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Gregory Bull / AP
The Marines say Staff Sgt. Gary Stein will be discharged for criticizing President Barack Obama on Facebook. He has since apologized to the president.
Sgt. Gary Stein, the 26-year-old Marine who learned Wednesday he would be discharged for his online comments criticizing President Barack Obama, wishes he could take it back.
“People ask me, ‘Would you go back and change those words?’ I would most definitely,” Stein told msnbc.com. “I would articulate my point better.”
On March 1, Stein wrote on a closed forum for active-duty meteorologists and oceanographers that he would say "Screw Obama" and not follow all orders from him, according to Courthouse News.
“Obama is the economic enemy,” he wrote in the post. “He is the religious enemy ... He is the ‘fundamentally change’ America enemy … He IS the Domestic Enemy.”
Marine who criticized President Obama on Facebook to be discharged
Five minutes later, another Marine took down his post, but not before someone Stein knew took a screen shot and forwarded the comment to Stein’s superiors.
Stein had already been warned about a Facebook page he had started in 2010, which he named Armed Forces Tea Party.
“They said, ‘All we ask is that you write that the views are not that of the Marine Corps or the Department of Defense,’” Stein said. He said he put up the disclaimer that day.
The Facebook page, which had six moderators, including Stein, included posts about contraception, gays in the military, pundit Keith Olbermann and Obama. One post included a photo of Obama with the word, “Jackass” written underneath. Stein said that was not his post.
Service members are, according to Directive 1344 of the Department of Defense, allowed to express personal opinions on political candidates, but not as representatives of the Armed Forces.
Last month, a three-member military panel recommended that he be booted from the Marine Corps. On Wednesday, Brig. Gen. Daniel Yoo accepted their recommendation that Stein be dismissed for violating military law.
Stein said he repeatedly told Marine Corps officials he would shut down the Facebook page and not speak with the press if they allowed him to complete his contract, which ends in three months, but they refused.
“I think they’re trying to use me as an example,” Stein said. “Senior officers don’t want to hear, ‘You were the person who let this Gary Stein situation get out of hand. I think there might have been peer pressure among the senior enlisted.”
Maj. Michael Armistead, a Marine Corps spokesman at Camp Pendleton, could not confirm whether this negotiation took place.
Stein, an Arizona native, has been a Marine for nine years and was deployed to Iraq from 2005 to 2006. Although he regrets his post, he still believes his online activity should be protected by the First Amendment of the Constitution. Still, he said he would caution other service members to think before posting their opinions.
“I’m not telling them to zip it up or shut up; be conscious of what you post,” he said. He said he believes the Marine Corps should clearly rewrite the rules for social media in the wake of his dismissal.
In a phone interview Wednesday, Stein sounded tired. A former weather forecaster, he lost his security clearance and started working as a scheduler on a rifle range at Camp Pendleton. He said his wife’s grandmother died Tuesday night and he was diagnosed Monday with a throat disease. He said the Marine Corps is waiting to discharge him so that he can go through treatment.
“It’s been a rough day,” Stein said. “I’m disappointed. Not only in the Marine Corps, but in myself.”
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He said he plans to go through treatment and tend to his wife and 4-year-old daughter. He has been a licensed real estate agent for two years; last night he posted a house for sale on his personal Facebook page.
He also wrote on Facebook that he would not accept racist or vulgar posts.
“I will ban you and you will never be on the page again,” he said.
And he said he has also apologized to the president.
“If he was in front of me right now, I would salute him, say, ‘Yes, Mr. President, No, Mr. President,’ and when I walked away, I would still disagree with his policies. But those are two separate things.”
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So funny how so many say "Where is our Freedom of Speech?"
He still has his freedom of speech. No one said he can't speak - but he lost his position in the military. No one has stopped his speech. That's what so many of you just don't understand. He took an oath as a Marine - he was warned - he didn't heed the warning - and now he faces the consequences - he is booted out with a dishonorable discharge - no benefits.
But, no one said he cannot speak. So, yes, he still has freedom of speech.
Shame damn shame.
Why sure. Moron.
I somehow doubt you are an Americanvet, I will give you points on injecting racial baiting in this forum, thats 2 troll points out of a possible 10
Nigga PLEASE!
And if you would have had a brain you wouldn't have written that....
F*ck this loser. That is insubordination, and conduct unbecoming. We don't need morons like him in the US military. Good riddance.
You may despise the man, brother, but, you salute the bars no matter how hard it may be. It's something we call honor. Maybe they don't teach that in the Corp anymore - salutin' the bars that is.
Purpose,
That was what this is all about... Saluting the bars is still in order.
.....and based on his last paragraph, I say "Good Man". I personally would not call for his dismissal, but discipline was called for. It is the military and they have rules for everything. Just like I can't complain about why they would have discriminated against me being gay, just a few years ago (because they were allowed to discriminate)......Mr. Stein couldn't complain about what he said, because UCMJ says a lot, but specifically says that one must take all orders from their commanding officer (including the Commander-in-Chief).....regardless of whether they support the decision or not. And the second is about criticism and other behaviors not becoming of someone in the military. When you are in uniform, using military resources, or performing military duties.......you are representing the military and U.S.A. (government). One can have an opinion, and express it, just not while wearing the uniform, performing military duties or using military resources......because that would be a conflict of interest.
But like I said, Mr. Stein regrets what he said and has apologized. I respect a man who does this and wish him well. I don't agree with his views, but I don't have to.....just support his right to hold those views and beliefs.
He is the kind of guy that could become a lone wolf in combat and disobey orders. He got what he deserved.
so much for freedom of speech..I guess its dead . this country is dying fast "and this proves it"
I agree Tom. There is NO Freedom of speech anymore IF you disagree with someone bigger and stronger. How is this any different than any other two bit tim horn dictatorship?
I truly feel sorry for this young man, however discharge quickly became an inevitability.
Young people, those under 30 apparently, just don't realize that the web is not their friend; and they don't get givesies or mulligans.
However, he knew he was violating the Code of Conduct in his post. I only wish that his "acquaintance" in the Corps had given him the time to reconsider, which the sergeant did, but too late. But that post was too similar to that curse of "A Man With No Country". But at least he got to come home, and hopefully forgiven.
The Marine spoke the truth, good for him. Does anybody really watch MSNBC........ just wondering
Nobody wants to hear the truth. It is far too threatening to the status quo.
God is tired of the foolishness...This made his own bed hard..may he rest well
I wish one or more soldiers would have said " screw Adolf, and do not follow all orders from him"
Wow. How much suffering would THAT have prevented... Amazing.
False fallacy breeds ignorance et al.........
I am amazed by the overwhelming lack of support for this Marine. Yes he may have been warned but freedom of speech is the beauty of this country. We have continued to see in our news people fired over things they may have posted or people fired for what they said on tv or fired for what they supposedly said. Eventually the haters will also not have the freedom of speech to hate (or agree with the gov't, media, etc.) then they will be the first to complain. I work with the military on a daily basis and I cannot name one member who supports this president. Left or right I don't care but I find it totally hypoctitical of people calling this unpatriotic or 'not by the book' when the very same people likely had no problem calling Bush out for fighting 'the wrong war' or fighting any war in general. Lest not forget we saw many protests against drones in Afghanistan which was supposedly 'the right war' according to Iraq non-supporters. This soldier was warned due to politically correct pressures and not due to laws. Period.
Yog-Sothoth is correct. While our millitary men and women risk their lives to defend our freedoms, they do not enjoy many of those same freedoms as a result of their commitment to our government. Ironic but necessary. For better or worse, for government to function it has to have the support of the people. Especially those sworn to serve. There is a time and place to disagree and express opinions. That time is not as an enlisted member of the U.S. military. You follow orders. Period. I, as a civilian, have the right to question everything our entire government does. This soldier does not. We live in a republic, not a democracy. I think enough of an example has been made of this situation and do not want to see this man discharged for what he has admitted was a mistake. It's not like he sold military secrets to al-qaeda. Let it go. I'm very pleased to see someone is enough of an H.P. Lovecraft fan to use a screen name like Yog-Sothoth!!! For those unfamiliar, I recommend reading.
How can anyone have so much hate in thm. I have been to a couple of republican primary candidates forums(Gingrich and Santorum). I saw a former military guy who was hyping up the crowd and he sounded like Stewin. It is one thing to be against certain policies --it is another to accuse someone of being an enemy to religion--an enemy to the economy-an enemy to justabout everything. If that is true why do you see Obama in front of cheering overflow crowds of adults and young adults wherever he goes. Spewing hate is just so vile and contempuous. At least Romney seems civil in his quest for presidency. Others like Gingrich, santorum and the hate cheerleader herself Palin should go crawl under a rock and hibernate for a few hundred years.
This marine totally messed up not only his career but embarrassed the Marines as a total force. Because of his stupid comment on a facebook the leaders from other countries and their soldiers are laughing at the U.S. When you sign up it's to defend our country and that never gives any soldier the right to publicize his disrespect for the commander in chief (Obama, Bush nor any other Pres.) or to even say that your not going to listen, or salute or not follow any of his orders. On a ship it's called mutiny and they make you walk the plank so he got what he deserved. On the otherhand I do not wish him or his family any physical ill and hope that he can still have a decent life after this fiasco.
During my 24 years of Military service I served under four different Presidents. I can honestly say I absolutely disliked two of them. However, I never publicly disrespected any of my Commanders In Chief. I’m glad this Marine will no longer be in uniform.
The good news is he can now go back to arizona and support his governor…
It's a hard lesson to learn either way. I've never been in the military but both my Uncle"s served in WWII. My Uncle Tommy died in a B-17 over Norway at the age of 23 as a Navagator. And my other Uncle Survived the war. He always told me. Son when you sign on the dotted line you belong to the United States Government period. My Son is also a Marine and says he is our Commander and Chief bottom line. And he is right now following orders overseas and is proud and willing to die for our freedom no matter who is voted in office.
Think and them speak, I'm sorry think and keep it to yourself
What good does that do? Anyone can do that. Nobody that ever accomplished anything thought and then "kept it to themselves". That is a formula for conformity and repression.
A soldier does not have to follow all directives of his commander. Remember the Nuremberg trials after the fall of Nazi Germany? Many of the defendants took the position that they were JUST SOLDIERS, FOLLOWING HITLERS ORDERS. If we all did what Obanger wants, we would send him all that we have so he could re-distribute to his big city ghetto organizer friends after keeping what he feels is rightfully his.
first of all were not talking germany were talking american soldiers...LOL And the only orders you dont have to follow in the US military are the illegal ones.
freedom of speech he has right to voice what ever he wants to he told the truth our president sucks wtg bud
Hey witchrunner guess what All of us TAX PAYERS ARE obama's and every other political persons BOSS!!!!!
I have empathy for Stein's position. I was a Sergeant of Marines with 10 years active duty behind me when George Bush Jr. took office. To say that I was frustrated by that administration's reinterpretation of intelligence to manipulate public opinion on Iraq is an understatement. It felt like that administration didn't care about the human cost of that decision, which was never supported by the complete compilation of intel on the matter. I cared only about the lives of U.S. servicemen who would be lost at that time, and could not understand why it was necessary to put boots on the ground to remove Saddam given that we had effectively contained his military for years to that point and would continue to do so as long as we felt it necessary.
The difference is that Stein's position is a fabrication, like the Bush administration's justification for war with Iraq was. Stein is a victim of the culture of corruption that was created by Carl Rove and other political strategists on the right who have foresaken honesty for political expedience. Essentially, they know that people like Stein exist who can be manipulated by the power of their collective voices. These are people who respond well to tough talk, regardless of whether that talk has any basis in reality or not.
Stein, I'm sorry, but I see you more as a weak link in our defense than as a man standing for his ideals. Like the Bush administration before you, you chose to act rashly and let your emotions dictate your response. What we need in our military and in our civilian leadership are individuals who are capable of making calculated decisions under distress. I've been making this point for years and it sometimes falls on deaf ears, but more and more people understand that there is true weakness in those leaders who allow their fears to string them along like the Bush administration and most of the Republican party does today.
If wishes were horses...
Honour is within.
What did the Sgt pledge?
... one Republic for which it stands...
Weather you agree or disagree with Sgt. Stein, it is a moot point It doesn't matter who is President, these Rules have been in effect before President Obama was born and they will be in effect for as long as we have a Military. The U.S. Marine Corps fired this guy because he broke his Oath, he broke his Word. President Obama did not fire this guy, the U.S. Marine Corps did... If there is any lesson to be learned here, it is be very careful what you write down anywhere, especially the Internet and Facebook because it can and will come back to Bite you in the A$$. It is a Permanant Record that will follow you for life and so will the actions Sgt. Stein took! This will follow Sgt. Stein for Life and Nine years of his Life just went to waste! Some Food for Thought...