Marine Sgt. Gary Stein has a Facebook page called: “Armed Forces Tea Party Patriots” which he insists will assist the expansion of free speech for members of the armed forces. He initially said as a Marine he would not follow orders from President Obama and then shifted grounds to say he would not follow “unlawful orders.” According to Pentagon directives, military personnel in uniform can’t sponsor a political club, participate in TV programs that include advocating for a political party or speaking at political events while dressed in a uniform. Sgt. Stein was told by superiors that he couldn’t use military computers to engage in his political action ideas.
According to Stein, “just because I’m a Marine doesn’t mean I don’t have free speech or can’t say my personal opinion about the president or othe public official just liek anybody else.” We suspect Sgt. Stein lacks a grasp as to the reason for restrictions on the part of members of the military to become involved in political affairs. The USA is among the few nations in the world which has never witnessed an attempt by the military to take over the government. Sorry, if you join the armed forces and are in uniform, then you do NOT have the right to say whatever is on your mind.
