NEWS: Iraqi Vet Discharged for Protesting War

I should hope this is actually a parody of Rush Limbaugh's incoherent counter-factual ravings.

the first thing i remember after getting out after 8 years was being told i couldnt wear my uniforms anymore.....duh...he wore his uniform to protest and got busted for it...

Just a note FDR was one of the most "liberal" presidents we have ever had. There were no Neo-cons back then. The Conservative Republicans back then didn't want anything to do with the war.

If he was still in the IRR he hadn't been Honorably Discharged yet. Small bit of detail there. Since he hadn't been discharged, and was in the Inactive Ready Reserve, he was still in the military and subject 24/7 to UCMJ.

If he didn't wear his uniform, he'd have been fine.

I don't see why this is a big deal. Rule (with punishment for breaking rule) exists. Rule was broken. Punishment enacted.

Seems pretty clear to me.

Wrong. When a service member reaches their ETS date and receives a discharge, the classification is written on their DD214 upon exit from active-duty, not IRR. His said Honorable. He was then, by all rights, a civilian. We are not subject to the UCMJ while in the IRR unless re-activated back to duty. That was the ruling in this case, and the Marine Corps was unable to punish him by downgrading his classification to "Other Than Honorable"

Assuming you actually mean this,

Try reading the article.

Fuck Him !!! There are more people in this world who have gone to war and have so many issues with losing their friends and being subjected to seeing such horrific images, and no one really will ever know. I have been to Iraq and I will never blame any of my problems on anyone. I volunteered for this job and I am damn proud of who I am. I have to live with these decisions. And I will live in quiet dissolution. Yes call me brainwashed call me a "Jarhead" or a conformist. But I dared to stand out in a world where it is easier to go with the grain than against it. Support or not I will never turn my back on my brothers and sisters who I have shed blood, sweat and tears with.

This is the way I look at it. If it was my time to go I would be dead. But in life death is only the beginning. Many people are dead even before they die. I am not afraid of death. How can you be afraid of something you know is coming. Death is imminent. Life is truly scary. And I have to live like this.

This is so sad, no it is disgusting, many people in the military disagree with the war but it is our stead fast dedication to our duty as soldiers that make us the best army on the planet. This man is not a hero, he is a fucking coward. Switch this to a situation where the U.S. was being invaded and then let us cheer for this pathetic fuck. He signed on the dotted line like I did and gave his pledge, he is the worst sort of man. In your military contract you sign away certain right's he broke the contract so fuck that fucking pansy.

So you're both making an argument against free speech?

Why would he protest or fight his discharge orders, he didnt want to go back to the war and if your in the armed forces today, there is a good chance that your going to be sent to one ..stop bitching you got out.

You're missing the point. He was originally discharged with a Honorable Discharge, which means he is afforded his veterans benefits like a house loan, money for college and health care benefits. Then he went out in public (as a civilian) and dissented while wearing his old military uniforms. Made the administration look bad and the republican party loyalists in the Marines looked for any way to punish him and stifle dissent. They attempted to change his discharge to a "dishonorable" so they could take away his veterans benefits.

Actually, scratch that. What would you think if he showed up at a (still a civilian, still in uniform) pro-war rally?

Actually he was not a civilian. If they called him back to give him a dishonorable or a general under other than honorable conditions that means he was still under contract. If you get out after 4 years active duty you still have 4 more years of inactive duty to be completed and during that time you are eligible to be called back at anytime. So he violated his own service agreement.

And about your "Pro-War Rally" statement. No one wants to go to war. It is not natural to feel this way. But by signing on that dotted line you have forfeited all rights as a civilian, yet you are sworn to uphold them. Do you have any idea what it is like to protect something as sacred as the Bill of Rights and the Constitution and not be able to practice all that you feel is your right. I do and even though do not get enjoy all of my civil liberties, I am still proud of what I do. It is a priviledge to do what I do.

At best, he was a civilian not subject to the UCMJ, and at worst it seems to be a legal gray area. I don't think a legal precedent has ever been set in this arena. The best information I could find is this (yes, I did a little research as opposed to your talking out of your ass):

I'm not calling every right-winger pro-war, but that's still quite a naive statement. Hell, just look at lawber. Also, have you ever seen any of those pro-war counter-protests to the anti-war protests?