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    Should Marine Sgt. Gary Stein have been discharged for criticizing Obama on the Internet?

    SAN DIEGO (AP) - The last day of military service has arrived for a Marine Corps sergeant discharged for criticizing President Barack Obama on Facebook.


    Sgt. Gary Stein says Thursday is his last day on the job for the Marine Corps.


    The military decided to kick out Stein for criticizing Obama on Facebook in a case that called into question the Pentagon's policies about social media and its limits on the speech of active-duty military personnel.


    Stein will get an other-than-honorable discharge and lose most of his benefits for violating the policies.


    The San Diego-area Marine has served nine years in the Corps. He has argued that he was exercising his constitutional rights to free speech.


    NOTE:  Active duty military are subject to military law, not civilian law, and military law does prohibit criticizing senior officers, including the Commander-In-Chief. 

    +2  Views: 736 Answers: 7 Posted: 12 years ago
    Russrocks

    I am a big free speech advocate for civilians, but active duty military know not to publicly criticize senior officers. (He admitted he knew the rules). In the military, respecting the chain-of-command is crucial. I can't believe they let him get away with it for as long as they did.

    7 Answers

    Big Brother is watching everything that is going on on Websites like Facebook. He schould have known. That is why I dont use facebook. I am sure many servicemen feel the same way as Gary Stein does. The military used him as an example.  .

    This is fairly tricky....The Commander & Chief was this marine's Boss...and besides that, if military came onto public sites a lot it actually sends out an international message that Our Military is weak (we don't need or want that!!!)  Everyone always has a right to their opinion- but when you join the military you are taught protical and why it is there!!  I really can not wait until this election year is over!

    Give him a "Medal and reinstate . Even promote him He has done his "Bit ."What has OBAMA done?

    Yes. The military is not a democratic institution. If you can't respect the chain of command, you have no business being there.

    The commander and chief should have stepped in with a pardon for this person and for once in his life protected a person who is protecting us all.


    ""

    Criticizing your boss has always been improper and used as a means of dismissal. He should have used some common sense before speaking. He knew the ramifications of his actions and possibly learned a lesson the hard way.

    I feel his pain but as  a US Marine he should have known to keep his opinions to himself  In a way he broke the chain of command,  and in the Corp  thats a BIG No No



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