Leftists will do anything to stop Christian conscience, even harm Veterans. Judge Vance Day, a friend of many Veterans, is under attack because of his religious beliefs. Vance Day, former chairman of the Oregon Republican Party, is a sitting Circuit Court Judge in his home state.
Vance and I first met in 2009, where he was a guest speaker at Regent University. His calm, caring demeanor as well as his intellectual and spiritual depth were plainly evident. Vance shared, at the end of his talk, how he was a Christian and that one of the more well-known members of the famous Band of Brothers had accepted Christ as his personal Lord and Savior in Vance’s kitchen a few years previous. After Vance’s talk, we spoke and agreed to stay in touch.
A few months later Vance and Band of Brothers member Don Malarkey were speaking near Lynchburg, VA. We were able to set up a talk for Malarkey to speak to the history department at Liberty University. Though it was the summer session, Malarkey’s talk was well attended. They later came to my house and Malarkey held a German rifle that my uncle brought back from World War II. Malarkey said, “Yep, this weighs about right” and smiled. We wrapped up the visit by going to Appomattox Court House and watching the Celebrate America Fourth of July fireworks at Liberty University. Malarkey had lost his spouse recently and my wife sat next to him on the bench so that he would not feel alone.
Despite not being a Veteran, Vance impressed me with his military knowledge. He was not a mere interested observer or a hanger on. This was someone who was obviously dedicated to Veterans. Malarkey and Band of Brothers member Buck Compton both mention Vance prominently in their books.
After returning home to Oregon, despite his Republican affiliation, Vance was appointed to the bench by a democratic governor.
It was no surprise that Vance has become one of the judicial pioneers in Veteran’s Treatment Courts; courts that are designed to offer an alternate sentencing venue for Veterans who have potential for the hard work necessary to receive grace. Vance loved his job in the Circuit Court and sitting as a judge for the Veteran’s Treatment Courts. We later met again in Washington, D.C. at a Veteran’s Treatment Court conference and Vance’s passion for the idea was apparent. Walls of his court area were decorated with Veteran memorabilia from World War II and he used an unconventional, caring, and legal, approach to helping Veterans such as having them read books from fellow Veterans about overcoming obstacles. I urged him often to write his own book regarding his friendship with the members of the Band of Brothers but Vance told me he was too busy helping Veterans. I admired him for that.
All was well in Judge Day’s world until recently.
One of Judge Day’s optional duties is to perform marriage ceremonies. He is not required by law to do so. When a federal judge ordered his state to allow same sex marriage, Judge Day quietly recused himself from perform the ceremonies because of his firmly held religious beliefs. However, in keeping with his humble spirit, he was glad to refer the gay couples to judges who would perform such ceremonies. Vance also stopped performing the optional marriage ceremonies for all couples. However, this was not enough to stop leftist intolerance.
Judge Day is now facing a judicial commission investigation for his recent refusal to perform same sex marriage. The leftists against Judge Day were not even brave enough to name this as their number one complaint and instead buried it amongst a host of other frivolous allegations against him.
For example, they allude to Judge Day was possibly a Nazi sympathizer by having a picture of Adolf Hitler hung in the courtroom. This charge is ridiculous on many levels. Just as Malarkey held a German rifle in my house and smiled, Judge Day has scores of military memorabilia in his court room in collages. One of the collages featured U.S. Army Airborne Patches and photographs placed on top of a captured, war trophy, portrait of Hitler. This collage is amongst the many other military orientated collages in the court area.
It is obvious to anyone with common sense that Judge Day was merely honoring our nation’s Veterans. Those who served in uniform will not be offended by a genuine historical military display from a conflict in which there is little moral ambiguity even today. If anything, it makes people feel better about their service.
If leftists have a problem with that, perhaps they should go to the headquarters of U.S. units were real Nazi memorabilia is displayed as war trophies that we won in victory. Well, that will probably come at some point.
Because of this leftist complaint, Judge Day removed himself from the Veteran’s Treatment Court.
This is what the leftists are doing. They take a good man who has dedicated himself to helping Veterans and shut him out of his profession because he refused to perform an optional ceremony and instead offered to help get another judge to do it.
Leftist hatred knows no bounds. The amazing thing is that Vance is a registered Republican who has actively worked with people from the other side such as seen by his appointment by a democratic governor or in the Veterans Treatment Court movement. In his talk at Regent University, Vance argued for the need to work with the left by building common ground wherever possible.
Still, none of that was enough for the leftist thought police. They want him off the court and if Veterans suffer, so be it.
Vance has had his day in court, and recently testified as to the asinine nature of these complaints against him. He denied any wrongdoing. Judge Day’s fate on the bench is now in the hands of others.
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