What's wrong with this picture? (Nothing)

Folks, it is with humility that I am amending this message. I screwed up. I made the very same mistake that I have accused others of: I do not fully and properly check my sources. I received the original report, did a quick review and allowed my emotions to override my logic.

Snopes.com has researched the original message that has been circulating around the internet and determined that it is a hoax. The also are reporting the following statement from the ACLU:

"The ACLU has no knowledge about the photograph of Marines praying that has circulated on the Internet. The ACLU has also never had a spokesperson — quoted by news organizations as "Lucius Traveler" — by this name."

While I continue to believe that the ACLU is an evil in today's world, I also believe that in this particular case, I owe them an apology.

That said, I also want to point out that there are two other points made in the original report and I stand by those.

R*







The picture above has been making the rounds the internet recently. As heartwarming as the site of Marines bowing their heads in prayer during a ceremony honoring the birthday of the Marine Corps might be, the picture is not really the issue.

The issue is, once again, the ACLU.

"These are federal employees," says Lucius Traveler, a spokesman for the ACLU, "on federal property and on federal time. For them to pray is clearly an establishment of religion, and we must nip this in the bud immediately."

When asked about the ACLU's charges, Colonel Jack Fessender, speaking for the Commandant of the Corps said (cleaned up a bit), "Screw the ACLU."

Three things come to mind. The first is that the ACLU is clearly a tool of the liberal left and is being used to further the leftist agenda of removing any expression of religious faith from the public eye and replacing it with reliance upon Big Government. There is no other way to explain the senseless actions of the ACLU. Folks, troops have been praying since the creation of our country - why is it a problem now? Could it be that the liberal left (aka "progressives") are afraid of
the strength of a people who possess a strong religious faith?

Item two, the liberal left is obviously in high panic mode. In addition to the attack from the ACLU, leftist politicians are calling our troops terrorists (John Kerry) and claiming that our military is unable to successfully complete their mission in Iraq (Howard Dean). So desperate are these self-important demagogues to gain power that they will say or do anything possible to disrupt our nation, our military and our
personal lives.

The third and most important item is that these troops; our children, brothers, sisters, mothers, dads and friends, deserve our unwavering support and that the single best way to help them is through our prayers.

The email that brought this to our attention offers a simple prayer that we would like to share with you:

"Lord, hold our troops in your loving hands. Protect them as they protect us. Bless them and their families for the selfless acts they perform for us in our time of need. I ask this in the name of Jesus, our Lord and Savior. Amen."

We ask that all Americans join together in offering this simple prayer to the Lord on behalf of all of our military forces everywhere.