Maricopa County Attorney Bill Montgomery calls veteran 'enemy' during marijuana debate

ABC15 Arizona ^ | 3/31/2015 | Sara Goldenberg

[Conscience of a Conservative]

The Maricopa County attorney is coming under fire for calling a veteran an "enemy" during a debate-- and he's not backing down from his words.

This all unfolded at a debate over legalizing marijuana last week hosted by the Tempe Republican Women.

Bill Montgomery told a veteran he had no respect for him after the vet asked for a meeting to discuss how medical marijuana has improved his life.

"With all due respect sir, your name calling, 'potheads' offends me,” said Don Ream during a Q & A portion of the debate.

Ream is a Vietnam veteran. He's been a medical marijuana patient for several years, and he told Montgomery he'd like to "educate him" on recreational use.

Montgomery argued against legalizing the drug in Arizona. It’s an issue that could come up on the November ballot in 2016.

When Ream admitted to smoking recreationally, Montgomery responded:

"I have no respect for you, for someone that tried to claim you served this country and took an oath to uphold the constitution and defend against all enemies foreign and domestic because you're an enemy,” he said.

The crowd booed back to him.

After the debate, Montgomery released this statement:

"Is [ream] an enemy like ISIS or Al Qaeda? Of course not. But if he or any other vet is going to use their status as a veteran to encourage people to break the law, then that does make them an enemy of our constitution and our laws and that is a sad commentary on where we are at."

Montgomery is a veteran himself. He's a West Point graduate who served in the Gulf War.

ABC15 wasn’t able to get a hold of Don Reams for a comment.

[tacticalogic]

I pray you’re never around to give advice if any US serviceman should be put in the position of having to decide whether to obey what appears to be a unconstitutional order.

[Bubba Ho-Tep]

...but past month use of illicit drugs other than marijuana is only 3.3%.

Of which prescription drugs are the vast majority. I wonder if Rush Limbaugh got into trouble with prescription drugs via smoking reefer.

[itsahoot]

I pray you’re never around to give advice if any US serviceman should be put in the position of having to decide whether to obey what appears to be a unconstitutional order.

What possesses you to generate such blather.

§ 502. Enlistment oath: who may administer (a) Enlistment Oath.— Each person enlisting in an armed force shall take the following oath: "I, (state name of enlistee), do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic; that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the same; and that I will obey the orders of the President of the United States and the orders of the officers appointed over me, according to regulations and the Uniform Code of Military Justice. So help me God." (b) Who May Administer.— The oath may be taken before the President, the Vice-President, the Secretary of Defense, any commissioned officer, or any other person designated under regulations prescribed by the Secretary of Defense.

You ever take that Oath?,

Peace in our time.
Because of this binding agreement I have in my hand.

[tacticalogic]

What possesses you to generate such blather.

I'm a bad, bad dhimmi.