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Dublin: 11 °C Saturday 18 May, 2013

Facebook posts leave US marine facing dismissal

Gary Stein criticised Barack Obama and pasted the president’s face onto unflattering posters.

Image: Adrian Wyld/The Canadian Press/Press Association Images

A US MARINE is facing dismissal from the military after posting unfavourable comments about President Barack Obama on Facebook.

Sergeant Gary Stein went as far as superimposing images of President Barack Obama’s face on a poster for the movie Jackass, a prosecutor said yesterday.

The government submitted screen grabs of Stein’s postings on one Facebook page he created called Armed Forces Tea Party, which the prosecutor said included the image of Obama on the Jackass movie poster.

Stein also superimposed Obama’s image on a poster for The Incredibles movie that he changed to The Horribles, the prosecutor said.

The prosecutor, Captain John Torresala, said anti-Obama comments by Stein that were posted on a Facebook page used by Marine meteorologists were prejudicial to good order and discipline, and could have influenced junior Marines.

Stein’s security clearance was taken away and he has no future in the Marine Corps because he can’t do his job without that clearance, Torresala said.

“The Marine Corps community views the command’s lack of action as some kind of knock on good order and discipline,” Torresala said. “Our own people are questioning why this Marine is not being held accountable.”

Stein’s defense attorney, Marine Captain James Baehr, said during the hearing that prosecutors were trying to dredge up any damaging information they could against Stein.

“There is no basis in this case,” Baehr said. “Sgt Stein has broken no law.”

The military has had a policy since the Civil War limiting the free speech of service members, including criticism of the commander in chief.

Pentagon directives say military personnel in uniform cannot sponsor a political club; participate in any TV or radio program or group discussion that advocates for or against a political party, candidate or cause; or speak at any event promoting a political movement.

Commissioned officers also may not use contemptuous words against senior officials.

More: The things people do for a cool Facebook status>

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Comments (24 Comments)

  • Barack obama is the Commander in Chief of all the US armed forces. Basically this guy has insulted his superior. This is not tolerated in any army anywhere in the world and america is no different. He deserves to get the boot.

    Reply
    • ” He deserves to get the boot. ” sorry at a moral level you are wrong, since President Obama is working to destroy the United States of America as President Obama is an Islamist or an FT. That said, for the purposes of the maintenance of military discipline under ordinary circumstances, Sergeant Gary Stein should have the book thrown at him, the problem for the US Military is that their Facebook pages are hacked for the purpose of the subversion of the Constitution of the United States of America and elements of the Obama Administration will be aware of this and the Obama Administration is hiding that from the public, so prosecuting Sergeant Gary Stein is against natural justice as it is double standards and that trumps military law.

      Reply
  • Aidan 06/04/12 #

    Facebook, when will people learn….

    Reply
  • People have to remember that this is NOT an issue of free speech. He is a serving soldier. He has to be apolitical. His job is to serve the state regardless of policy. Soldiers can’t strike, join political parties etc. This is the foundations of all modern Armies and modern States.

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    • Spot on. Plus he’s a Sergeant, he’s in authority. He might have to convince some young marine to do his job in Afghanistan as well as he can. If he’s openly deriding the Commander-in-Chief then it stands to reason that he doesn’t like his policies so how can he ask anyone to carry them out? If you don’t like the restrictions then don’t join

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    • His job is not to serve the state. It is to protect the constitution against enemies both foreign and domestic. And it is pretty clear Obama is a threat to the Constitution. NDAA being the prime example. Soldiers are instructed not to follow illegal orders. This guy is just one of a large group of soldiers who do not like their own government.

      Reply
  • Some people are so stupid when it comes to using social media sites. If you don’t understand that these sites can be used against you, when you say or do something which is politically incorrect. Then do not use them.

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  • His attorney said, “He’s committed no crime.”

    True enough. But he’s not being tried for a crime. He’s being fired. There are a lot of things that will get anyone fired that are not a crime.

    Reply
    • The US Military is entrusted with the protection of the Constitution of the United States of America. The US Military should operate to high-standards and be seen to operate to high standards. Unless the Obama Administration can produce a legitimate explanation which would justify why it is allowing US Government and US Government Agency Facebook Fanpages ( including high profile Facebook Fanpages belong to the US Military ) to be substantially controlled by hackers who are Islamonazis / Islamofascists or FTs through the Obama Administration hiding the existence of the hacking from the public, then Sergeant Gary Stein should not be subject to anything more than a written reprimand by a superior officer for his actions on Facebook.

      Reply
  • I’m all for free speech and against censorship but individuals have to consider what effects their public commitments will have.

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  • Everyone would have thought it was hilarious if it was GW Bush he had put on these posters. Obama is no less a warmonger than his predecessor. I’m just pointing out the double standard.

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  • As someone above rightly said, if some Marine had done the same to GWB, the same people condemning him here would be bleating about free speech and mentioning Hitler.

    I can’t stand Obama, but this dude should get fired. The army can’t be openly political in a democracy.

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    • Pedant alert; Marines! They’re part of the navy

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    • Yes, people would have been bleating about free speech, etc. But the marine would have been sacked just the same.
      Want to lose your job? Do what he did but use YOUR employer’s picture. You’d be out polishing the cobblestones with your boots in a week.

      Reply
    • There is an apparent issue of double standards in this, in that Facebook is being hacked very professionally at a systems level to support Islamic extremism and numerous US Government and US Government Agency Facebook pages are substantially controlled by the hackers. It is simply implausible that one or more likely several US intelligence services / US Law enforcement offices would not be very seriously aware of this issue. It would seem somewhat conflicted to be apparently prosecuting somebody under the US Military Code for posting comedic photoshop images of President Obama whilst allowing US Military Facebook pages to be hijacked by hackers for ” conveyor belting ” purposes to support Islamist military insurgent warfare against the US military and US civilians on US soil, which could lead to catastrophic loss of life and millions of dollars of property damages.

      Reply
  • I hope that idiot gets sacked. What a gobs***e.

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  • I think Ed Kavanagh has been watchin homeland!!

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  • Seems that “free speech” in the supposed “Land of the Free” comes at too high a price for some!! But I also think that if this person has such a grudge against his boss, then why the hell is he a member of the military in the first place???

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  • He should use the copy right symbol in his page….

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  • He obviously wasn’t too familiar with the privacy settings. He’s probably better off out of the military anyway. Now he can post all he likes!

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  • Seems kind of complicated in a sense doesn’t it?

    My argument has legs if I’m right in the following statement: Members of the US Army have the right to vote in a political election.

    Wasn’t there a bit of an uproar about protecting the voting rights of their overseas soldiers? Unless I’m curfuddled and it’s a vote for something else.

    What I’m getting at is you can’t really be apolitical if your entitled to and encouraged to use your vote. The US army appear to be encouraging a sense of politics but your not allowed to have an opinion on how the current government is doing or if you like or dislike anything. (I know it can be argued your opinion is your vote.)

    I’m actually not sure what I make of this. I see both sides of the field. On one side Barack Obama is his superior and in the army you don’t question a higher rank but on the other side, here’s a guy who can rightfully vote so is entitled to an opinion on current politics but he isn’t allowed to express that opinion publicly as so many of us do.

    …I suppose it’s best he goes though, I mean Michael D is President and can vote but can’t speak out in any way shape or form against the government. He copes well!

    Reply

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