Retired Lt. Gen. William Boykin has been invited to speak at a prayer breakfast at the Military Academy at West Point on February 8th. He believes that Muslims in America should have no religious freedom, and that we are in a religious war against Islam.
VoteVets emailed me this morning, and I sent a letter to Army Chief of Staff, General Ray Odierno, asking him to rescind the invitation that was extended to this religious bigot. I hope you will write General Odierno, too.
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Here is a bit of VoteVets' message to me:
Imagine that a man who said there should be no freedom of religion for Muslims, that there should be no Mosques in America, and that America is in a religious war that pits America, a “Christian Nation,” against Islam was invited to address our men and women in uniform? Well, it’s happening.
On Feb 8, retired Lt. Gen. William Boykin has been invited to speak at a prayer breakfast at the Military Academy at West Point. He has said everything I wrote above. We need your help calling on the Army to pull their invite to him.
Here is the message I sent to General Odierno:
Sir,
I am a retired U.S. Army physician, and I am writing to request that the Army rescind the invitation to retired Lt. Gen. William Boykin to speak at West Point on Feb. 8.
His attitudes are hateful and xenophobic, and are based on his own religious intolerance: attitudes that have no place in the military of the United States of America.
In the Medical Corps, from 1968-2003, I served with Muslims, Hindus, and Sikhs, as well as Jews, Christians, and atheists; all of them were patriotic Americans and dedicated officers. My father had the same experience, from 1941-1962. So have other members of my very military family.
Religious intolerance is a violation of military values. Lt. Gen. Boykin shames us all. Please stop him from shaming us further.
I hope that all of you, veterans, families of veterans, patriots, and lovers of liberty, will write to General Odierno now.