daibhaid@summerlands.com Ft. Hood Rides again! Daibhaid O'Broder daibhaid@summerlands.com Sat Nov 4 18:10:05 2000 Here is an update for those who haven't seen this elsewhere. Details at eleven. *p*Daibhaid*p*~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~*p* Date: Fri, 03 Nov 2000 22:52:15 -0600*br* From: "Dr. David Oringderff" <pilgrim3@ix.netcom.com>*br*Subject: Vandalism and Religious Hate Crime at Fort Hood.*p*Hail and Greetings.*p*Vandalism and Religious Hate Crime at Fort Hood.*p*This communiqué may be freely distributed only in its entirety.*p*Thank you all for your interest, support, love and especially your judicious*br*reaction to this incident. Our Distinctive Faith Group (DFG) Leaders at*br*Fort*br*Hood, Marie and Ron Smith, are following up on this with post command and*br*chaplain authorities. The Sacred Well Congregation, as Denominational*br*Sponsor*br*of the Fort Hood Open Circle, is coordinating information and activities*br*with*br*Department of Defense level agencies.*p*Following are the details of the incident of Saturday, October 28, 2000. As*br*soon as the crime was discovered, Marie and Ron were contacted. They*br*directed*br*our folks not to touch anything and to stay away from the areas entirely*br*until*br*proper action was taken. The duty chaplain was notified at the same time*br*that*br*the MPs were called; the duty chaplain did not visit the scene but said*br*that he*br*would make a report to the Garrison Chaplains office the following Monday.*br*Unfortunately, the criminal investigation got off to a rather poor start.*br*It*br*was a procedural matter, and probably not one of intentional neglect or*br*incompetence. The responding patrol contacted the patrol supervisor who*br*came*br*to the scene and then contacted the Military Police Investigations (MPI)*br*unit.*br*The investigators did not respond because the pecuniary amount of damage*br*was,*br*at first glance, not sufficient to involve them. Therefore the crime scene*br*was*br*not brought under control and a proper crime scene investigation was not*br*conducted. Apparently, neither the patrol supervisor nor the investigators*br*that he contacted realized the actual dollar amount involved. The alter*br*stone*br*was a 4X4X1 ft slab of dressed limestone, weighing over half a ton and set*br*on*br*two very large limestone blocks The altar stone alone was worth several*br*hundred*br*dollars. It was deliberately broken by a person or persons using either*br*other*br*stones or some kind of instrument like a sledge hammer. From a cursory*br*examination of the broken pieces, it appeared that a hammer was probably*br*used.*br*The broken pieces of the altar were strewn about the circle, and some were*br*removed. One of the broken pieces left near the altar had a blue cross*br*crudely*br*marked upon it. The stones of the circle itself were scattered and some*br*were*br*broken and removed as well. There was also a considerable amount of*br*ancillary*br*vandalism that occurred and was reported to the MPs on the night prior to*br*the*br*desecration of the Circle itself. The group had been hosting a "haunted*br*forest" for the public and community for almost a week. Some of the props*br*were*br*stolen or destroyed, and items were moved around in one of the buildings*br*that*br*our group uses for classes and social activities.*p*This act was not a child's prank. It required one or more persons of*br*sufficient strength and stature to do significant damage, and has all the*br*appearances of a hate crime. It should, therefore, fall under the Attorney*br*General reporting requirements as mandated by US Public Law 101-275.*br*Unfortunately, as noted, the crime scene was not protected and it is*br*doubtful*br*if any useful physical evidence can now be obtained from it. Heavy rains*br*over*br*the weekend probably destroyed anything of remaining evidentiary value. At*br*this point, however, it is doubtful if a more intense investigation will*br*prove*br*useful on this particular case.*p*This is the fourth reported incident of vandalism in recent months. There*br*have*br*been numerous other minor ones. This fact alone should have been enough to*br*alert authorities to the gravity of the incident. The area used by our*br*group*br*is a common-use area, and there are other groups and factions that use it*br*that*br*are hostile to us. Boy and Girl Scout leaders have repeatedly complained to*br*the chaplains that they do not like to take their children into areas that*br*are*br*used by "Satanists." (Camp Finlayson is only one of four camps on Fort Hood,*br*and is the most primitive of the lot). There was a bulletin board located*br*in*br*the building our group uses for classes. The group posted schedules,*br*contact*br*numbers, etc on the board, and another group ripped it down because there*br*was a*br*pentagram on some of the paper posted on the board. There was a very large,*br*round concrete slab used to cover an abandoned well (perhaps a cistern) on a*br*remote area of the camp. The slab had metal rings embedded in it with*br*chains*br*attached to it because it was obviously positioned by use of a crane or*br*other*br*heavy machinery. The chains were not removed after the slab was positioned.*br*It was an eyesore in an otherwise primitive natural setting. Our group, at*br*their own expense, painted the concrete and decorated it with a large*br*pentagram*br*and used it for selected rituals for some time before it was "discovered" by*br*the Scouts. The Scout leaders complained about the "Satanic" desecration of*br*"their" camp and alleged that our group used the chains as implements of*br*ritual*br*torture. We voluntarily painted over our religious symbols; the chains were*br*obviously left from when the cover was positioned many years ago by the*br*engineers. We have tried to go out of our way to be non-offensive,*br*accommodating, and tolerant to all other groups that use the area. This*br*latest*br*incident, however, brought things to a new level of hatred, bigotry, and*br*endangerment of life and property that can no longer be tolerated. Marie*br*and*br*Ron are requesting that we be provided facilities where we can be safe from*br*harassment and vandalism, and enjoy free and lawful expression of our*br*religion*br*and practices.*p*Favorable resolution of this situation will take time and patience. As*br*noted*br*in the opening remarks, action is being taken at multiple echelons. The*br*system*br*will work if we allow it to. Hopefully reparation and safe, protected*br*accommodation will be forthcoming in an expeditious and propitious manner.*br*While it is doubtful that an apprehension and successful prosecution will*br*follow, it is certain that both the Army and the DoD are committed to*br*religious*br*pluralism and the accommodation of lawful distinctive faith groups in the*br*military services.*p*I will close with a moving piece written by one of our members. The*br*following*br*article, while not an "official" press release from the Sacred Well*br*Congregation, clearly and concisely recapitulates the salient facts of the*br*incident. It also poignantly describes the frustration, anger, and grief*br*now*br*being suffered on a very personal level by one of the members of the Fort*br*Hood*br*Open Circle (SWC). I believe it also poignantly resonates the feelings of*br*every member of the FHOC, every member of this Congregation, thousands of*br*others who follow alternative spiritual paths, and multiple thousands of*br*tolerant and open minded people who follow the culturally dominant*br*religions.*p**br*================================================*br*Imagine that you and your family are preparing to attend worship services at*br*your local church. In the midst of getting your children ready you receive*br*a*br*phone call from a fellow parishioner informing you that your church has been*br*vandalized. Upon your arrival at the church you find that altar top has*br*been*br*destroyed, the symbols of your religious belief have been torn from the*br*walls*br*and scattered carelessly. As you look at the remains of your Church you*br*also*br*notice that upon the remains of your altar the vandals have left their mark*br*with graffiti. In your grief and anger you feel assured that the*br*authorities,*br*who are present and filling out police reports, will investigate the*br*situation*br*and apprehend the thoughtless vandals who have committed this heinous act of*br*destruction and disrespect. In your mind you know that there is no way the*br*culprits should be allowed to go unpunished. This is not only a crime of*br*careless violence and destruction but a "Hate Crime" and a violation of your*br*constitutional right to freedom of worship. The clergy reassure you that*br*justice will be served to those who have desecrated sacred ground, as they*br*hastily prepare another area in which to hold the worship services. The*br*next*br*day you call your clergy to find out what has transpired, surely they have*br*some*br*good news for the congregation. However instead of good news you are told*br*that*br*the authorities have closed the investigation due to lack of evidence. No*br*investigation has been done at all. Obviously the perpetrators had keys*br*with*br*which to gain access to your Church, as there are no signs of breaking and*br*entering yet the authorities insist there is no evidence. There was no*br*formal*br*investigation of the crime scene, no checking for fingerprints, no team of*br*experts looking for evidence yet you are told the investigation is closed*br*due*br*to lack of evidence.*p* The scenes and actions described above are very similar to the scenario*br*which*br*my friends and family found themselves in on Saturday, 28 October 2000. The*br*worship services were not in a church building but in a grove used by Fort*br*Hood*br*Open Circle on Fort Hood, Texas. On the night of Friday 27 October 2000 or*br*the*br*morning of Saturday, 28 October 2000, person or persons unknown gained*br*access*br*to this sacred site and destroyed the limestone altar donated by its*br*members.*br*They dismantled and scattered the simple religious symbols provided by*br*Nature*br*with complete disregard for what these items meant to the members of Fort*br*Hood*br*Open Circle both for their religious symbolism and for the personal time and*br*energy put into constructing them. A mere twenty four hours after the*br*reports*br*were filed with the Fort Hood Military Police we are told that the*br*investigation has been closed, that there was insufficient evidence to*br*continue*br*the investigation. Other than the Military Police who responded to the call*br*looking at the remains of the altar and the area surrounding it and the*br*filling*br*out of their mandatory reports we have seen nothing to indicate that an*br*investigation was even initiated. After repeated attempts to contact the*br*Fort*br*Hood Chaplains we have been told that reparations will be made to replace*br*the*br*physical items that have been carelessly destroyed, and that given time the*br*military facilities at the site will be improved due to the fact that other*br*organizations will be having increased use of these facilities. Is it too*br*much*br*to ask that our Country's service men and women be given the opportunity,*br*respect and facilities to worship as they see fit provided their doing so*br*causes no harm to others? This is not an isolated one-time event, on*br*several*br*occasions since being recognized and sponsored by the U.S. Military and Fort*br*Hood our sacred sites have been vandalized and personal property destroyed.*br*Each time we have turned to Fort Hood authorities and Chaplains for*br*assistance*br*but have been given nothing but promises. I am speaking out now in the*br*hopes*br*that our cries will be heard by people of all religions I ask that you take*br*a*br*minute to think, put yourself in our position and then do what your heart*br*tells*br*you is right. If we speak together we are a chorus to be heard, if we*br*whisper*br*alone we are but a sigh in the dead of night. In the past I have come*br*across a*br*saying that may provide food for thought in this situation, unfortunately I*br*do*br*not know who originally authored it or what their circumstances were but I*br*would like to share it with you as food for thought. When they came in the*br*night for the Jew down the road I said nothing, I wasn't a Jew. When they*br*came*br*for the people of different cultures around the corner I said nothing for*br*their*br*heritage was not mine. When they came in the night with guns and battering*br*rams to MY door no one spoke up in my defense for there was no one left to*br*do*br*so..*br*===================================================*p*Again, thank you all for your continued interest concern and support. We*br*will*br*keep you appraised of progress as it develops.*p*Rev. David L. Oringderff, Ph.D.*br*Acting Director of Military Affairs*br*Sacred Well Congregation*p*