🇺🇸 Patriots, we cannot stand by while monsters are honored alongside our heroes.

James Allen Selby, a convicted rapist and killer, was buried with military honors at Fort Sill National Cemetery in 2004, despite committing horrific crimes. How did this happen?

Under the law at the time, 38 U.S.C. § 2411, the VA could not automatically deny burial in a national cemetery unless the person had been convicted of a capital crime and sentenced to life without parole or death. Selby had not yet been sentenced when he died by suicide, meaning the VA’s hands were legally tied.

Today, laws have tightened to prevent sex offenders and violent criminals from receiving military honors, but those changes cannot retroactively undo past mistakes. Many veterans families are outraged to see criminals resting among true heroes, and this raises a larger question: how many other cemeteries are failing to check records rigorously?

This is why we need S.2807, 

Teresa’s Law, The RESPECT Act. 

This legislation ensures:

Anyone convicted of heinous crimes, including murder or sexual assault, is barred from national cemeteries.

Veterans cemeteries are vetted thoroughly, preventing dishonor to those who sacrificed for our country.

Families of victims, like my mother Teresa Sunder, are finally protected from injustice in our national memorials.

Patriots, we must act to defend the sanctity of our cemeteries. Heroes deserve honor. Criminals do not.

Sign the petition today: