Posted on 04/13/2010 2:30:50 PM PDT by rxsid
"Tea Party Movement Spreads To Military
The Tea Party movement has gained a foothold in the armed forces.
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.
"People in the military need to be heard," the group's prime organizer, Gary Stein -- a Marine Corps sergeant stationed at Camp Pendleton in southern California -- told TPMmuckraker in an interview. "Our opinions do count."
Many people in the military "feel like they can't speak out against Obama or Congress," said Stein. "The armed forces should have a little bit more say than we think we do," he said.
Stein said he had served in the Marine Corps for seven years, including service in Iraq. He described himself as a "strong conservative" who had found himself disillusioned with the GOP. Stein formed the new group, he said, after finding like-minded cohorts on his base, then co-ordinating with a friend who's active in a local southern California Tea Party chapter.
[snip]
In promoting the Armed Forces Tea Party Patriots, Stein has raised the possibility of disobeying presidential orders. In one recent online posting, he wrote:
My oath was to the Constitution, not to the politicians, and that oath will be kept. I won't "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...That declaration echoes one made by the Oath Keepers, a group of current and former military and law enforcement personnel who havevowed not to follow orders deemed to be unconstitutional -- including any orders to disarm Americans. Stein agreed that the two groups are kindred spirits. "I think we're very like-minded with the Oathkeepers," he said. "I strongly support the Oathkeepers."
Stein's political activism seems to have raised some concern among his superiors. Late last month, he wrote online: "Was just told by a Marine Corps Officer to watch what I say about Obama... I think not..." And later that same day: "I was just told to keep my opinons (sic) to myself about Obama, by my Officer-in-Charge (OIC)."
[snip]
This isn't the first time that anti-Obama sentiment has surfaced within the military. Several active duty service members have challenged their orders to deploy overseas, on the grounds that President Obama was not born in the U.S. and his orders are therefore illegitimate.
[snip]
Late Update (4/13/10): Stein says in a statement that his group doesn't support a military uprising, views President Obama as the legitimate commander-in-chief, and will follow all constitutional orders."
http://tpmmuckraker.talkingpointsmemo.com/2010/04/tea_party_movement_spreads_to_military.php?ref=fpb
“Is the Tea Party considered a “political group” or a movement? Who, or what, is the “leader” of the Tea Party? What...really, is the tea party? Can it be defined, precisely?”
Well, around these parts it is a lot of elderly with big hats and t-shirts LOL. They are pissed, but not what I’d call dangerous unless you insult one while too close to the cane they may be carrying to walk with!
I could be wrong and will so admit if evidence is given, but I think both of those cases are under appeal and (again) I believe the government is dragging things out to force the principals into bankruptcy.
Indeed! It’s, generally, a bunch of individuals that come together to form loosely knit groups to protest “big” government and the out of control spending from BOTH parties. IMO, it’s far fetched to considered them a “political group” (singular).
Great ping - thanks nutmeg.
Ooohrah! Semper Fi!
It would be the same as to say that ALL government employees can NOT participate in our political process!!!
excerpt:
Rather than seek a second court martial against the infantry officer, the Army will grant Watada a discharge “under other than honorable conditions.”
Army to discharge Ehren Watada next month
I'm not precisely sure on this deal but believe a service member can be disciplined for bad mouthing the CINC even if out of uniform.
Enlisted military aren’t government employees in that sense.
Thank God for good people like this.
Who pay them then???
Just make sure that those service men and women on active duty or at home are allowed to vote!!
We do.
But that doesn’t make them like DHHS employees.
Well, he does have the right to speak out politically about what is happening in the country. Obama is extreme and scarey.
At the same time, there is a tradition that people in the military don’t get politically jacked up at work. The political tension and division is not so hot for unit cohesion. These are exceptional times, however, as the commander in chief is a Marxist, totally distainful of freedom.
I am certain the Democrats in the military are not held to the same standard and spoke freely against President Bush. This politically correct activism, however, was not covered in the newspaper as a “danger” smear of the President’s political enemies.
Wow, sucks to be you.
USMC gnip
Ok, there is one problem with this reasoning! Thomas Jefferson was considered in his time to be something of a liberal. He was the only liberal in Geo. Washington’s cabinet, or at least one of a few. Geo. Washington wanted to have some conservatives and liberals in his cabinet. Now is Thomas Jefferson a traitor, according to your reasoning here?
There are a number of liberals who are still quite patriotic. Are you talking about mere liberals or leftists/socialists/communists? Could you clarify that?
Sometimes it does.
I take the good with the bad, like most everyone else. :p
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.