It’s time once again for The Future American’s FAIL OF THE WEEK! Every Saturday, I name a person or group who has spent the past seven days behaving in a particularly idiotic way. Since it’s my belief that idiocy knows no politics, nobody is safe.
This week’s fail was brought to you by Sgt. Gary Stein. For those who don’t know his name, but have heard some permutation of the phrase “anti-Obama Marine” lately, that’s him. On Wednesday, a judge refused to block the Marine Corps from dismissing him over referring to President Obama as “the economic enemy, the religious enemy, the domestic enemy” on Facebook. He claims the dismissal violates his right to free speech, although Defense Department rules have consistently prohibited military personnel from expressing their political opinions in public. Having already been “scrutinized” for this sort of activity, he should have known.
On that note, I have to wonder how smart this guy is when it comes to making a point effectively. His first brush with these rules came when NATO and U.S. personnel faced punishment for improperly burning copies of the Koran. At the time he said something to the effect of “I say screw Obama. I will not follow orders given by him to me.” He later said he meant “unlawful” orders. That’s probably how a lot of soldiers feel, dingus.
The possible decision to discharge him is not partisan. If Sen. John McCain (R-AZ) were president and Stein had made the exact same comments about him, he would have faced the exact same punishment. There is a very good reason for rules like this: When you wear the uniform of the United States, the president, no matter their persona or politics, is your commander-in-chief. To treat him or her as anything less is utterly lacking in both respect for authority and respect for military cohesion. I could forgive him for speaking out if Obama was giving orders that violated laws, and even then I would expect him to be willing to face the appropriate discipline.
Unsurprisingly, one of the few lawmakers rallying to Stein’s side is Rep. Duncan Hunter (R-CA), whose district encompasses Camp Pendleton, where Stein has been stationed as a meteorologist. (“I will not describe clouds for Obama!”) This may be the first time Hunter and the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) are on the same page about anything; both are making the free speech argument. I’m sorry, but when you enlist in the military, you should expect to sacrifice much of that right when acting as a servicemember. The rules are clearly visible.
If Stein’s money was where his mouth is, he would either accept the discharge to get away from this evil, evil president or have requested one already. That he hasn’t makes me wonder about his stability.
