Defense Secretary Hagel Asked to Review Military’s Connections to the Southern Poverty Law Center
The Thomas More Law Center with the Family Research Council (FRC) and 14 other organizations announced yesterday the submission of a letter to Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel requesting that the Department of Defense (DOD) ensure that future training materials do not rely on information from the Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC) or any other organization that engages in groundless and highly pejorative mischaracterizations of long-standing Christian organizations for their own political purposes.
The request comes after several training incidents in which Army instructors may have relied on anti-Christian materials produced by the Southern Poverty Law Center, an organization that was linked to domestic terrorism in federal court in February, 2013.
Lt. General Jerry Boykin (retired), Family Research Council’s executive vice president, made the following comments:
“In recent months, Army instructors have begun relying on the Southern Poverty Law Center, an anti-Christian group linked to domestic terrorism, as a source for its briefings. While we are encouraged that the Army Secretary has issued an order ceasing such briefings, we remain concerned that individual installation briefings may continue to draw upon SPLC materials.
“We are asking Secretary Hagel to issue clear guidance to the Defense Equal Opportunity Management Institute and instructing installations to stop relying on SPLC and other non-governmental sources as approved resources for equal opportunity training or other purposes.
“We will continue to monitor this situation and remain in contact with the Department of Defense to ensure that instructors carry out their role to train our troops to defend our freedom, and not push the Southern Poverty Law Center’s anti-Christian agenda,” concluded Boykin.
Click here to read the letter to Secretary Hagel.
ABOUT THE THOMAS MORE LAW CENTER:
The Thomas More Law Center defends and promotes America’s Judeo-Christian heritage and moral values, including the religious freedom of Christians, time-honored family values, and the sanctity of human life. It supports a strong national defense and an independent and sovereign United States of America. The Law Center accomplishes its mission through litigation, education, and related activities. It does not charge for its services. The Law Center is supported by contributions from individuals, corporations and foundations, and is recognized by the IRS as a section 501(c)(3) organization. You may reach the Thomas More Law Center at (734) 827-2001 or visit our website at www.thomasmore.org.
God help us. This information is horrifying! How much more can the American people take? I’m not very familiar with the Defense Equal Opportunity Management Institute: Is that kind of like diversity committees in the civilian world?
Could someone, anyone please explain to the American people how these insane ‘mistakes’ are allowed to happen; or if they are by design, who decides about an insane relationship such as the U.S. military and the SPLC? Sickening.
My son is out of the USMC as of August 2013 after 7 years of service… Thank God.