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Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region ForumsJudge refuses to block anti-Obama Marine from discipline
Source: Reuters
Judge refuses to block anti-Obama Marine from discipline
By Marty Graham
SAN DIEGO | Wed Apr 4, 2012 10:50pm EDT
(Reuters) - A federal judge refused on Wednesday to block disciplinary action against a Marine who criticized President Barack Obama on Facebook and called him a "domestic enemy" in a posting to an internal military network.
Marine Sergeant Gary Stein, 26, a meteorologist stationed at Camp Pendleton near San Diego, filed suit on Tuesday, saying the Marine Corps was violating his right to free speech. A Southern California congressman has rallied to his defense.
The Marines have said they initiated discharge proceedings against Stein after he posted political statements about Obama on a Facebook page he runs called the "Armed Forces Tea Party."
Military experts have said that by associating the name of his Facebook page with the Armed Forces, Stein was essentially putting himself in the position of publicly expressing his personal political opinions while in uniform, which Defense Department rules prohibit.
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By Marty Graham
SAN DIEGO | Wed Apr 4, 2012 10:50pm EDT
(Reuters) - A federal judge refused on Wednesday to block disciplinary action against a Marine who criticized President Barack Obama on Facebook and called him a "domestic enemy" in a posting to an internal military network.
Marine Sergeant Gary Stein, 26, a meteorologist stationed at Camp Pendleton near San Diego, filed suit on Tuesday, saying the Marine Corps was violating his right to free speech. A Southern California congressman has rallied to his defense.
The Marines have said they initiated discharge proceedings against Stein after he posted political statements about Obama on a Facebook page he runs called the "Armed Forces Tea Party."
Military experts have said that by associating the name of his Facebook page with the Armed Forces, Stein was essentially putting himself in the position of publicly expressing his personal political opinions while in uniform, which Defense Department rules prohibit.
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Read more: http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/04/05/us-usa-marines-facebook-idUSBRE83403M20120405
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Judge refuses to block anti-Obama Marine from discipline (Original Post)
Eugene
Apr 2012
OP
Kick him out. Period. I don't care if the man is a republican or a democrat, you must have order
southernyankeebelle
Apr 2012
#1
Once you taketh the Oath, there goeth you free speech. How did he get to be an E-5, anyway?
demosincebirth
Apr 2012
#6
When I was serving, we used to say that it was only our job to PROTECT free speech...
MrScorpio
Apr 2012
#7
southernyankeebelle
(11,304 posts)1. Kick him out. Period. I don't care if the man is a republican or a democrat, you must have order
in the military. Rules are rules.
JHB
(37,160 posts)2. I'm sure he'll be eligible for some Wingnut Welfare...
...in a new career as a professional crybaby.
JNelson6563
(28,151 posts)3. A show on Faux News
He seems to be a high enough caliber of an asshole.
Julie
frylock
(34,825 posts)4. this idiot is too cowardly to even own his BS comments..
not the kind of person i would want to be in the trenches with.
nadinbrzezinski
(154,021 posts)5. Good, this belongs in the military
demosincebirth
(12,536 posts)6. Once you taketh the Oath, there goeth you free speech. How did he get to be an E-5, anyway?
MrScorpio
(73,631 posts)7. When I was serving, we used to say that it was only our job to PROTECT free speech...
Not to PRACTICE it.
He should have learned that lesson along the way.
Uncle Joe
(58,360 posts)8. Good, he should be kicked out and that
former Marine Republican Congressman; should know better as well, he must have forgoten how the UCMJ works.
Thanks for the thread, Eugene.
Major Hogwash
(17,656 posts)9. He'll probably run for office later on.
Claiming he saved Amerikah from the tayorrists, and tried to warn us that the President was a tayorrist, too.