A recent incident involving U.S. Marine Sergeant Gary Stein
has many people questioning whether or not his right to freedom of speech is
being infringed upon. As we all know, our freedom of speech lies within the 1st
amendment of the constitution, and it states that citizens of the United States
have the right to say, or not to say, anything they want. We also have the
right to say and write things for or against the government, as well as for or
against the president of this country. Individual citizens are protected under
this civil liberty. Citizens are free to express themselves, even in a negative
manor. Stein, as is every other military man or woman, is a different story
though. Although he still has the freedom of speech, the difference is, that when
Stein took the Oath of Enlistment, completed basic training, and became a US Marine,
he entered into a contract with the United States Government and became subject
to the Uniform Code of Military Justice, which are the laws that govern the United
States Armed Forces. Under this set of
laws it is illegal to create and organize political groups such as Stein’s
online facebook page, “Armed Forces Tea Party.” Members of the military are free to express
their thoughts and beliefs regarding political things, just as civilians are,
they are just are not allowed, as stated under this law, to do it while dressed
in military attire, or while using the name of the military or any reference to
the military and their connection to it. So, by defaming the President, the Commander
in Chief, trying to organize a political party, and openly disobeying direct orders
previously given by Commanding Officers, Stein broke laws of the Uniform Code
of Military Justice. At this point, the
United States Government has every right to institute the punishments per the
laws that were broken, and I feel that Stein should be punished, not for
speaking against the President, but for breaking the laws of the military which
he fully knew and understood.
