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Sub. H. R. No. 283 As AdoptedAs Adopted 130th General Assembly | Regular Session | 2013-2014 |
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Cosponsors:
Representatives Adams, J., Beck, Becker, Buchy, Derickson, Hood, Thompson, Johnson, Retherford, Rosenberger, Amstutz, Blessing, Boose, Brenner, Burkley, Butler, Conditt, Damschroder, Duffey, Green, Grossman, Hackett, Hagan, C., Hall, Hayes, Henne, Hill, Hottinger, Huffman, O'Brien, Patmon, Pelanda, Perales, Romanchuk, Ruhl, Sears, Slaby, Smith, Stebelton, Terhar Speaker Batchelder
A RESOLUTION | To urge the United States Congress and the United
States Department of Defense to protect and uphold
the religious and free speech rights of military
service members.
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BE IT RESOLVED BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE STATE OF OHIO:
WHEREAS, In contrast to civilian society, the military
operates under a unique set of rules in order to maintain
discipline, to ensure unit cohesion, and to achieve military
objectives; and |
WHEREAS, The Constitution of the United States guarantees the
religious and free speech rights of our uniformed service members
as those individuals frequently are isolated from their religious
communities and lack opportunities for extended personal religious
exercise; and |
WHEREAS, Officers of the Armed Forces, including the Ohio
National Guard, are sworn to support and defend the Constitution
of the United States; and |
WHEREAS, Participation in religious services offered by the
military is voluntary, and those who choose not to attend are not
punished; and |
WHEREAS, No uniformed service member should be denied the
very rights for which they are willing to give their lives; and |
WHEREAS, Recent events in the United States Armed Forces
around the country demonstrate that religious and free speech
rights of our military service members have been
unconstitutionally treated, as demonstrated in the following
nonexhaustive list of examples: |
(1) In 2012, United States military recruits were presented a
detailed equal opportunity training brief that expressly listed
Catholicism and Evangelical Christianity as examples of religious
extremism alongside such groups as Al Qaeda, Hamas, and the KKK; |
(2) The United States Military Academy's Combating Terrorism
Center released a study linking those that believe in the sanctity
of human life to terrorism; |
(3) The Bible has been purged from Air Force Inn checklists; |
(4) The Air Force Rapid Capabilities Office removed a
reference to God in its logo on its official patch; |
(5) At the national cemetery in Houston, Texas, Christian
prayers were prohibited at funeral services for military veterans; |
(6) Distribution of Bibles was temporarily banned at the
Walter Reed Army Medical Center; |
(7) Catholic chaplains were prohibited from reading a letter
to parishioners from their archbishop regarding the Department of
Health and Human Services contraception mandate; and |
(8) Two chaplains filed a complaint against the Department of
Veterans Affairs because of harassment, having been told not to
quote scripture in their chaplaincy training class; and |
WHEREAS, No element of our military can constitutionally
penalize or otherwise prohibit religious expression merely because
it offends another; and |
WHEREAS, The readiness of our military is weakened when
members' ability to exercise their legitimate rights to religious
expression are abridged; and |
WHEREAS, Recent acts impeding the religious expression of
uniformed service members has caused unnecessary contention and
disruption in the ranks; and |
WHEREAS, What happens within our armed services as a whole
has an inextricable impact upon the Ohio National Guard,
especially when Ohio National Guard units are operating under
national command; now therefore be it |
RESOLVED, That we, the members of the House of
Representatives of the State of Ohio, urge the United States
Congress and the United States Department of Defense to protect
and uphold the religious and free speech rights of military
service members; and be it further |
RESOLVED, That we, the members of the House of
Representatives of the State of Ohio, urge the United States
Department of Veterans Affairs to respect the freedom of military
veterans to practice and express their faith; and be it further |
RESOLVED, That the Clerk of the House of Representatives
transmit duly authenticated copies of this resolution to the
Speaker and Minority Leader of the United States House of
Representatives, the Majority and Minority Leaders of the United
States Senate, the members of the Ohio Congressional delegation,
the United States Secretary of Defense, the United States
Department of Veterans Affairs, and the news media of Ohio. |
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