Fox News columnist Todd Starnes wrote a disturbing column about a phone call he received from a soldier attending a briefing at Camp Shelby in Mississippi during the first week of October.
Those attending were told by the instructor the American Family Association (AFA) — a respected Christian ministry which believes in family values — is in fact a hate group similar to the KKK and Neo-Nazis.
The soldier, who is an evangelical, even forwarded Starnes a photo of one of the slides which labelled the AFA a “domestic hate group.”
The ministry was given this label by the presenter, because it promotes family values and opposes homosexuality.
According to the soldier, a chaplain in attendance challenged the instructor on his views, but he refused to back down.
Those in attendance were later told any soldier caught “participating” in a hate group could be punished.
In a follow-up article, Starnes reported he finally heard back from a Pentagon military spokesman about the Camp Shelby briefing. He stated the army does not consider the American Family Association a domestic hate group. He added the material presented was not sanctioned by the military. Further, Starnes was told those attending the briefing will be sent a follow-up memo correcting the characterization of the AFA as a hate group.
An AFA official told Starnes the organization is still considering legal action against the military because the description was libellous and this was not the first time something like this has happened.
Starnes added after he wrote his first column, he heard officers have launched an investigation to find out who spilled the beans on the presentation. Why would this even be an issue?
Some wonder if this is simply the military’s way of intimidating soldiers into silence.
Read more:
OpentheWord.org 
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