[BenR2]

What, no snappy reply to my post 72? You gonna want to know about my service record? Fine, Commander, USNR. Born and raised in Illinois. DMG, University of Illinois Navy ROTC. Nine years active duty in DD's, DDG's and FFG's with the Atlantic Fleet. Recalled to fight the Battle of the Pentagon during Desert Storm. And if I ever had an insubordinate SOB like Mike New under my command I'd kick is ass from here to next Christmas and then I'd toss what was left of it into the brig.

Commander, you may not like New. You may not agree with his stand. As his commander, it would be your obligation to punish him according to UCMJ. However, your use of your (delegated) authority to inflict emotional pain above and beyond any required military justice does not, in my estimation, speak to your credit.

I respect New as a patriot. I also respect you, as a senior officer. In this matter, I side with New. Again: what do you do with the Tuskeegee Airmen, and their refusal to follow orders regarding segregation? Bet you would call them heroes. Well I call New a hero. The UN and the US Constitutional are not capable of being harmonized. Care to disprove me, using the Constitution. (Remember, the oath is to defend the Constitution, correct?)

[Non-Sequitur]

You want to see a patriot? Look at the picture of the man in my reply 71. There is a patriot. There is an honorable man. A man who obeyed the lawful orders of his superiors and served where he was told to serve. A man who did his duty to the best of his ability, died like a Marine, and who was ten times the human being as your boy Mike New is or ever will be.

What would I do with the Tuskeegee Airmen. I would listen to their position with courtesy and respect, and then court martial them because regardless of what I felt about a lawful order, it is still a lawful order.