Lady Liberty League

Proposed VA Procedures

The US Department of Veterans Affairs has proposed a new set of procedures for emblems of belief approval for use on VA-issued memorial headstones, markers, and plaques honoring deceased veterans.

The deadline for submitting comments was March 20, 2007.

SHARE CONCERNS:

We have a variety of concerns about these proposed procedures, including:

There is still no requirement that the VA make any decision on an emblem of belief application.
There are no time limits for decision making on applications.
These proposed procedures are worded in such a way to legalize the VA's unconstitutional process of picking and choosing which religions and belief systems to accommodate and which symbols to approve for inclusion on the veteran grave markers it issues. For example, the proposed regulations state:
"VA intends to preclude the addition of any emblem that would have an adverse impact on the dignity and solemnity of cemeteries honoring those who served the Nation."
There is no appeal process -- the proposed procedures state that the VA's decision is final.

Essentially, if these new procedures are adopted and go into effect, the Pentacle could still be kept in limbo with no decision being made at all, and it possibly could even be rejected should a VA official deem our symbol not appropriate for state and federal veteran cemeteries.

Symbols for other religions, including other forms of Paganism, may also be kept in limbo or be rejected.

Some additional background:

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