SGT Dustin Chalker has started a petition on the White House’s “We the People” petition site (which you may recognize from a few weeks ago) asking for an end to forced religious observance and the Spiritual Fitness test and remedial training. He has this to say about it:

On September 1, 2011 the White House announced a new web-based petition program called We the People. From WhiteHouse.gov (http://www.whitehouse.gov/blog/2011/08/31/we-people-how-white-house-petitions-work): “Individuals will be able to create or sign a petition that calls for action by the federal government on a range of issues. If a petition gathers enough support (i.e., signatures) it will be reviewed by a standing group of White House staff, routed to any other appropriate offices and generate an official, on-the-record response.”

This outstanding new program facilitates the often-forgotten First Amendment right “to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.”

“How many signatures? Initially petitions that gather more than 5,000 signatures in 30 days will be reviewed and answered.”

Earlier today (October 3) the 5000 signature threshold was increased to 25000, but don’t worry! I started a petition to “End the Military’s Discrimination against Non-Religious Service Members” (http://wh.gov/4zb) on October 1! At present, it appears that older petitions are being grandfathered with the original 5000 signature requirement. Even if this changes, let’s rock the White House and blast through whatever ceiling they set!

This may be the single most influential thing you can do to help non-religious service members, and it’s easy! The account sign-up process is very fast (though a little buggy for some users) and has the added benefit that you can sign other petitions once you’re registered. There are petitions to restore the original Pledge of Allegiance “One Nation, Indivisible” and national motto “E Pluribus Unum.” When you’re done with all of that, share! Post the short link (http://wh.gov/4zb) to your Facebook, Twitter, and other social media.

Aside from the broader request to end discrimination, this petition addresses two specific issues: the forced ceremonial religious rituals in mandatory military formations and the unconstitutional religious test for “Spiritual Fitness” (and the related proselytism they call “training”). These fundamentalists currently enjoy a privileged dominion over us, ordering our respectful and silent participation in their worship services and actively instructing us to go to church and pray under the color of military authority. Your signature could change all of that, so please, take a stand for our right to serve this nation without facing coercive religious domination.

Thank you in advance to everyone who takes the time to join this ongoing effort to support and defend the Constitution. I have tried repeatedly, and all internal remedies have failed, to include the Inspector General, Equal Opportunity program, and individual requests for accommodation through the chain of command. The Constitution’s last line of defense is We the People.

Dustin Chalker

(Via Rock Beyond Belief)