It would have been better if he'd cleared his speech before making it in uniform, or if he'd just worn a suit and spoken as a private citizen.
He expressed his opinion of Islam while in uniform. Said opinion of Islam is not the official position of the United States of America. That is what got him into trouble.
When you wear the uniform, you are not speaking for yourself, you're speaking for Uncle Sam. I understood that little fact of life as a Marine NCO. I am disappointed that a three-star general did not understand that.
Muslim terrorists operating for the sake and glory of Islam and Allah while wearing their uniforms in broad daylight bothers me much more than a Lt. Gen. speaking out against it.
Islam is the scourge of the earth and is a direct threat to the national security of this country.
The fact that the good general was in uniform at the time he made the statement caught your attention and rightly so.
If he had been targeting something that wasn't a direct threat to the United States and if his statement was purely a personal political view, then I could give you that.
But it wasn't. He was openly, publicly and urgently (especially by the fact that he was in uniform when it happened) alerting Americans to the very real and urgent danger that Islam is to the safety of all Americans.
His being in uniform when he warned America is all the more appropriate.
I recall Air Force generals getting canned for comments about Clinton.
Campbell was one, IIRC.
He expressed his opinion of Islam while in uniform. Said opinion of Islam is not the official position of the United States of America. That is what got him into trouble.
When you wear the uniform, you are not speaking for yourself, you're speaking for Uncle Sam.
Exactly. What would we be saying if a general got up in front of a leftist group and openly criticised the policies off the United States? We'd call him a traitor for undermining our President. And we'd be right. The fact that we tend to agree with the guy doesn't make what he did acceptible.
The President sets policy, he has said that this is not a war against Islam, and it isn't the place of a general to publicly contradict the President.
If he wanted to say it, he should have taken off the uniform. He should have issued the standard disclaimer that he wasn't speaking for his service (which is required, and which he failed to do).
That having been said, I don't think he should be drummed out. His career advancement should be delayed - I don't want anyone who thinks he knows public policy better than the President to rise any higher in the ranks.