Military Tea Party
What could possibly go wrong with this?
A new Tea Party group, Armed Forces Tea Party Patriots, has grown quickly since being launched last month by an active duty Marine Corps sergeant. The group, which vows to “stand up on the very soil we defended to preserve common sense conservatism and defend our Constitution that is threatened by a tyrannical government,” currently has over 400 members, who have signed up through its Facebook page, though many are not active duty military. And it has close ties to the broader Tea Party movement.
One of the things I’ve always admired about the Military was their ability to serve in a generally un-partisan fashion. I’ve known liberal and conservative Military men and women, and when it came to politics duty always came first. Pretty impressive. Until now…
My oath was to the Constitution, not to the politicians, and that oath will be kept. I wont’ “Just follow” orders. There is at this time a debate within the ranks of the military regarding their oath. Some mistakenly believe they must follow any order the President issues. But many others do understand that their loyalty is to the Constitution and to the people…
Scary stuff. Not because I completely disagree with the statement, but because this Military Tea Party is using these words politically. This group isn’t concerned about the Constitution – or else they would have come into being during the Bush Administration. This group is just more Republicans having a temper tantrum over losing an election.
To me, another impressive trait among soldiers is their unity. They stick together, which is vital in combat. So how does this Military Tea Party add to the camaraderie? In my opinion, it doesn’t. It takes a fundamentally cohesive group and divides it. And I have to wonder how much an Obama-voting soldier can count on a Tea Party soldier in a foxhole?
Actually, the oath we all took when we entered the military was to not only defend the Constitution but to “follow the orders of the President of the United States and the orders of the officers appointed over me…..” Here’s a link to the oath – http://usmilitary.about.com/od/joiningthemilitary/a/oathofenlist.htm.
What this Marine is doing is sedition and treason, punishable by death by hanging if found guilty at a court martial. He is in violation of Articles 88 (contempt toward officials), 90 (if he refuses to obey orders), and 94 (munity or sedition).
Maybe someone needs to turn this guy in. He is a disgrace to his uniform and a disgrace to all of us who have served our country in the Armed Forces.
Time for a draft. The volunteer army has resulted in a creation of a military class that now forms a separate sub-culture in America with its own norms and its own reality. What are we, Sparta? A draft would re-integrate American values and decency into its military.
It looks like they’re trying to cover their asses
Disgrace? Far from it. Military personel have always been free to associate politically from the beginning and elisted personel can do anything they want not banned under the Hatch act. They can be involved in political meetings, but they can not undertake certain partisan activities while in uniform. You do not give up your rights because you are part of the armed forces.
We all know that you can not follow blantantly unconstitutional or illegal orders. We are loyal to the law and the constitution first not to a man. You have to follow any legal orders or orders that may be legal in a practical sense, regardless of your personal agreement. If you disagree, then you can take that up in the political process. That is your right.
MJ once again shows his totalitarian bent.
David, as usual, you’re talking out of your ass. The Hatch Act only covers CIVILIAN Federal employees, not the military. Active duty members of the Armed Forces are subject to the Uniform Code of Military Justice and the respective REGULATIONS for the Armed Service in which the person serves.
I was an E-5 (Sergeant) 71-D – Legal Specialist in the Army. I am quite familiar with both the UCMJ (I was responsible for many judicial and non-judical procedings at the base I was assigned to) and Army regulations. Basically, when you take the oath to defend the Constitution and to obey the orders of the POTUS and the officers above you, you check your rights at the gate to question whether the President is a citizen (see The Oathtakers) or whether you’re going to follow his orders. This Marine has violated the UCMJ. He deserves to spend a number of years in Leavenworth.
David, once again you show Delaware and the blogosphere that you don’t know what the fuck you’re talking about. As I’ve said before, go back to reading your Bible or whatever you do to pass the time of day and let the adults have an intelligent discussion over here.
No disrepsect, David, but are you a veteran or current solider or sailor?
According to Delusional David’s website when he ran for Dover City Council, he was a member of the Army National Guard (a weekend warrior). Don’t know how long he was in the ANG (or whether he actually was in the ANG), but I’ll bet that I saw more active duty time in my first year of enlistment than he did in his entire ANG career.
Not in a post 9/11 world.
What the hell does pre- or post 9/11 have to do with military service? The oath that military personnel swear today is the same one I took in 1982 and is very, very similar to the oath my grandfather took in 1917 and the one my father took in 1941. The current oath has been in use since 1962.
So explain your comment, Delusional, if you can. Are you stating that in the post- 9/11 military, service members can pick and choose which part of their oath they’re going to follow?
It has to do with your assertion, it is no longer one week end a month and two weeks a year.
The laws matter more than the oath, but the oath is to the Constitution and is based on lawful orders. I will always give the benefit of the doubt to those following orders unless it is so over the top that it is clear. Shoot POW’s for no reason but convienence is one example. Violate the Posse Comitatus and round up American dissenters would be another example. Shoot border crossers on sight. I don’t expect any of those type of examples to happen, but if they did, I am sure that you would agree that the oath to the Constitution and laws would mean that you do not follow them.
Don’t make it something mysterious. No one is talking about undermining the government or not following lawful orders. That happened with a few soldiers under Bush inspired by you guys. It is not happening much now. You are two years off in your fake outrage.
David, again, you show your ignorance. What were you doing during basic training when they were teaching the recruits about military history? Asleep, as you are when you write some of your batshit crazy poss.
The Military Oath of Enlistment is codified in Title 10 of the United States Code. It is an oath not only to defend the country, but to obey ALL orders given by a superior. You cannot pick or choose which ones you want to follow. The soon to be incarcerated Marine has openly advocated against following the orders of POTUS. He has no defense and neither do you.
If a superior told me to shoot a POW, I would have used my chain of command and reported that superior. This Marine, and therefore you as well, are advocating an all-out refusal to obey lawful orders. That is sedition and mutiny and that is punishable under the UCMJ. And if you are still in the ANG and you are defending what this Marine is advocating, you are also guilty of sedition and mutiny.
Are you telling all of us that 100% of ANG and Reserve members are on active duty? If you are, then you are even stupider than I imagined. The vast majority of ANG and Reserve members are “weekend warriors” – one weekend a month and 2 weeks active duty during the year. So, Mr. Super Soldier, how much active duty have you served? Don’t gloss over the question – just answer it! And don’t go all Jack Nicholson on us – we can handle the truth.
I won’t get into nonsense with you, but the soldier can not spend prison time for being part of a poltical group. It is right in the law that you have the right to do so. For you to say that makes me suspect that you are being less than truthful about your background. If you are a member of an extremist group which advocates violence, race wars. or overthrow of the government you can be expelled not imprisoned. The tea party is as mainstream as the Republicans or Democrats. Having a nonpartisan issue group is about as bland as you can get. As long as he does not use his position to push people into it.
Thanks to the purgers and intolerant left, he needs to watch his every move. Our being in a free country is no longer a given. We are on borrowed time. People like MJ would love to imprison the opposition. That is how disgusting it has become. I guess that is why SP thinks Mr. Obama is a moderate. He isn’t willing to shoot and round up Republicans.
Again, you cannot answer a simple question about your own military service. Why, because have fraudulently claimed you were in the ANG. The Marine has openly advocated and encouraged his fellow service members to ignore orders of the Commander in Chief. It has nothing to do with whether he’s a teabagging idiot on the down-low like you. He is advocating sedition and mutiny. Let a court martial decide whether he is guilty or not. And I’ll post by DD-214 anytime, wise ass. Will you do the same? Can you do the same?
Is this republican David guy for real? His posts make absolutely no sense. Just crazy paranoid ramblings.
Not just for real. He imagines himself a viable candidate for public service.
Here’s how clueless Rethuglican David is – he called up Comcast on Sunday morning and tried ordering the Sarah Palin Network.
MJ is right,of course,and typically,Republican David is doing his Jim Carrey impression. Military members,as a general rule,at the junior level, don’t spend much time discussing politics.Their priorities are what all young adults priorities are.
I will say this.If I had served with Republican David,it wouldn’t have surprised me to have seen him fragged if he was an officer.