The Volokh Conspiracy
[Eugene Volokh, April 23, 2007 at 2:42pm] Trackbacks
Veterans Administration Recognizes Wiccan Graveyard Marker:

I blogged about the controversy here and here. The controversy now seems to have been resolved:

Wiccans will be allowed to have the symbol of their religion placed on grave markers in national cemeteries under a lawsuit settlement with the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs announced Monday.

The settlement calls for the Wiccans' pentacle, a five-pointed star representing earth, air, fire, water and spirit to be placed on grave markers within 14 days for those who have pending requests with the VA.

There are 11 families nationwide that are waiting for grave markers with the pentacle, said Selena Fox, a Wiccan high priestess with Circle Sanctuary in Barneveld, Wis., and a party to the lawsuit....

The agreement settles a lawsuit filed in November by veterans' widows and others alleging that the VA has stalled for more than nine years in recognizing the pentacle....

I'm glad the VA decided to accommodate the Wiccans' desires, much as it accommodates dozens of other religions. The VA's site has already been updated to include the symbol (#37 on this list).

Related Posts (on one page):

  1. Veterans Administration Recognizes Wiccan Graveyard Marker:
  2. Wiccan Symbol in Veterans' Cemetery:
  3. What Are These?
Roger Schlafly (www):
I am wondering about the symbols "Not shown because of copyrights." Are there really artists who have created original works and authorized them for headstones but not the US VA web site? And the VA went along with such a weird condition? Why?
4.23.2007 3:03pm
Crunchy Frog:
My guess is that, once they show up on the VA website, they would become easily copyable (not that anyone would necessarily want to copy them though).
4.23.2007 3:11pm
BobNSF (mail):

Are there really artists...


I just submitted a question on the VA site asking what's up with the copyright restriction.

Stay tuned.
4.23.2007 3:49pm
llamasex (mail) (www):
I could be wrong, but I think its the religion who owns the copyright not giving it out, not the artist.
4.23.2007 4:30pm
uh clem (mail):
So if any of the National Public Radio content providers dies and becomes eligible for a VA gravestone she can have a Wiccan symbol engraved on it? Cool.

What? You didn't know that NPR was programmed by Wiccans? Listen carefully to the disclaimer at the end: "This program is a production of National Public Radio. Witches soley responsible for it's content."

At least they're up front about it.
4.23.2007 4:33pm
Fub:
llamasex wrote at 4.23.2007 4:30pm:
I could be wrong, but I think its the religion who owns the copyright not giving it out, not the artist.
That makes sense, although I'm a bit surprised that the one religion I'd expect to be most touchy about copyrights isn't mentioned on the list at all. But maybe they're so touchy they don't want their name mentioned on the list at all. So I won't mention them here either.
4.23.2007 4:43pm
DG:
I know everyone was up in arms about this, but the sad thing is that this issue moved remarkably quickly considering the morass that is the VA.
4.23.2007 5:20pm
Joshua:
That makes sense, although I'm a bit surprised that the one religion I'd expect to be most touchy about copyrights isn't mentioned on the list at all. But maybe they're so touchy they don't want their name mentioned on the list at all. So I won't mention them here either.

If you're thinking of the same religion I am, maybe they could have just substituted their symbol with a picture of Tom Cruise.
4.23.2007 6:06pm
Waldensian (mail):
It would almost be worth it to die in combat for my country just to have my chosen faith, a belief in the Flying Spaghetti Monster, portrayed on my grave marker.

Okay, not really.
4.23.2007 8:34pm
markm (mail):
Waldensian: Save money on gravestone graphics and convert to the Invisible Pink Unicorn.
4.23.2007 8:53pm
Fub:
Joshua wrote at 4.23.2007 6:06pm:
If you're thinking of the same religion I am, maybe they could have just substituted their symbol with a picture of Tom Cruise.
Yes, if we're both thinking of the same religion that would be correct.
4.23.2007 8:59pm
johnd:
Why aren't there any secular offerings? If the first amendment protects the right of Wiccans to have pentacle, and if it protects the right of atheists to be buried under an atheist symbol, shouldn't the right not to make a religious statement be protected?
4.23.2007 10:51pm
Waldensian (mail):
Johnd: I don't know what the atheist symbol is, but it is fair to say that an atheist being buried under it is not making a "religious statement," at least as I understand that phrase.

markm: Heretic! Repent, or you will make Him very angry.
4.23.2007 11:34pm
Anonymous Hoosier:
johnd: "secular humanism" is on the list. In addition, being buried without a symbol - but with all the other typical inscriptions, such as years of service, branch of service, etc. - is pretty popular, based on my trips to military cemeteries. According to VA's website, the symbol is optional.
4.23.2007 11:51pm
Dave N (mail):
Actually before Tom Cruise, John Travolta was its most visible spokesman--So I suggest a picture of him doing some moves from Saturday Night Fever.

On a more serious note, at least one state veteran's cemetary--in Nevada--already authorized the use of the Wiccan symbol.
4.24.2007 12:10am
Noodly (mail):
Dang, I wanted to make the first FSM reference.
4.24.2007 8:31am
Michael B (mail):
A tangent and "fyi" (though from a social/political, legal and philosophical perspective a good deal more interesting), Scruton's Risk of Freedom quarterly, the current issue titled Freedom of Religion.
4.24.2007 1:49pm

PicoSearch
Help