The U.S. Army has punished and revoked a 20-year contract with a private vendor who stamps Bible verses on optionally-purchased privately-crafted dog-tag-simulated jewelry, because an anti-Christian complainer was offended.
Available to interview on this topic is Chaplain Gordon Klingenschmitt, who quotes Paul Jensen, the director of the Army Trademark Licensing Program as saying, “You are not authorized to put biblical verses on your Army products,” in a letter sent to Army contractor Kenny Vaughan in August.
But the longtime contractor for the U.S. Army is fighting back after a notorious atheist attorney complained about his company’s faith-based dog tags and convinced the Army’s trademark office to punish him, reports OneNewsNow. Kenny Vaughan, who owns Shields of Strength, went public this week with the complaint from atheist attorney Mike Weinstein and with the trademark office which informed Vaughn it was concerned about ‘negative press’ for working with Vaughn and his Bible-themed dog tags.
On “Fox and Friends” Wednesday morning, Vaughan said he is “speechless” after a 20-year contract with the U.S. military was dropped after a single complaint from Weinstein. The dog tags are voluntary, he went on to say, and millions of service members have reached out to Shields of Strength to purchase one and to thank the company “with tears in their eyes” for providing spiritual comfort.
“It’s insane. It’s incredibly selfish,” Vaughan said of the complaint. “All we do is provide a reminder of God’s word. No one has to do this…” Vaughan’s attorney sent a letter to Jensen calling its actions “unconstitutional” and violates the federal Religious Freedom Restoration Act.
About Chaplain Gordon Klingenschmitt:
Chaplain Gordon Klingenschmitt is a former Colorado State Representative, a U.S. Air Force Academy graduate in Political Science, and the man who made national headlines while as a Navy Chaplain for refusing to stop praying “in Jesus’ name,” leading to his being forced out of the U.S. Navy. An ordained Pentecostal minister, ‘Chaps’ earned his PhD in Theology from Regent University.
