Opinion

Was Firing Lindsey Stone Correct for Disrespecting Arlington Cemetery Graves

 

Was Firing Lindsey Stone Correct for Disrespecting Arlington Cemetery Graves

When your son or daughter or other loved one goes off to war, there is pride in your heart as well as tears in your spirit. If they are called on to pay the ultimate price and are laid to rest in a place of honor like Arlington National Cemetery or local military cemeteries you understand in your soul that a grateful nation and its families appreciate their sacrifice as well as their noble service.

But what about those disrespectful Americans that engage in actions to attack the honored silence and solitude of the military resting place. What if instead , they decide to give the dead soldiers the finger or brazenly shout absurdities at those gathered to grieve at their loved one’s gravesite?

Lindsey Stone is such an American, who by birth can claim citizenship, but who by conduct certainly walks the line of needing to be stripped of it.

She decided in October to go to Arlington National Cemetery, to according to published accounts, engage in behavior that was prankish. But what exactly is prank behavior when a person not only engages in this behavior to disrespect the soldiers and their families? She then to add insult to injury, had an accomplice take a photo of her conduct and posted the photo to her Facebook page a as badge of honor.

The photo which went viral across the nation shows Ms. Stone using an obscene gesture. In addition, Next to her was a sign at Arlington Cemetery which clearly displays, “Silence and respect.” Yet in the photo, Stone is depicted yelling. What was her purpose and what was she thinking?

Does this trouble you? Was Stone’s behavior juvenile for a 30-year-old woman, who seemed to seek social media approval by posting this shameful act on her Facebook page? Was it her First Amendment right to break the solemn rules of a hallowed place of dignity, because respect, discipline and decency are diminished institutional beliefs?

Lindsey Stone’s, now former employer Living Independently Forever (LIFE) initially placed her on suspension along with Jamie Schuh who joined her in the incident, according to Fox News. On Wednesday, Fox News reported that both Stone and Schuh were fired.

So where is the line in America? How far can a person be allowed to go to disrespect or infringe upon another citizen’s rights to grieve in peace? What about the right of the nation to insure that their honored war dead in any military cemetery in any state will not be dishonored?

Stone was on her company’s business in Washington D.C. when she made her infamous side trip to Arlington National Cemetery. She was of course fired, but was it because of national outrage or because these type of contemptible actions should never be tolerated by any employer?

Since the onerous display by Stone and Schuh, both have issued an apology, which according to Fox News, stated, “We never meant any disrespect to any of the people nationwide who have served this country and defended our freedom so valiantly,”

Whether the two were truly sorry for what they did, or for having their hurtful actions blow up in their face, costing them their jobs and the outrage of a nation is open for debate. Yet, more should be done to insure it does not happen again.

Congress recently passed the “The Honoring America’s Veterans and Caring for Camp Lejeune Families Act of 2012.” in August to in part, protect the funerals of military soldiers from being disrupted by protesters.

So just where is the line in the sand? What should be done to prevent this type of openly disrespectful behavior which is like spitting on the military graves of our brother and sisters, and loved ones?

Are employers obligated to penalize workers for conduct unbecoming of an American citizen? Most importantly, where do you feel your state, your employer or you should draw the line?

The nation is watching!

( Click – Let me know what you think )

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Kevin Fobbs

Kevin Fobbs is the former Community Concerns columnist for 12 years with The Detroit News covering community, family relations, domestic abuse, education, government relations, education, and dispute resolution. He has written for "Michigan Chronicle," “GOPUSA”, Fobbs was government and civic affairs director for SoulSource, a Christian news magazine, and host of The Kevin Fobbs Show www.kevinfobbs.com. He has written as the Christian and Culture examiner for Ann Arbor Examiner: https://www.examiner.com/x-33782-Ann-Arbor-Christianity--Culture-Examiner, and Ann Arbor and Cleveland Conservative Examiner: https://www.examiner.com/conservative-in-ann-arbor/kevin-fobbs His weekly faith-based Hearken The Watchmen column provides insight and answers on family, faith, and how to arrive at faith-based solutions to life challenges. His e-How articles range from, legal, health and education to electronic and culture and entertainment as well as home and business. Served 12 year as a gubernatorial appointee for Michigan’s Wayne County Social Services Board. He worked primarily on parenting and early childhood educational policy, domestic violence, family and children protection policy concerns. Developed programs to help parents develop healthy coping skills in the raising of their children. Was extensively involved in developing parental and child, family support networks at the local, county, and federal level. Kevin Fobbs has more than 35 years of wide-ranging experience as a community and tenant organizer, Legal Services outreach program director, public relations consultant, business executive, gubernatorial and presidential appointee, political advisor, writer, and national lecturer. He has been in the forefront of communications initiatives; devised and implemented strategies to win political and public support for client public policy issues and positions; directed electoral campaigns; and spearheaded as well as managed state and regional referendum, electoral, White House Initiatives, including Education, Social Security, Welfare Reform. Faith-Based Initiatives and many others. Kevin is co-chair and co-founder of AC-3 (American-Canadian Conservative Coalition) that focuses on issues on both sides of the border between the two countries. The American – Canadian Conservative Coalition (AC3) is a joint effort by grassroots Americans and Canadians to share information, issues, and policies that affect us individually and jointly. AC3 members are politically conservative and share the ideals of self-sufficiency, fair business competition, strong families, and joint homeland security. Above all, we believe in the right to freely exercise our chosen religion based on the principles that recognize the supremacy of God and the rule of law outlined in the founding documents of our country.

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2 Comments

  1. This ‘act’ is dispictable & unacceptable at any cemetary…especially one honoring the heroes that have given us their all…Perhaps a round of “Community Service” would merit consideration.
    Making mandatory that they visit schools to explain the triangle folding of the flag & what each fold means or carry a picture & tell the story of one of our fallen heroes to classrooms….Distressing as this action was, I find it even more so that this age group, in general, has little, if any, concept of our Glorious Nation’s history & the sacrafices made to make it so. Respect & Freedom are just ‘words’ to so many in this age group. Respect is when you give me what I want & freedom is when I do when I want…They have not be taught or been instilled with the moral values of a civilization must have to prosper…I’m afraid that this is another area that has suffered from the lack of my generation’s stewardship…By our Creator’s grace, it’s not too late to start repairs…talk, teach to children, grandchildren…even the carry out at the store…be a mentor in a classroom…take advantage of ‘teachable moments’
    I am grappling, not with the apology, but the WHY in the first place.

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