My Uncle Frank was treated at the Bill Hefner Veterans Hospital following World War II — which was extremely helpful. While complaints happen with all veterans benefits and facilities, it is a great privilege for America to continue assisting its veterans who were injured in war serving their country and throughout their lives — and to aid their families in various ways.

Since its opening in 1953, as one of 50 veterans hospitals across the U.S., the Hefner VA has aided roughly 320,000 World War II veterans, not including veterans of other wars.

In the city of Salisbury, however, things have taken a turn which shows disdain and disrespect for the men who gave so very much to defend, protect and serve, many of whom gave even the utmost sacrifice for their country —their very lives. There are two ways this has occurred.

Beginning in 2013, a lawsuit was placed against the Rowan County commissioners for the invocational prayer they had since at least 2007 before their meetings (“Memorandum on Motion and Order Signed by Judge James A. Beaty, Jr.” (May 4, 2015 cases.justic.com). The suit was brought by “three non-Christians” one of whom identified as a Jew in the court documentation. This is a sad turn of events in which the commissioners offered public comment on the matter, resulting in about 100 citizens standing up for the prayer by their words at a special meeting (myself included).

The commissioners held out through several court cases with the N.C. 4th Circuit Court of Appeals being the last court to say the prayer “should go” before sending the case on to the U.S. Supreme Court for consideration. In 2017, the Supreme Court decided not to hear the commissioners’ appeal to be allowed to continue the prayer.

While nearly 100% of citizens would probably say they believe all religions in America should be respected, including the right for non-believers to retain their own point of view, it is also true that the majority of Salisbury’s citizens as well as the commissioners truly wanted the prayer to remain in place.

The courts (and those taking up the case and their supporters, the ACLU) believe that the U.S. Constitution says there is freedom of religion … period. They do not read that the guaranteed right is freedom from religious persecution. No one practicing any religion in America can be persecuted for their religious beliefs or practices. However — that is not equal to saying that the majority religion in America cannot be publicly practiced — even by government officials as long as no money is given to any church or religious body or representative in doing so.

Prayers do not cost taxpayer dollars as they did in the Old World where the Roman Catholic Church and monarchs collected taxes to pay for churches, priests or ministers, and other church affairs. And America does not burn at the stake or otherwise kill citizens who do not obey the state church. In fact, it does not persecute them.

The way World War II veterans are abused by this is that roughly 185,000 Americans died defending Europe against Hitler, who truly persecuted and caused the death of roughly 5.7 million Jewish people across Europe (wikipedia, “World War II Casualties”). In a 1994 U.S. Army survey, 80% of soldiers stated they “believe in God,” while 85% of these believers were either Catholic or Protestant. That figure was likely even higher in the early 1940s during World War II. Don’t we, the citizens, have an obligation to respect the lives given to aid non-Christians in that war in Europe? We are slapping those World War II veterans in the face who defended Jewish people. And to think that a non-Christian would find a Christian prayer — a voluntary act before a meeting — to be “persecution” in the face of Hitler’s persecution is laughable — but not funny.

A second element of disrespect for veterans shown by Salisbury is removal of the Angel of Mercy that stood as a landmark and source of spiritual support for veterans and their families in downtown. “Fame” or “Gloria Invictus” (Glory to the Vanquished) stood as a symbol for decades of the love of heavenly forces and comfort to the wounded soldier, as depicted by the incredible statue. In fact, is it doubtful that more than 1% of the general population ever equated the statue with the Civil War in any way, but saw it as really a tribute to veterans, to their memory in loss, and to their comfort in suffering and healing at the Hefner Veterans Hospital.

This is another tragic way our veterans have been disparaged by recent ACLU and thoughtless, selfish citizens with only their personal agendas.

Lisa C. Rudisill attended Hood AME Zion Seminary for a year and graduated from Liberty University.