[GovernmentShrinker]

So do the wounded soldiers have their First Amendment rights back yet?

[American_Centurion]

Please clarify or provide the link to that story.

I haven't heard anything about that.

Thanks

[txradioguy]

I'm sorry...I never realized that I had lost my 1st Amendment Rights.

[dakine]

"...First Amendment rights back"


Never taken away...just remember, with 'rights' come responsibilities...can talk all ya' want, but better be ready to deal with consequences

[USMCWife6869]

I'm sure relieving him of his command has everything to do with the conditions at WRMC and nothing to do with the fact that they were told not to speak to the press.

I don't know how many other ways to say it. Military members are not supposed to speak to the press without authorization. It was like that before the war, during the war, and it will be that way after the war as well. That was not a new rule, no matter how the media wants to spin it.

I'm glad he lost his command if the conditions there are that bad. I've seen officers lose a command over much less.

[EagleUSA]

So do the wounded soldiers have their First Amendment rights back yet?
-----
Enough to make you puke, ain't it ??

[contemplator]

The truth of the matter is that soldiers/sailors/marines/airmen etc.. sign away many of their constitutional rights when they join the military. Those rights are replaced with the UCMJ (Uniform Code of Military Justice). The UCMJ protects many of the rights which exist under the constitution, but not all of them, and the twists that it put on the ones it does grant is somewhat interesting. All in all however; our military members are guaranteed more rights than most other militaries by a long shot and is not a bad deal at all.

[wtc911]

Re US Military and the first amendment...

Generally speaking, Congress may make laws abridging the freedom of speech, religion and assembly for members of the military, pursuant to its Art. I, Sec. 8 authority to "To make Rules for the Government and Regulation of the land and naval Forces". See generally Parker v. Levy, 417 U.S. 733 (1974); Goldman v. Weinberger, 475 U.S. 503 (1986). The courts have upheld military orders proscribing speech in a number of contexts, and they have also upheld the UCMJ provisions making it a crime to disparage our nation's political leaders. Likewise, the courts have upheld federal regulations requiring pre-publication review (known to lawyers as "prior restraint") of manuscripts written by DOD and CIA personnel, something that is very tightly regulated in the civilian 1st Amendment context. So while I think there's a general freedom of speech issue here, there probably isn't a viable legal claim here. The maintenance of "good order and discipline" in the ranks trumps the right to free speech, at least according to the U.S. Supreme Court and its concepts of ordered liberty.

[cake_crumb]

"So do the wounded soldiers have their First Amendment rights back yet?"

What...they're not allowed to talk? So whom did the two Compost reporters interview? Who's complaining face was that I saw on TV? HE was sure talking up a storm. Sounds like he was exercising his First Amendment right to ME. Was he an actor? Was he a FAKE??