder for her and us. (Daughter’s name withheld) looked like she would wash out of pilot training and even the (military service branch name withheld). Her lifelong dream was to fly in the (military service branch name withheld). Her dreams were about to be dashed.
We were just heartbroken. We had all but given up.
Until our daughter spoke with (name and rank of MRFF representative) at (name of military training base withheld) who connected us with Mikey Weinstein of the MRFF. I will not detail what or how Mikey Weinstein did what he did. I will only say that he did it very fast and very strong in defense of our daughter. Just a matter of a week and half later our daughter’s plight had been confirmed by the (military service branch name withheld) at (military training base name withheld). Those who had been doing her wrong because of her Jewish faith were removed from further training and evaluating her. She was given a fresh chance to prove that her flying met the standards. And she was no longer being told that she needed to demonstrate to her superiors that she would “get right with Christ” in order to graduate from pilot training.
(Daughter’s name withheld) graduated on (2017 date withheld) and is now thriving as a (military service branch withheld) pilot. She has achieved her dearest dreams! She has achieved our dreams too!
My father survived the Holocaust after suffering the unimaginable for (number of years and months withheld) as a very young man at Auschwitz-Birkenau. He lived to raise a loving family but did not live to see our daughter, his granddaughter, have pilot’s wings placed on her (military service branch name withheld) uniform. But on that day of days and through tears of joy (daughter’s name withheld) had her grandfather's picture in her pocket when those wings were pinned on at the graduation ceremony by her Commander.
Oh he would have been so very proud of her.
And he would have been so proud of the MRFF which made it happen.
Our family will never forget what the MRFF did to enable these dreams of three generations of our family to be realized. Our hearts filled with love and thanks go out to all of you at the MRFF who help so many like us. Happy Hanukkah and Merry Christmas to the people and heroes of the MRFF.
L’dor va’dor.
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From: U.S. Army Soldier’s E-mail Address withheld
Subject: Pres. Trump bad example
Mister Mickey W. MRFF:
I am Muslim US soldier at Fort (name withheld). So is my sister and other brother but at Fort (name withheld) and Fort (name withheld).
Thank you for taking call from me after our (U.S. Army senior NCO title withheld) tell all soldier in our (U.S. Army unit name withheld) that President Trump tweet videos to prove that muslims no good for anything and especially that we are security risk. How can this be? I am a good soldier. So is sister and brother.
I join US Army to become US citizen and are proud of USA. Me and my brother and sister even though we soldiers now get made fun of and be angered upon by other soldiers because they say even President says we are low terrorsts. If we are christians we are fine and trump like us. But if muslim then we are bad even if we fight and die for USA.
You only one who is helping and MRFF call our (unit name withheld) commander to have him stop our (U.S. Army senior NCO title withheld) from using Pres.Trump to say we are untrustworthy and no honor to be US soldiers. (Commander’s name and title withheld) talked to Mister Mickey and then he quick call in (U.S. Army senior NCO’s name and title withheld) and yell at him and issue warning to counseling to him to leave muslim soldiers alone. This is so good I cannot know how to thank the MRFF and Mr. Mickey W!
We do nothing wrong for just being people and US soldier even if Pres.Trump hate muslim US soldier. Why does he hate us so bad?
Thank you to the MRFF to put a stop to this bad thing happening just because we are Muslim and Pres. tweet videos to say we are lower than wineing dog.
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From: U.S. Army Soldier’s Parents’ E-Mail Address Withheld
Subject: Veterans Day Thank You to The MRFF Foundation
Dear Mr. Micky Weinstein and the MRFF.
Our daughter (name and rank withheld) is in the U.S. Army and was helped by the MRFF over 6 months ago at Fort (name withheld), (state withheld). She was being bad bullied for being Roman Catholic by her (unit supervisor’s title and rank withheld) who is Christian evangelist. What she was forced to go through was very mean and hurtful. As her parents we did not know where to turn to to help our daughter.
But her battle buddy knew different. She had been helped by the MRFF 2 years before over something also bad because she was not evangelist. She told her to call you all at the MRFF. (daughter’s name withheld) did this with our blessing. Even though after midnight Mr. M. Weinstein took the phone call. Thanks to the MRFF she was given the fast help she needed to stop the anti-R. Catholic harassment from her Army boss. She is now thriving and even been promoted. She names the MRFF as the reason she is and why she is now so happy!
As (name withheld)’s mom and dad we just wanted to thank all of you at the MRFF on this Veterans Day 2017. Our love to all of you. Thank you all for all you do!
Our family will never forget what you did to help our proud soldier daughter (name withheld).
May the Lord bless all of you. As our family does.
(*Please do not use our names or other contact info. Or our daughter’s because of those mean-hearteds which attack the MRFF. But we would like our words of thanks to be seen by all who might ever need the MRFF. And their families and all the others who support our troops.)
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From: U.S. Army Soldier’s E-Mail Address Withheld
Subject: Followed your Advice at Fort (Name Withheld)
Mickey Wienstein with the mrff.
Thanks for talking with us last week sir here at Fort (name withheld). Didn’t know our rights until you explained them. Hooah the Mrff!
We took your advice and confronted our (U.S. Army soldier’s title and rank withheld) about what he said at our (name of mandatory military formation withheld) on (date withheld).
He said at first that he denied saying that the Armys jews atheists and muslims were not as trustworthy in combat as the army’s christians. That they were not saved for not having Christ and all. But too many of us heard it and he had no choice but to try to slip out of it and just say that he had just been misunderstood and some other bullshit.
Me and the other soldiers in our (Army unit name withheld) told him that we had filed complaints with you and the mrff. And that we were considering filing with Insp Gen and with (senior Army unit Commander’s name withheld) and others. Anyways he got all scared and all. Now he know how he makes us feel. And he asked us to give him another chance and all. Course he is still the one we told you about who said all the bad shit about Obama not being a christian and all. Says Obama being an arab muslim and never stops talking about how better trump is and all. So this is now the 2d time he has messed up with this Christian Best stuff to all of us below him in our chain. In just 10 days too.
We have your numbers sir and will see how (name, rank and title of their Army superior withheld) behaves from now on. He’ll prolly start in again soon and we’ll need mrff’s help a new time for it. Unless he is now too chicken shit to try us all again? He knows about when mrff fixed that other stuff at Fort (name withheld) with the bible study and all last (date withheld). Told him about it too.
again thanks sir! please keep our names out of this mess and all. We plan to reach out if he does it again.
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From: USAF Airman’s E-Mail Address Withheld
Subject: Jesus is NOT our Wingman
To Military Religious Freedom Foundation of New Mexico,
I am sorry for taking too much time to write in thanks for what you all did for us to fix a bad problem with what our (unit name withheld) Commander said to us all at our (annual training event name withheld) in (month withheld) of 2017 at (installation name withheld) AFB in (city and state withheld).
He was explaining what it meant to be a great Wingman for our fellow airman and then went on a freaking rant about how we ‘should all be like the greatest wingman ever in the world’s history Jesus Christ.’ He said stuff like to be a good wingman is to be a good Christian and vive versa. So many of us were pissed at all of this. We’re not idiots and making all of the Jesus comparing to USAF Wingman standards was stupid even tho some airmen liked it.
Me and many other members of the (unit name withheld) saw this as super messed up. I tried to tell this wrongness to our (unit name withheld) (subordinate military supervisor’s title withheld) but all he said was that we were dead wrong and was being a very disloyal wingmen to even object to what our (unit name withheld) Commander had spoken about Jesus at (annual training event name withheld). And by the way I am not Christian but my wife is and most of those who joined me in asking for the MRFFs help are Christians.
Our First Shirt (name and rank withheld) gave us Mr. Weinstein’s name and phone number from when he needed the MRFF back in the day of 2011 on National prayer breakfast at (installation name and state withheld). He said none of our names would ever get out to anyone especially AF OSI for asking for the MRFFs help.
We called Mr. Weinstein at late night and he talks to us for almost an hour. Can’t say what or how it was done but only 2 days later (name and rank withheld) who is the (higher unit name withheld) Commander spoke to us at (previously scheduled unit training event name withheld) to tell us that comparing a good Wingman to Jesus was wrong and out of line. Broke regs too. Best part was when our (unit name withheld) commander spoke to us next and also apologized. We were all like “F— YES”!!
For me and my fellow airmen who asked for their help we thank the MRFF for making it all good again. The MRFF is our Wingman now!