The Republican US Marine Soldier Threatens Dismissal Due To His Attacks On Obama In The Facebook

Republican US Soldier Gery Stein

He offended Barack Obama and bragged to refuse commands of the President. Now the US soldier's entries in the Facebook could be fatal. A military court ruled that the man should be dismissed from the army.

In the US Marine Military Camp Pendleton, Gary Stein leaves no doubt in his Facebook profile to its political setting. "I am a conservative," writes the American soldier, "fiercely determined, to defend the Constitution and preserve America's size." But the 26-year old Sergeant left it not at these high-flown words - what could now end his career with the Marines. A military court decided that Stein should be discharged due to public criticism of President Barack Obama.

The background is that Gary Stein had several times offended the US President Obama in Facebook and even threatened to refuse commands of the President. Although he later removed this comment and said he would have meant only commands that are contrary to the law. But nothing helped. The appeal of his lawyers at a Federal Court in San Diego was rejected.

The dismissal from the Commander of his Department at the Marines, the Brigadier General Daniel Yoo said Gary Stein could lose all references that are actually entitled to him after nine years in the army due to impertinency and disobediency.

Screenshots of Stein's facebook page were the most important evidence. In the social network, the Sergeant established such a page, which he called "Armed Forces Tea Party" a homage of the stramm-conservative group within the US Republicans, generally considered to be the sharpest critic of Obama. 2010 Stein had a note supplement on the orders of his superiors, he privately run this page and not with the approval of the U.S. Army.

"Hey people, one thing still..."
This tea party page, Stein then quipped a poster of comical film "Jackass" - in German you receive complete idiot, ass - with a picture of Obama. Stein was appointed before the military court on the right of freedom of expression. But the judge did not follow it and siad "it was a severe offence to President Obama, who is also Commander-in-Chief of the armed forces as President, Stein's remarks were a threat to the discipline within the armed forces and could adversely affect young soldiers."

Within the US military the right to freedom of expression is limited, especially regarding criticism of the President. Stein's lawyers refered to vague and inconsistent with the new social media which many soldiers do not know that the restrictions also apply to opinions on networks such as Facebook.

However, the Prosecutor of Gary Stein made references that the soldier had been warned several times to refrain from the insults to Obama. He (Stein) should have ignored his comments. Also the current entries on Stein's Facebook profile give the impression that the soldier was controversial and therefore consciously provoked. He had already ticked off his military career. He wrote on the night of Saturday: "Hey people, one thing before the weekend." Many of you don't know that I'm also real estate agents. "If you live in Southern California, let us come in the business."

FRANCIS TAWIAH (Duisburg - Germany)